Beginner’s Guide:
How to Recruit Defense and Space Industry Engineers
Need Identified
Your team has recognized the need for a new engineer. A series of desired skills has been identified, and you’ll need additional help to design/develop/test the next stage of your project. It is time to start recruiting!
This series explores how to recruit engineering talent in the Space/Defense Industry. This is our bread and butter At StellaScope Recruitment, and we are happy to share our knowledge to help you on your recruitment journey!
Searching for Candidates
First, you must find the right pond to fish in. There are lots of talented engineers out there, but only a subset will meet the requirements (both need-to-have and nice-to-have) you’re looking for. Start by identifying which programs and companies have requirements like what you’re looking for so that you know where to start looking. Some of the key questions to consider:
What technical skills are needed?
What personality would suit the team best?
Does this engineer require a security clearance?
·Where can someone with that level clearance and skillset be found?
A good understanding of the programs/companies in the industry that have such talent is indispensable at this stage. Once you have a clearly defined picture of both the skills you are looking for and where to look for those skills you can start your search!
We prioritize methods that save time and resources, so would recommend the following approach. First, start with a targeted search for the individuals that will be most likely to be interested in the role; then, gradually start changing and broadening your search to include lower-likelihood candidates. For example, you may initially include only local candidates before expanding the search to people who are willing to relocate.
Through both searching and networking, you may uncover new categories of people that match what you are looking for. Make sure to constantly update the kinds of people you search for to include all the different possible candidates! A recruiter that focuses on our industry will know the playing field and have a few good places to start looking.
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Messaging and Screening
Once you have sourced a list of potential candidates, it is time to start messaging them. Though empathy is not often considered to be a vital business tool, in recruiting it is the guiding light, and will be stressed throughout our materials.
Keep in mind factors that are attractive about the position you have open, and make sure to sell that in your message. Does your firm have a particularly unique program? Are you offering an exceptional pay package? Are there opportunities for professional development? These are things that will get a candidate’s attention. A good recruiter will learn the attractive features about your team and know how to convey them.
Once you have an affirmative response, it is time to set up a phone interview to screen the candidate. Here, you must do two things: 1.) Check if the candidate indeed has the qualifications you are looking for, and 2.) Sell the candidate on the role.
During these early stages be sure to confirm critical details with the candidate, like general pay expectations, location, security clearance or citizenship (if needed), etc.
Once the phone screen is complete (or during the screening), consider if the candidate would be worth subsequent steps in the interview process. Advanced-stage interviews can be resource intensive — you may have a panel of key personnel spending their precious time learning about this person. Based on the conversation you have had so far, is it worth that investment? Consulting a team member can help make that decision.
If the role you are hiring for requires clearance, this is also probably the best time to verify the candidate’s security clearance level. Have a system set up to exchange pertinent information between the candidate and your security team. It is best to do this now to avoid getting into advanced-stage interviews with a candidate that does not meet requirements. A solid recruitment team will create an efficient messaging and screening process that will ensure that everyone’s time is spent wisely.
Advanced-stage Interview Process
You have made it this far with a candidate! This means you have recognized this individual’s potential and now are digging a little further to confirm that they are indeed right for the job. Specifically, we do not want to give concrete advice on what this stage must look like, since it will vary from company to company and team to team. However, we do want to mention some things to keep in mind for this process.
First, this is an opportunity to really see how the interviewee will fit into your team. How do their skills and personality complement that of their potential future teammates? Where is there an opportunity for this person to make meaningful contributions? What are areas where this individual will have some ramping-up to do? Can your team handle that?
Second, consider that this is also an important time to build the candidate’s interest and not lose them! Every interview should be a sales pitch to the candidate to some extent. Consider what is important to them. How can you and your team help them?
Finally, make sure you maintain consistent communications throughout the entire process; having a candidate feel forgotten is one of the worst things you can do in the relationship-building process. It makes them feel undervalued and less interested in your firm! Because almost everyone is busy with their own jobs outside of hiring, a skilled recruiter can be the key difference-maker in keeping constant positive dialogue between you and the candidate. Keep in mind, candidates are assessing you as much as you are assessing them!
Enjoying our article? Contact us to discuss professional recruitment services!
Making the Offer
At this point, you have decided that this candidate is a good fit for the role and you are ready to hire them. It may seem like the finish line is close by, but there is still a long way to go. It is important that there is a clear line of communication with the candidate. Furthermore, there should be no surprises at this point with respect to anything that will be in the offer as both parties should already be aligned (see section on Messaging and Screening).
Once your firm sends out the offer with a reasonable deadline (no fewer than 5 business days), the wait begins. Ideally, you should have other candidates in the pipeline as backup. That said, hopefully everything goes smoothly and you have an accepted offer! Even after that happens, it is still important to keep a good line of communication with your incoming employee. Make sure you have a system in place for keeping them engaged and prepared for their new role!
A good recruiter will be able to run a structured, efficient process that maximizes your objectives while minimizing your headache. Just as importantly, they will be empathetic and keep a constant line of clear communication that keeps candidates engaged from beginning to end. Feel free to save this article for future reference and reach out if you have an important requisition that you want a professional to help handle!