Lots of Candidates, But a Skills Shortage: How Do You Hire for Electrical Maintenance Jobs?
Finding the Right Candidate for Your Electrical Maintenance Jobs in a Sea of Applicants
When you’re hiring for electrical maintenance jobs, you have probably experienced the impact of the skills shortage firsthand.
According to a survey by Deloitte, the talent shortage is making it take three times as long to fill vacancies – and could cost the U.S. economy as much as $2.5 trillion over a 10-year period between 2018 and 2028.
Strange but true – the high unemployment created by the COVID-19 economy is making it harder to hire skilled employees into electrical maintenance roles. You could receive hundreds of applications from hopeful job seekers. This makes it almost impossible to create a shortlist of the great candidates. How do you ensure the most talented don’t slip through the net?
Young Talent Is in Short Supply for Electrical Maintenance Jobs
The skills shortage in the electrical and engineering industry has been an issue for a while now. It is presenting challenges for many businesses, and this problem is only likely to grow in the future as the lack of skilled workers stunts industry innovation and growth.
A huge problem you may be facing is attracting young workers into your electrical maintenance jobs to replace your aging workforce.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts that electrical and electronics installers and repairers are going to see a decline in the number of jobs available over the next 10 years, as the increased use of disposable tool parts are expected to reduce the need for these roles.
This relative fall in job prospects is deterring new entrants to the sector. Consequently, it is becoming more difficult to encourage youngsters to become electrical maintenance professionals.
So how are you going to find top electrical maintenance workers while there is a skills shortage?
Selecting Great Candidates from a Crowd of Applications
There is a lack of skilled electrical maintenance workers available to fill the roles needed. However, this doesn’t mean it is impossible to find talented candidates.
While high numbers of applicants can make it more difficult to screen for the best candidates, there are still ways to find that talented needle in your haystack of applicants. Here are some tips to help identify the best candidates for your electrical maintenance jobs.
· Model the Perfect Candidate
It’s essential to define your role, identifying the key skills that make candidate a perfect fit.
List all the responsibilities that your electrical maintenance worker would take on, and the skills they would need to complete all their tasks. This will give you a good initial benchmark for screening candidates.
· Consider Cultural Fit as Well as Skills Fit
It’s just as important to hire for cultural fit as it is for skills. If your new recruit doesn’t ‘fit in’, they can cause disharmony in the team and create conflict where none existed before.
· Consider Hiring Temp-To-Perm
Instead of hiring for a permanent role, consider advertising for a temp-to-perm position. You’ll get to assess a prospective permanent employee in the workplace, observing how they interact with their team, and assess if their skillsets match your requirements.
· Focus Interviews on Problems Your Electrical Maintenance Workers Will Face
When hiring for electrical maintenance workers, technical interviews should be a part of your process. Test potential candidates with real problems they are likely to face. This will help you build a clear picture of whether they have the relevant skills needed to complete the job – and will certainly weed out lower-quality candidates.
· Use a Specialist Staffing Agency
If you are struggling to find talent, a specialist staffing agency will be a huge help. They have years of experience building a network of talent in the industry. They will have pre-screened candidates on their books who are perfect for your role. This reduces the time it takes to connect with the talent you need, reduce your effort, and vastly improve your chances of hiring the most talented candidates quickly.
To Sum Up
Hiring world-class electrical maintenance workers during a skills shortage and a global pandemic presents a mountain of challenges to overcome. However, it is not impossible. There are skilled workers out there and job hunting, but with the sea of applications you receive it can be difficult to pick them out.
Review your hiring process, set out a clear job description, and have a clear understanding of what your must-have skills are for candidates. Be sure to test candidates before hiring so that you can determine they have the skills you need and will be able to complete tasks successfully.
For help recruiting talent for your electrical maintenance jobs, contact Mac Incorporated.
