FOCUS ON ENGINEERING 2015

Transcription

1 FOCUS ON ENGINEERING 2015

2 Employers continue to be frustrated by an inability to fill engineering roles, both in the U.S. and globally. In fact, ManpowerGroup s 2014 Talent Shortage Survey revealed that for the third consecutive year, engineers ranked second on the global list of Top 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill. In the U.S., engineers ranked ninth among the hardest jobs to fill, and have appeared on the list for seven consecutive years, twice before holding the top spot. To understand more deeply the extent to which employers are having difficulty finding the engineering talent they need, why this is the case, and what engineers are seeking in their careers, Experis, a ManpowerGroup company, conducted a survey in the first quarter of 2015 of both engineers and employers who hire engineering talent. 1 FOCUS ON ENGINEERING 2015

3 EMPLOYER HIRING NEEDS AND CHALLENGES IN FINDING ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS On average, 40 percent of U.S. employers report having difficulty filling jobs. In comparison, a staggering 86 percent of employers who hire engineers are having difficulty filling such roles within their organization. And of those, one in four employers do not feel confident they will be able to hire the engineering talent their organization needs. 86 Employers having difficulty filling engineering roles 24 Employers not confident they will be able to hire engineering talent needed 82 Employers likely to hire engineers in 2015 Those are distressing figures, especially when considering 82 percent of employers who hire engineers anticipate hiring in Hiring managers report a broad range of engineering hiring needs, with the most difficult to find being electrical engineers, followed by manufacturing engineers, software engineers and quality assurance engineers. Experis also asked engineers which specific engineering role they currently hold. Twelve percent of employers are seeking electrical engineers, yet just eight percent of survey respondents are in this field. By contrast, 13 percent of respondents are employed in mechanical engineering, but just four percent of employers are seeking mechanical engineers. HIRING NEEDS 12 Electrical 10 Manufacturing 7 Software 6 Quality 4 Mechanical 4 engineers engineers engineers assurance engineers engineers Aeronautical/ aerospace/astronautics engineers Hiring managers reported a number of hiring challenges they face in finding the engineering talent they need for their organizations. Not surprising, at the top of the list is a lack of applicants, but other challenges include candidates lacking both experience and technical skills. HIRING CHALLENGES 46 Lack of applicants 44 Lack of experience 32 Lack of hard job skills/ technical skills 26 Salary demands too high 26 Lack of soft skills/workplace competencies 2

4 ENGINEERS LIKELY TO EXPLORE NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN 2015 While employers are trying to find engineers to meet organization demand, they are also trying to retain their top engineering talent. However, an overwhelming proportion 70 percent of engineers who responded to the survey are likely to explore new job opportunities in And of those, 92 percent intend to change employers. Engineers likely to explore job opportunities in 2015 Engineers likely to change employers in 2015 Actively seeking new positions May look for new job/exploring what s out there Intend to change employers On the fence about changing employers 11 Not likely to change positions Intend to stay in 19 current position Intend to stay Not likely to with current change employers employer Engineers also shared their top considerations when seeking a new position. Leading the list is increased salary, bonuses and/or incentives, followed by a better work environment/culture, and more interesting or challenging work, access to better professional training/career development and an improved work/life balance. 92 of those likely to explore new job opportunities intend to change employers TOP CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SEEKING A NEW POSITION 40 Increased salary, bonuses 18 and/or incentives Better work environment/ culture 17 More Access to interesting or 17 better professional challenging work training/career development 17 Improved work/life balance 3 FOCUS ON ENGINEERING 2015

5 With 70 percent of engineers planning to search for a new opportunity, it s no surprise that only 12 percent of engineers reported being extremely satisfied with their current position. The majority of respondents felt confident in finding a new engineering position when they are ready to make a change. Satisfaction with current position Extremely satisfied 12 Satisfied 35 Somewhat satisfied 30 Not satisfied 23 Confidence in finding a new engineering position Extremely confident Confident Not confident 3 Extremely unconfident Although many of the engineers surveyed indicated they are planning to explore new job opportunities, satisfaction with engineering as a career remains high. The probability of them remaining in the field of engineering for the duration of their career is very high. In addition, 96 percent are likely to recommend an engineering career. Satisfaction with engineering as a career 37 Extremely satisfied Satisfied 43 Somewhat satisfied 17 Not satisfied 3 Probability of remaining in field of engineering for duration of career 49 Extremely likely Very likely 35 Somewhat likely 13 Not likely 3 Probability of recommending engineering as a career Extremely likely Very likely Somewhat likely Not likely There are many programs to support the education and development of engineers, including efforts to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills to prepare students to pursue engineering degrees. Survey respondents shared that a parent most inspired them to pursue becoming an engineer, followed by a family member (other than a parent) and next a science teacher or professor. Person who most inspired engineering career choice A parent 24 A family member (other than a parent) 10 A science teacher or professor 8 6 Eng A mentor/role model 5 A math teacher or professor Survey responses also showed the stark gender divide in the engineering profession; just 12 percent of those participating are women, while the overwhelming majority are male. 4

6 GROWING CHALLENGES FINDING AND COMPETING FOR ENGINEERING TALENT Employers continue to report difficulty filling key engineering roles at their organization, citing a lack of applicants, a lack of experience among those who do apply, and a lack of technical skills. With 86 percent of employers intending to hire engineers in 2015, this talent gap is only going to grow. Adding to the headache for employers, up to 70 percent of engineers are already looking for new opportunities, posing retention challenges for those employers. What is clear is that demand outweighs supply when it comes to engineering talent. This means that the best engineering talent is able to choose where, when and how they work. Engineers who are seeking new positions seek greater compensation, a better working culture, more interesting or challenging work, greater career development and an improved work/life balance. Employers who do not pay heed will find it increasingly difficult to attract and retain this hard-to-find talent, and risk losing out to competitors who do offer what engineers are looking for. 5 FOCUS ON ENGINEERING 2015

7 Those employed in an engineering discipline and those who hire engineers are essential to creating change that improves our world every day. Experis Engineering is committed to honoring those who work in the field of engineering, as well as encouraging young people to pursue and succeed in this in-demand career. The goal of this research is to gather insights and bring attention to the field of engineering while also helping aspiring engineers succeed. Celebrate the field of engineering and contributions to the profession by sharing your experience and #eweek2015. Experis Engineering is a proud participant and supporter of National Engineers Week, February 22-28, Experis Engineering study Engineering Talent Supply and Demand surveyed 1400 engineers and 100 employers who are likely to recruit engineering talent via an online survey. The survey was designed to be representative of individuals working in an engineering discipline and employers who hire engineers at their organization. The survey ran for one week during the timeframe of January 29 through February 5, Engineers who responded were 88 male and 12 female. The greatest number, 26, had 1-5 years of experience and 22 had more than 25 years, followed by 15 with 6-10 years, 10 with years, and 10 with less than 1 year of experience. The greatest number of respondents were mechanical engineers (13), followed by manufacturing engineers (12), electrical engineers (8), and chemical engineers, automotive engineers, electronics engineers and aeronautical/aerospace/astronautics engineers, each with 5 representation. 6

8 As the leader in project solutions and professional talent resourcing, Experis accelerates business growth while matching professionals to rewarding IT, Finance and Engineering opportunities with industryleading organizations helping accelerate careers, while delivering better results for our clients. Experis is part of ManpowerGroup, the world leader in innovative workforce solutions. Learn more at Experis.us/engineering or search available engineering opportunities at ExperisJobs.us/engineering ManpowerGroup. All rights reserved.