Five Engineering Staffing Trends and Predictions for 2022

It’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown by this year. While 2022 is still a few months away, businesses are already looking ahead to the future. Here are five engineering staffing trends and predictions we are likely to see in 2022:

1. Increased focus on hiring contingent workers

Contingent workers are workers that are not permanent employees, such as freelancers, independent contractors, and other non-permanent workers. In recent years, this type of employment has seen more adoption due to the benefits it offers.

But it wasn’t until the start of the pandemic that businesses began ramping up their use of temporary workers. Civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering are some of the fields that have seen an increase in contingent work opportunities. With restrictions being lifted as more Americans become vaccinated, businesses will likely make contingent work part of their permanent engineering staffing strategy.

2. Flexible and hybrid work options for engineers

The shift to a hybrid and flexible workforce has given business leaders the opportunity to reshape the work landscape to one that gives workers more choice while still meeting business demands. Several studies have shown that workers are often more productive when working from home. With hybrid work, some engineers will be able to continue working from home most days while only going into the office for specific activities, such as induction, onboarding, training, team vision and collaboration events, and performance management meetings.

The pandemic has also shown us that not all processes or people need to be onsite. We are seeing energy companies get increasingly creative with remote job opportunities.

3. Less focus on local engineering recruitment

Before the pandemic, hiring managers at engineering staffing companies typically limited their search for talent to driving distance from the office. But with hybrid and remote work being a continuing trend in 2022, the geographic boundaries are virtually erased. This bodes well for companies that have been struggling with a skills shortage in engineering, which has impacted new construction projects. Hiring managers will be able to cast their nets wide to find and attract top engineering talent throughout the country.

4. Use of recruitment 3.0 to find top engineering talent

In 2022, companies will need to fully embrace the new recruiting landscape. Recruitment 3.0 combines traditional recruitment methods with modern digital tools and marketing tactics. Today’s top engineering talent is likely already employed and not scouring job boards. Recruitment 3.0 allows recruiters to connect with these passive candidates that would be open to new opportunities but aren’t actively looking.

5. Employer brand will become a top priority

Today’s engineering candidates are more savvy than ever. They have access to vast amounts of information about a company and will spend time combing through your website and reading reviews. Ask yourself: “Will candidates like what they find out about our company?” You can improve your employer brand by investing in social media, adding content to your website, and if you have negative reviews, make sure you respond to them and not ignore them altogether. In 2022, having a bad employer brand will be a nail in the coffin for your engineering staffing efforts.