Engineering is one of the broadest skills sets out there. It’s like saying athlete. What kind of engineer are you talking about? Do you want a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, a software engineer, a manufacturing engineer, a computer engineer, or do you want a Front-End Engineer? Did you know there are 16 engineering disciplines that the bureau of labor measures data on? Within those engineering disciples, there are hundreds of subsets and specialties.
With that diversity in skill sets you would think it would be easy to recruit a diverse technical staff. WRONG. The engineering field is heavily weighted in several demographics.
- 16% of engineers are Female.
- 67% of engineers are White.
- 15% of engineers are Asian.
- 49% of engineers are over the age of 40.
So how do you build out a diverse team, when it is hard enough to keep your team staffed and meet the deadlines you must to run your business?
The key to achieving a diverse work force is talking about it and continuously recruiting new people and for the sake of this conversation, new engineers. Diversity should be thought of in a broad manner and not only evaluated through demographics. Diversity is gathering the thoughts and insights of people from all walks of life – people who have experienced life differently, and intentionally fostering an environment where everyone feels safe to share thoughts and participate. If you are continuously recruiting new people into your organization and fostering an environment where all people feel safe, you will make strides in the right direction.
The key to attracting and recruiting new technical talent into your organization is through Human Resources and the use of staffing agencies. This will increase the number of candidates you have to select from. As you are interviewing and selecting new people to fill roles on your team, it is imperative that you have a diverse interview panel. If you have a panel with 4 people who have been with your organization the longest, you are going to select the same type of people you have been hiring over the years. Guess what that will result in? Do we really need to say it?
Yes, it will likely be a person who looks and comes from a background just like your panel.
So, what should you do?
Change your interview panel. Add one of your talented early career people to the team. Ensure there is representation from all genders and as many different backgrounds as possible. This strategy will help you in two ways. One, you will be a more attractive landing spot for a diverse candidate, as they will see some part of themselves in your interview panel. Two, it will give the diversity of thoughts and cultural experiences you need to make a critical hiring decision. If diversity is important to your organization, you need to have a diverse hiring team and you need to openly discuss diversity within your company.
The Technical Talent Group (TTG) team values diversity and we are here to help you build yours. TTG cannot screen candidates based on demographic information, but we are here to guide you and speak with you on your quest to build out a diverse team. Our Strategic Delivery Process (SDP) is designed to focus on and find the key technical skill sets you need for your team. It also aligns with what consultants are seeking in the job market. Our SDP allows us to present you candidates to hire that want to work for a company that matches your profile. If you are seeking to add Engineering and Information Technology talent to your team, reach out to us HERE. We are excited to partner with you and discuss strategies on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
