They are a rare breed as often there are only one or two even in larger engineering teams and they tend to become well established. Those I have spoken to tend to feel the job provides plenty of interest and variety and there is little need to move. The role becomes essential and pivotal and so is rarely under threat. It also becomes a silo for knowledge so the incumbent becomes nearly irreplaceable. We often see Electronics or Hardware engineers stay in one company for most of their lives and so there is very little churn in the industry. As a result, finding replacements or additional experienced Electronics Engineers can be very challenging for companies. In fact, knowing where they are is not the issue, persuading them to look at options elsewhere is the real challenge.

This is where a recruitment partner that specialises in the niche is so important. These engineers will not react to random emails out of the blue about jobs. It is the personal knowledge and connection that allows us to speak directly to a small group of prospects to highlight the role and all and any features and benefits as well as the challenge and impact which is really what motivates many of these individuals that makes a difference. This is not volume recruitment; it is highly specialised niche recruitment that adds significant value to the clients and offers significant career rewards to the candidates.

Tips for employers

When you are recruiting, prepare to accept that many Electronics Engineers are pretty settled so make sure you understand what you are offering them and be detailed.
Plan ahead and be patient. These roles, especially for experienced hires, can take time and often the candidates are on a 3 month notice period. That means from the point of you starting to look and them starting with you can take 4-6 months.

Be aware of and prepared for buy back/counter offers as employers hate to lose experienced talent and realise the cost of looking for replacements so they often fight hard to keep the outgoing engineer. Be patient the process may take time in fact weeks and months in some cases.

Tips for candidates

It is true that the grass is not always greener but always worth having conversations to make sure you are in the right place to nurture your career. Whilst Electronics Engineering roles are challenging to fill for employers they are also relatively rare due to the fact that often openings don’t come up until someone moves so do investigate the opportunities when you can.
Understand who you are and what you want. Are you focussed on becoming a niche expert or do you like variety and a different challenges. Do you want people leadership or does that turn you cold?

Electronics Engineers play a pivotal role in the world of technology, often hidden behind the scenes yet integral to the development of products and systems that shape the modern world. They work with everything from circuit design and embedded systems to power electronics and signal processing. These engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the intricate electrical systems that power devices, from smartphones to industrial machinery, medical devices, and everything in between.

Enigma People Solutions is an award-winning technology recruitment consultancy. We find technical leaders for the emerging and enabling technology industries. Visit our services page for more information. Visit our job search page for the latest vacancies in photonics, electronics, semiconductor, software and IoT in Scotland and the UK. Check out our blog page for the latest in the technology industry. You can get in touch with us hello@enigmapeople.com or call us on + 44 131 510 8150