How HR Teams in Electronics Companies Can Improve Their Hiring Process

Fortunately, there are valuable strategies you can use to overcome these challenges. In this article, we'll explore the unique aspects of hiring electricians and machinists and provide practical tips on successfully recruiting them. 

The uniqueness of hiring for electronics companies

There's a lot of difference in finding a workforce that's not working predominantly digitally. There are a lot of roles in this industry that don't require workers that are skilled. For example, workers who simply assemble parts or work on conveyor belts.

On the other hand, there's a plethora of roles, such as engineers and technicians, that require experience, education, and hands-on skills. Providing an inexperienced worker with a PCB assembly guide won't simply be enough for these types of roles.

So the challenge of HR in this industry is to ensure that the workers are qualified and have the required experience and knowledge. This is especially important for roles that require high levels of responsibility and are potentially dangerous.

Another aspect of hiring for electronics companies is that you'll be looking for individuals who will work a highly specific role. This is both relieving and challenging. They wouldn't have to have diverse background experience, but finding someone with a specific set of skills is always challenging. 

Challenges of finding workforce for automotive and electronics companies 

The average age of an electrician is 41 years, which signifies that there aren't a lot of new experts who are embracing this profession. This could also mean that this workforce isn't introduced to the latest work-seeking methods.

For example, half of LinkedIn users are almost twice as young as the average electrician. However, this doesn't have to be a problem. You can try your luck on the job posting platforms, but you'll likely find them elsewhere.

The problem with hiring in the electronics industry is that you'll have a limited talent pool since these jobs aren't as popular as software developers or web designers. Furthermore, there's a lower chance that you'll find workers who are introduced to the latest innovations and technology.

With fewer experts on the market, a lot of companies are competing for them, making finding them a lot harder. Many electricians and technicians work on a freelance basis rather than working for a single company. 

Finding top talents in electronics

Through a combination of traditional and innovative methods, you'll be able to screen all the different possible places for top talents in the electronics industry.

These five methods are only a portion of the many different hiring methods, yet 

1. Leveraging job posting platforms

One of the best ways to find talent in the modern day is through job posting platforms such as Indeed and LinkedIn. However, there are also individual job posting platforms for specific industries.

For electronics, you can find talents on Electronics Weekly Jobs, but there are a number of other options as well. As mentioned, talents in electronics might not be keen to use job posting platforms as talents from other industries, but it's still worth covering this territory.

Furthermore, if someone is experienced in online job seeking in a field that traditionally doesn't function like that, it's likely that they have better skills and demonstrate the ability to innovate.

With a proper job posting, you'll be able to target people even outside of such platforms. This is why it's essential to optimize your job descriptions for search engines, allowing people who Google such roles a way of seeing them even without using LinkedIn or Indeed.

2. Finding content creators

With the rise of YouTube and social media, there are a lot of individuals in fields such as machining, electronics, and chemistry who have decided to create content. I grew up watching YouTube content creators who dabbled in making gadgets and electronic circuits.

Instead of waiting for experts to apply to your job posts, you could actively seek people with a social media presence. This is also great since they have already demonstrated their knowledge and skills through their content.

There are a lot of platforms you can choose from, from short-form content creators on TikTok and Instagram to YouTube. Furthermore, such candidates also demonstrate a plethora of other skills that would complement their future roles.

It's likely that they are also keen on innovating and can adapt to new trends and challenges in the role.

3. Using AI & ML tech to find candidates

There's no reason to not use artificial intelligence and machine learning-powered tools in order to streamline your hiring processes. These tools can help you create better job descriptions and make your ads more professional.

Furthermore, AI-powered tools could help you scrape the web for individuals with adequate backgrounds and skills. These tools could predict the potential of the candidate by analyzing your requirements and their background.

What's also great about AI-powered tools is that they can automate a significant portion of the work. They can automatize job postings, but they can also help you with screening candidates, helping you avoid reading hundreds of resumes.

On top of that, instead of having to interview incompetent individuals, you'll be able to save time and provide only the best candidates with the possibility to move to the next stages of the hiring process. 

4. Explore DIY and electronics forums

Those who are dabbling in electronics, whether as their passion or as a hobby, are often present in online communities and forums. These communities often help enthusiasts with ambiguities and provide them with resources to learn.

These forums can help HRs find notable members of the communities and contact them with job opportunities. There are a number of rich communities, such as Hackaday, Arduino, and Reddit's Electronics Subreddit.

Of course, contacting members from these communities can be a hit-or-miss, as you'll have to read dozens of posts and inspect profiles of potential candidates carefully. Furthermore, contacting them directly would require a high level of professionalism as people don't usually get job opportunities on social media and forums that are legit.

The candidates on these platforms are diverse. You can find passionate enthusiasts who joined the industry recently, but there are also a number of veterans who have been around for decades. 

5. Finding top talent in education 

Job seeking is becoming more and more challenging with the rise of remote work. Furthermore, a lot of companies are avoiding junior roles, making joining the industry quite challenging.

However, there have been a number of examples of companies signing contracts with talents in high school or college who later proved their worth. By collaborating with educational institutions, you'll be able to connect and upskill passionate students who could turn out to be incredible experts as the years go by.

Another complementary method for finding and creating experts is by establishing training programs and workshops as a part of your company. This way, you'll be able to upskill junior electricians and engineers and develop loyalty.

Furthermore, such programs are a great way to boost your reputation and prove that you're a reliable company that cares about its employees. This will also play an important role in attracting senior candidates.

You could also attract and upskill individuals through e-learning courses and knowledge bases. 

Implement innovative HR practices in traditional industries 

We've seen a rise in the costs of living in the past few years, which has significantly impacted our individual desires and goals. In terms of finding candidates for any job, it's certainly not impossible. However, finding top-notch individuals will always be challenging.

If you're working as an HR expert for a company in the electronics industry, you should leverage as many different methods as possible to achieve your tasks. However, depending on your location and the client's needs, some methods will be more efficient than others.

Remember that finding the perfect candidate is a process that takes time and effort, yet sometimes a candidate can show up by themselves. Through understanding of the industry and the use of proper tools, you'll be able to significantly increase your success in hiring.