Mechanical Engineer: What is the cost of hiring?

Why recruit a mechanical engineer?

Recruiting a mechanical engineer is essential if you are looking to repair or maintain industrial machinery in your workplace. They can also help you to design and build mechanical systems that improve the efficiency of production lines in your workplace. Therefore a mechanical engineer’s role can be broad and encompass many processes in your business, from the creation of products to maintenance of tools. 

Qualities of a great mechanical engineer:

• creating bespoke products that meet the expectations and needs of your clients
• gathering data on and analysing the effectiveness of your current mechanical systems
• being involved in the entire process of developing your products

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance mechanical engineer

Whether you decide to recruit a mechanical engineer on a full-time or part-time basis depends on how much ongoing work will be available for them. A full-time mechanical engineer can be advantageous as you will not need to keep training them in the use of company tools or machinery. This may save you time and money in the long term if you have several projects over the course of a year. However, if you only need one project or a few small projects to be completed, you might prefer to recruit a mechanical engineer on a short-term contract basis. 

What are the different types of mechanical engineer?

Which mechanical engineer is right for your business will depend on the kinds of product that your company produces, as well as your mechanical systems. You may find it useful to recruit an engineer with robotics skills if you run a business in the agricultural or construction industry and are looking to make some of your processes automated. If you are involved in the construction industry, you may look for a civil engineer who has specialist knowledge that enables them to oversee the construction of large structures. 

• Robotics engineer: is able to build robotic prototypes and is responsible for testing, debugging, configuring and installing robotic systems in your production lines.
• Aerospace engineer: designs products for space and aeronautical companies, drafting and designing aeroplanes, helicopters, spacecraft and other aerospace machinery.
• Construction engineer: oversees the planning, design, construction and testing of large-scale structures such as bridges, buildings and transport systems.
• Acoustic engineer: specialises in the manipulation of sound in an environment, usually to reduce or improve noise levels in public spaces.
• Civil engineer: oversees the planning, design, construction and testing of public infrastructure such as water systems, dams and irrigation projects.

Where to find a mechanical engineer?

To find the right mechanical engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Networking events: network with industry professionals at engineering and construction conferences or exhibitions.
• Networking with graduates via universities: find engineering graduates looking for on-the-job experience by networking with local universities.
• Specialist recruitment agencies: use recruitment agencies that can help you to headhunt specialist engineers who match your job specifications.
• Advertising online via your website: advertise the role on your website, alongside a clear application process and/or contact details.

Post your job online: Try posting your job for a mechanical engineer on Indeed to find and attract quality mechanical engineer candidates.

Skills to look for in a great mechanical engineer

A great candidate for a mechanical engineer’s role will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• attention to detail
• troubleshooting skills
• excellent customer service
• understanding of mechanical systems
• ability to use specialist tools

Writing a mechanical engineer job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified mechanical engineer candidates. A mechanical engineer job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your  job description for a mechanical engineer, consider including some or all of the following keywords to strengthen the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms resulting in clicks on jobs for mechanical engineers, according to Indeed data:

• mechanical engineer
• engineer
• engineering
• graduate mechanical engineer
• graduate engineer
• mechanical design engineer
• design engineer
• apprenticeship.

Interviewing mechanical engineer candidates

Strong candidates for mechanical engineer positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• troubleshooting experience
• mathematical knowledge and application
• why they wish to join your company
• how they have dealt with challenging engineering projects
• how they would write a technical report

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of mechanical engineer interview questions for examples (with sample answers).