Combating the Industrial Engineering Skills Deficit with a Strategic Approach
Industrial engineering skills shortages are putting industries at risk—one in three U.S. engineering jobs goes unfilled annually, and the gap is expected to reach 186,000 unfilled engineer roles by 2031. But hiring the right early career engineering talent isn’t just about advanced engineering skills. To hire and retain the right talent, companies must look beyond technical skills and industrial engineering skills to consider adaptability, collaboration, and cultural fit as well.
Why Soft Skills and Culture Matter
Technical expertise is essential when solving the engineering talent shortage, but long-term success also depends on time management, teamwork, and adaptability. Since these soft skills don’t always stand out on a resume, interviews should explore how candidates handle deadlines, collaborate on projects, communicate with non-engineers, and adapt to shifting priorities.
Real-world experience outside of engineering also offers valuable insights. Candidates with manual labor or fast-paced service jobs on their resume often bring discipline, problem-solving ability, and a strong work ethic—qualities that translate well to engineering roles.
Cultural fit is equally important. Many companies, including ACS, use later-stage interviews to assess personality and alignment with company values. Casual conversations or team-based exercises can reveal how well candidates engage with colleagues and integrate into the work environment. Hiring engineers who connect with the team and company culture increases retention and fosters long-term growth.
From Theory to Application: What Sets Candidates Apart
Engineering programs provide a strong technical foundation, but many advanced engineering skills—like CAD and project management—aren’t covered in depth. Graduates may also have limited exposure to specialized cross-disciplinary fields, such as industrial automation and control systems, which are so critical to research and manufacturing.
New hires who bring experience in these areas—through coursework, internships, or personal projects—ramp up faster and require less foundational training. While mentoring remains essential, having some background reduces the burden on senior engineers, allowing the team to maintain productivity.
Look for candidates who can showcase their hands-on technical experience to combat the engineering talent shortage. Personal projects, like working on cars or designing circuits, demonstrate problem-solving skills and a genuine curiosity beyond the classroom. Engineers who combine textbook knowledge with real-world applications are more likely to adapt quickly, contribute early, and intentionally work to grow their industrial engineering skills over their careers.
Finding Early Career Engineering Candidates with a Growth Mindset
New technologies are emerging faster than academic curricula can cover. Engineer candidates who become successful long-term hires don’t rely on their existing technical knowledge. They actively seek new knowledge and challenges.
Beyond technical expertise, this growth mindset is invaluable. Candidates who demonstrate curiosity and resourcefulness—whether by troubleshooting problems, learning new software, or experimenting with new technologies—stand out as strong hires.
To solve the engineering talent shortage, look for engineers who approach challenges with an eagerness to learn. Examples of hands-on experience in automation, AI, or prototyping reflect this attitude. Whether through internships, personal projects, or research, engaging with emerging technologies shows initiative and a willingness to expand beyond one’s core discipline. Employers value engineers who combine technical proficiency with a proactive approach to learning and problem-solving.
Getting New Hires Right Has Compounding Benefits to Solving the Engineering Talent Shortage
Hiring the wrong early career engineering candidate is more than a temporary setback—it drains team productivity, slows delivery, and risks restarting the search if they leave or have to be separated. With a shallow candidate pool of young engineers, every new hire matters.
To discover high-quality candidates, look beyond the degrees and industrial engineering skills listed on the resume. Asking about practical experience, even if not related to engineering, can reveal qualities that predict long-term success. Use a structured interview process designed to uncover the skills, mindset, and cultural fit of each candidate. Ask questions that motivate candidates to talk about what they left off their resume that could show their problem-solving ability, work ethic, and willingness to take on challenges.
Finding the right young engineers to fill the engineering talent shortage today pays off for years to come, as they become the mid-career cohort that absorbs and builds on institutional knowledge and develop advanced engineering skills as senior engineers retire.
