2011 engineering jobs & careers report

UNITED STATES

ENGINEERING 2011 JOB CANDIDATES Insights and Analysis from Professionals, Recruiters and Hiring Managers

Brought to you by Monster Intelligence

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Copyright @ 2011 by Monster, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of Monster, Inc.

ENGINEERING – 2011 JOB CANDIDATES The Engineering sector is showing positive signs for 2011. Online job postings are on the rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts the occupation to grow 11% by 2018. Recruiters are having an adequate time filling roles and meeting employer requirements. Compensation levels are high. “In an economy that‟s struggled over the last few years and is slowly making its way back, engineering has consistently been a promising field and it looks to only get better.”

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Despite the positive momentum, the industry‟s primary challenge lies in educating and training sufficient candidates to meet employer expectations. Skills and disciplines are constantly evolving. The candidate pool is well-educated, yet has a surplus of more senior candidates. The world is becoming increasingly Engineering-focused and the U.S. risks lagging behind. The report details hiring conditions, market conditions, and talent supply and talent demand comparisons to provide an in-depth look at the evolving Engineering sector. Monster leveraged more than 1.2 million Engineering resumes coupled with online job postings for talent across the United States in order to gain insight into candidates and employers. Data is current through March 2011 unless otherwise noted. Additionally, Monster surveyed active Engineering professionals, HR professionals and hiring managers to present a snapshot of activity within the United States. The surveys were conducted between November and December 2010.

1Balderrama, Anthony. “Industries to Watch: Engineering” AOL Jobs. 1/27/11.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Hiring Talent in 2011 3

Engineering Talent 3

Career Talent 5

Education Talent 5

Experienced Talent 5

States and Major Markets 6

Job Search Conditions 7

Market Conditions 8

Market Overview 8

Online Recruitment Trends 10

Recruitment Activity 11

Hiring Conditions 12

Supply and Demand Analysis 13

Labor Performance Matrix 15

Career Level Requirements 17

Education Level Requirements 17

Experience Requirements 17

Job Type Requirements 18

Job Status Requirements 18

Qualifications and Benefits 19

Compensation 20

Conclusion 21

Monster Intelligence 21

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HIRING TALENT IN 2011 Engineering Talent The following data analyzes the supply (resumes) of Engineering professionals on Monster nationwide. It provides a current picture of key Engineering job seeker availability in the United States. The top Engineering occupations in supply are fairly diversified, with the top 10 representing 81 percent of all candidates.

Skills Listed in the chart below are the top skills made available by Engineering candidates on their Monster accounts. The list is full of specific technical skills, including computer skills, software packages, and Engineering-related terms.

Electical and Electronics Engineers - 16%

Mechanical Engineers - 10%

Engineering Managers - 9%

Industrial Engineers - 8%

Engineers, All Other - 8%

Computer Hardware Engineers - 8%

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians - 6%

Industrial Engineering Technicians - 6%

Civil Engineers - 5%

Materials Engineers - 5%

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In a recent Monster survey of more than 1,000 Engineering professionals and 300 Engineering employers, respondents were asked “Which of the following „hard‟ skills are most in supply/demand when looking for the ideal Engineering job/candidate?” Hard skills are technical requirements of a job or activity that are teachable, often requiring on-the-job training or more formal education such as that provided by a college or university. The two key Engineering hard skills referenced by more than 60 percent of employer respondents were Project Mangement and Design. Consistent with the top skills in supply referenced on the prior page, Engineering professionals highly ranked Project Management, Microsoft Products and Design. Engineering professionals and employers were each asked “Which of the following „soft‟ skills are most in supply/demand when looking for the ideal Engineering job/candidate?” Engineering professionals and employers agree that Problem Solving is a key success factor (63 percent and 72 percent, respectively). Professionals rank Teamwork and Communication next in importance for Engineering roles while recruiters rank Self-Confidence and Work Ethic. Note that Leadership is one of the least important soft skill to recruiters, but was ranked fourth by candidates.

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The charts below give a detailed profile of Engineering job seekers found on Monster including career experience, education level and work experience. Engineering candidates found on Monster are typically Mid-Career with at least a Bachelor‟s degree and more than fifteen years of experience.

Career Talent A steep 57 percent of Engineering job seekers are Mid-Career. Twenty-five percent are Managers or above while 18 percent are emerging into today‟s workforce.

Education Talent Engineering seekers are an educated group. Sixty-eight percent of Engineering job seekers have at least a Bachelor‟s degree. Twenty-seven percent have an Associate degree or Some-college experience.

Experienced Talent A majority of Engineering job seekers are seasoned professionals. A strong 44 percent have over 10 years of experience while 17 percent have 2 to 5 years of experience.

Executive

2%Manager

23%

Mid Career

57%

Entry Level

13%

Student

5%

Career Level

Masters or

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24%

Bachelors

44%

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27%

High School

5%

Certification

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4%

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More than 15 Years

10+ to 15 Years

7+ to 10 Years

5+ to 7 Years

2+ to 5 Years

1+ to 2 Years

Less than 1 Year

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Years of Work Experience

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Top 20 U.S. Markets - Highest Volume

States and Major Markets Detailing Engineering resumes by state shows the strong population of job seekers in California and Texas, as well as on the East coast. In order of volume, the states with the most active Engineering resumes are California, Texas, Florida, Michigan and Ohio; each has over 5 percent of all Engineering job seeker resumes.

The top 20 markets account for 58 percent of all Engineering job seeker resumes. Los Angeles and New York City have the strongest concentration of candidates, each with a 6 percent share.

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Job Search Conditions The primary reason Engineering professionals are looking for a job is due to layoffs that occurred and continue to occur, which shows that despite improvements in the economy, uncertainly still exists. The second most popular response was undesirable salary, suggesting that many professionals have accepted or maintained positions below their worth to maintain employment through difficult times. As more jobs become available many may leave current employment to seek higher compensation. The top five reasons Engineering professionals are searching for a job include:

1. Layoffs occurring/occurred (24 percent) 2. Salary is not as desired (16 percent) 3. Re-entering the workforce (16 percent) 4. Limited or no potential for upward mobility (13 percent) 5. Relocating/moving (12 percent)

Factors less likely to drive candidates to look for a job were „relationship with peer‟, „relationship with manager‟, and „healthcare benefits are not as desired‟. Engineering professionals report that they are somewhat finding success in meeting their job expectations and requirements. A solid 44 percent are finding „Good‟ to „Excellent‟ conditions. Those respondents that reported „Average‟ to „Poor‟ conditions were asked “What makes it challenging looking for a job?” The three primary reasons job seekers had a difficult time finding Engineering positions were „finding a job that matches what they want (e.g., salary, locations, etc.)‟, „getting an employer or recruiter to contact them‟, and „too few jobs‟. From Monster‟s recent survey to Engineering professionals, the majority of respondents (68 percent) are most comfortable with going to online job boards to search for opportunities and post their resume.

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Market Conditions

The economic downturn in 2009 negatively impacted the Engineering occupation as firms were forced to cut their budgets, reduce research and design initiatives, and institute layoffs. 2010 brought constrained and variable growth. Initial indications for 2011 are positive, yet can vary widely across the array of Engineering disciplines.

Market Overview Engineers‟ primary job, defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is to “apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems.” Engineers offer critical skills to develop product and infrastructure, provide manufacturing solutions, cut costs, innovate, improve the environment, and advance new technology. The field is incredibly wide and diverse; the BLS identifies 17 engineering specialties, each with numerous subdivisions.

There are several factors influencing Engineering occupations today:

The constant need for the design and development of new products and technology, including the push for more efficient processes to enhance profitability and competitiveness

Continued population growth demands more infrastructure, food, energy and clean water, each of which engineers are tasked with developing

Related to population growth, is the expanding aging population which requires increased medical care and medical products, spurring the growth in particular of Biomedical Engineers

Expanding concern for our environment, driving for example the investigation of solar energy, minimizing environmental hazards, and making products and processes safe

International competition is stunting U.S. job expansion, in particular for Computer Hardware, Electrical and Electronics Engineers

In 2008, approximately 36 percent of engineering jobs were in manufacturing industries, 30 percent in professional, scientific and technical service industries, 12 percent in government roles, and the remainder divided among construction, telecommunications, wholesale trade and other industries.

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Engineering remains one of the highest paying occupations. The National Association of Colleges and Employers recent 2010 survey ranked Engineering roles in eight of the top 10 highest paying majors (each of them in excess of $57,000) as well as noted that select Engineering roles had some of the largest year-over-year salary increases (for

example, Electrical Engineer offers were up 4.4 percent to $61,690), an encouraging sign for the sector.3

Contributing to the high salaries is the sector‟s constant shortage of qualified candidates. The Presidential Administration has taken a strong initiative to develop the nation‟s critical “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) occupations by exposing grade school children at an early age, better training teachers, and providing more hands-on education.

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Related to candidate shortage is the U.S.‟s Engineering brain drain. Not only are foreign nationals coming to the U.S. for Engineering education and then heading back to their home countries (more than 50 percent of Engineering doctoral degrees are awarded to foreign nationals), but also many countries are rapidly escalating their own Engineering programs, meaning fewer foreign nationals could eventually come to the U.S. for education. As comparison, one-third of U.S. bachelor degrees are in Science and Engineering compared to 63 percent in Japan and 56 percent in China. “The blunt truth is that unless we produce more STEM-capable workers, U.S. technology leaders will be forced to offshore more high-tech jobs and with them, our best shot at keeping America competitive.”

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2 Bureau of Labor Statistics 3 Hopkins, Katy. “Brighter Job Outlook for Class of 2011.” Usnews.com. 3/9/11. 4 The STEM Lab Report’s “STEM and the Workforce of the Future.” November 2010.

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Despite the challenges that the industry faces, long term prospects are positive. According to the BLS, engineers held 1.6 million jobs in 2008 and employment opportunities are forecasted to grow 11% to 1.8 million by 2016. The chart below shows the five top engineering disciplines, which represent 65% of the total engineering field.

Out of the total 178,000 engineering jobs created from 2008 to 2018, the greatest number of new jobs will be for Civil Engineers (67,600) and Industrial Engineers (30,600). Another encouraging detail for the occupation, U.S. News & World Report recently listed the best 50 U.S. careers for 2011 and four of them (Biomedical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Computer Software Engineer, and Environmental Engineering Technician) were engineering-related careers. These careers were ranked strongly based on their expected growth (at the top, Biomedical Engineers are forecasted to increase an extraordinary 72% over the next decade, from 16,000 to 27,600 as the aging baby boom generation requires more medical procedures and medical innovation), good pay, and varied educational requirements. With business and consumer confidence reviving in 2011, Engineering roles will evolve as well. The sector will need to address the candidate shortages over the long term, including working with universities, local education programs and associations to ensure a full pipeline of trained Engineering candidates, as well as work to continually educate and hone the skills of those already in the workforce. A recent Monster survey of nearly 350 Engineering recruiters and hiring managers supports the constrained optimism. The respondents were asked “How many Engineering positions do you intend to fill in the next six months?” and “What percent of the Engineering positions you expect to fill are new openings versus replacement positions?” A majority of those hiring in the next six months are filling a limited numbers of roles (64 percent plan to hire less than ten positions). Further, employers are filling a minimal amount of new roles, as 46 percent plan that less than 25 percent of positions will be new versus replacement ones.

Key Engineering Occupations 2008 2018 % Growth

Civil Engineers 278 346 +24%

Mechanical Engineers 239 253 +6%

Industrial Engineers 215 245 +14%

Electrical Engineers 158 161 +2%

Electronics Engineers, except Computers 144 144 +0%

TOTAL ALL ENGINEERING OCCUPATIONS 1,572 1,750 +11%

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Engineering Total "New" Online Job Ads - Mar '08 - Mar '10

Job Ads YoY Change

Online Recruitment Trends The Monster Employment Index (MEI) is a leading indicator of labor market trends as it tracks online recruitment activity by location, occupation, and industry. As seen below, each of the three indices noted here (National, Architecture & Engineering, and Information) reported positive momentum in 2010 followed by a cautious December or January dip and then improved performance in February and March 2011.

The Architecture & Engineering MEI follows online job postings for a wide selection of architects, drafters and engineers. The Index rose 5 points (+5 percent) from February to March 2011 but gained an impressive 13 points (+15 percent) year-over-year. It hit its low point of 73 in July 2009.

The Information MEI, which is an industry group that includes technology, as well as other information sectors such as publishing, motion picture, broadcasting, and telecommunications, reported similar trends. The Index gained 3 points (+4 percent) both month-over-month and year-over-year in March 2011. The Information Index hit its low point of 67 in July 2009.

The Monster Employment Index presents a monthly snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide for 28 of the largest metro areas, and is generally regarded as a key indicator of demand in the labor market. The Index is based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards, including Monster. Using a baseline value of 100, the Index can be used to compare hiring trends across local markets and occupational groups. As such, a higher Index figure means stronger growth in online job availability.

Engineering opportunities across all major online job boards have reported positive expansion following two difficult years.

5 Job postings in 2008 fell 6 percent and in 2009 dropped 36 percent. After declining the first two months, job

postings reported positive growth for the remainder of 2010, ending the year with a 33 percent gain. The first quarter of 2011 job advertisements continued the positive trend with a 54 percent increase over the prior year.

5 Wanted Technologies, Total New Online Ads, Jan ’09-Jan’11

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Recruitment Activity A variety of companies are seeking Engineering professionals on Monster. Listed below are the top ten (out of more than nearly 800 industries) not including staffing or temporary employment agencies that may post for a variety of industries. The industries span a wide range and the top ten only represent 34 percent of the Engineering jobs on Monster from April 2010 to March 2011.

The types of roles Engineering companies posted from April 2010 to March 2011 include roles primarily for Electrical/Electronics Engineering (25 percent), Mechanical Engineering (17 percent), and Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering (15 percent).

Engineering Job Postings by Category % Total Job Postings

Electrical/Electronics Engineering 25%

Mechanical Engineering 17%

Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering 15%

Systems/Process Engineering 10%

CAD/Drafting 6%

Civil & Structural Engineering 5%

RF/Wireless Engineering 5%

Energy/Nuclear Engineering 4%

Aeronautic/Avionic Engineering 4%

Chemical Engineering 3%

All Other 6%

11% - Engineering Services

4% - Semiconductors and Related Services

3% - Highway and Street Construction

3% - Search and Navigation Equipment

3% - Radiotelephone Communications

2% - Business Consulting

2% - Management Consulting

2% - Computer Programming Services

2% - Accounting, Auditing, Bookkeeping

2% - Commercial Physical and Biological Research

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Excellent

15%

Good

46%

Average

29%

Fair

7%

Poor

3%

Ability to Find Engineering Professionals

to Meet Requirements

Hiring Conditions Recruiters surveyed by Monster are taking time to sort through the Engineering candidates to land the ideal employee. Recruiters predict more than half (54 percent) of opportunities will take an average of 31 to 60 days to fill. Thirty percent of respondents expect opportunities to take more than 60 days to fill and 15 percent plan for less than 30 days. With the excess of candidates looking for work, recruiters are having a relatively easy time finding qualified candidates. 61 percent of respondents said their ability to find Engineering candidates was „Good‟ to „Excellent‟, though most responses were concentrated in „Good‟ (46 percent). The minority of respondents that reported „Average‟ to „Poor‟ conditions were asked “What makes it hard to find candidates?” The primary reason recruiters and hiring managers had a difficult time recruiting for Engineering talent is the „time required to hire‟. Extra time is required to sort through the various skills and experiences of candidate resumes and match them to the requirements of the position. Additionally, increased workloads and unclear job descriptions from hiring managers were also noted as causing delays. When looking at the challenges of the candidates themselves, responses were few and varied. Some hirers noted there were „under qualified candidates‟, „not enough candidates‟, and „compensation below candidate expectations‟. Recruiters noted the top five Engineering areas with planned hiring include:

1. Electrical (54 percent) 2. Mechanical (54 percent) 3. Manufacturing (39 percent) 4. Computer (28 percent) 5. Industrial (19 percent)

From Monster‟s recent survey to Engineering recruiters and hiring managers, a majority of respondents (78 percent) are most comfortable with going to online job boards to source candidates, where a majority of candidates are posting their resumes.

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Supply and Demand Analysis Below is a comparison of Monster job seekers searching for employment in the Engineering segment compared to the volume of Engineering job postings by state. The dark green areas reveal higher supplies of candidates; these states include Florida, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Georgia. Recruitment for candidates in lighter green areas such as Washington D.C., Wisconsin, Iowa, and Wyoming, where the ratio of resumes per job posting is lower than in other areas, may have more competitive hiring conditions.

The types of roles these candidates are seeking span a range of Engineering disciplines with the highest volume targeting Electrical/Electronics (16 percent) and Industrial/Manufacturing (15 percent).

Engineering Job Seekers by Category % Total Resumes

Electrical/Electronics Engineering 16%

Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering 15%

Mechanical Engineering 13%

CAD/Drafting 11%

Systems/Process Engineering 9%

Aeronautic/Avionic Engineering 7%

Energy/Nuclear Engineering 7%

Civil & Structural Engineering 6%

RF/Wireless Engineering 5%

Environmental and Geological Engineering 5%

All Other 6%

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The remainder of this report will focus on key Engineering professions and how supply and demand measures up when recruiting for this multifaceted talent pool.

The top nine occupations in the job seeker occupation list above are the exact same titles, though in slightly different order, as the employer occupation list. The occupations are not concentrated in one key occupation, but are distributed among these top roles. The nine occupations noted above account for 76 percent of all talent supply and 74 percent of all talent demand. Listed below are the top 20 out of over 150 Engineering job titles in which job seekers are interested. These 20 job titles account for 62 percent of the Engineering talent.

# Job Titles (1-10) # Job Titles (11-20)

1 Mechanical Engineer 11 Civil Engineer

2 Electronics Technician 12 Project Analyst

3 Hardware Test Engineer 13 Mechanical Engineering Technician

4 Electrical Engineer 14 Industrial Engineer

5 Quality Assurance Technician 15 Civil Design Technician

6 Project Engineer 16 Telecommunications Network Engineer

7 Manufacturing Engineer 17 Safety Specialist

8 Engineers, Other 18 Electrical Engineering Manager

9 Engineering Manager 19 Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Other

10 Process Engineer 20 Engineering Director

Job S

eekers

Em

plo

yers

1. Electrical/Electronics Engineers, 17%

2. Industrial Engineers, 12%

3. Engineering Managers, 10%

4. Engineers, All Other, 8%

5. Mechanical Engineers, 7%

6. Electrical/Electronic Eng Tech, 6%

7. Computer Hardware Engineers, 5%

8. Industrial Engineering Technicians, 5%

9. Civil Engineers, 4%

● ● ●

1. Electrical/Electronics Engineers, 16%

2. Mechanical Engineers, 10%

3. Engineering Managers, 9%

4. Industrial Engineers, 8%

5. Engineers, All Other, 8%

6. Computer Hardware Engineers, 8%

7. Electrical/Electronic Eng Tech, 6%

8. Industrial Engineering Technicians, 6%

9. Civil Engineers, 5%

● ● ●

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The top 20 Engineering specific job titles posted on Monster.com from April 2010 to March 2011 are listed below and account for 57 percent of Engineering opportunities.

# Job Titles (1-10) # Job Titles (11-20)

1 Engineering Manager 11 Sanitary Engineer

2 Electrical Engineer 12 Manufacturing Engineer

3 Mechanical Engineer 13 Petroleum Engineer

4 Electronics Technician 14 Civil Engineer

5 Project Engineer 15 Quality Assurance Technician

6 Process Engineer 16 Sr. Mechanical Engineer

7 Industrial Engineer 17 Sr. Electrical Engineer

8 Project Analyst 18 Mechanical Engineering Technician

9 Staff Engineer 19 Test Technician

10 Operations Analyst 20 Automation Engineer

Labor Performance Matrix The Labor Performance Matrix below and on the next page compares job posting and resume performance within the Engineering occupation clusters. The size of the circle represents the supply, based on the ratio of resumes per job from April 2010 through March 2011. A large circle indicates a large pool of talent in comparison to the demand, and a smaller circle represents areas where the demand may outweigh the supply.

How to Read the Matrix: Talent Surplus Not enough jobs to match supply Plan for increased volume of candidates Focus on skills migration Incubator Opportunities (Growth Areas) High growth potential High Performance High volume in jobs and talent Focus on keeping talent and generating jobs Talent Shortage Not enough talent to meet demand At risk for competition

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Talent Surplus

CAD/Drafting is the only Engineering occupation with a surplus of resumes and fewer job opportunities to meet job seeker needs. Recruiters could consider retraining or other workplace development programs in order to put these candidates to work in other Engineering disciplines. Systems/Process is in the Growth quadrant and close to entering the Talent Surplus area, showing a stronger volume of candidates and lower volume of job postings. However, the smaller circle size may indicate a competitive area for talent. Should the demand for Systems/Process Engineers outgrow the supply, employers may face a talent shortage.

Incubator Opportunities (Growth Areas)

The Growth occupations span a range of Engineering occupations. These areas are prime for candidate and/or job opportunity expansion.

High Performance

There are three occupations in the High Performance quadrant: Industrial/Manufacturing, Mechanical and Electrical/Electronics. There is an ample supply of both job postings and seeker resumes for these occupations. Their smaller circle size suggests as opportunities expand without equal talent expansion that demand for talent may be highly competitive.

Talent Shortage

There are no occupations in the Talent Shortage area, showing the low volume of job opportunities compared to interested candidates in the Engineering sector. The matrix below summarizes occupational supply and demand from April 2010 through March 2011.

Talent Surplus High Performance Zone

Talent Shortage

Incubator

Zone

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In the following analysis, we compare talent demand (job postings) with talent supply (resumes) across a range of characteristics for key Engineering occupations. The comparisons reveal the similarities and disparities between the available jobs and the searching seekers. This analysis provides direction for recruiters and employers in setting their expectations and development areas.

Career Level A steep 73 percent of job postings are for Experienced (Non-Manager) candidates compared to 57 percent of resumes. Recruiters might have to settle with a candidate who has slightly more or less experience than desired.

Education Level Engineering recruiters are primarily searching for candidates with at most a Bachelor‟s degree (81 percent). Though the talent supply pool is a very educated group (68 percent have at least a Bachelor‟s degree) recruiters could be challenged to fill roles as many seekers are either under or over-qualified with respect to education level.

Experience Level Candidates and job postings are concentrated at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of years of experience. A high 63 percent of job opportunities are for candidates with 2 to 7 years of experience while 57 percent of candidates have over 7 years of experience. Some recruiters might need to settle on candidates with more years of experience than desired which may lead to higher compensation.

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Full-time

99%

Part-time

1%

Engineering Job Status

Job Postings, Apr '10-Mar '11

Full-time

84%

Part-time

1%

Either

Status

15%

Engineering Job Status

Resumes, Apr '10-Mar '11

Permanent

71%

Temp/

Contract

1%

Intern/

Seasonal

1%

Either

Type

27%

Engineering Job Type

Resumes, Apr '10-Mar '11

Permanent

79%

Temp/

Contract

21%

Intern/

Seasonal

<1%

Engineering Job Type

Job Postings, Apr '10-Mar '11

Job Type Requirements Twenty-one percent of postings are for contract roles, which is typical for the Engineering sector, while 29 percent of candidates are open to either contract or permanent positions. Seventy-nine percent of postings are for permanent roles while 71 percent of candidates are open to permanent roles only. There should be adequate supply to meet recruiter demand for this requirement.

Job Status Requirements Nearly all (99 percent) of Engineering job postings are for full-time employment while 1 percent are for part-time. With 84 percent of candidates open to full-time employment only and 16 percent considering either full-time or part-time, employers should have an ample pool of talent to meet their needs within these criteria.

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Qualifications and Benefits Engineering professionals and employers place the greatest importance on the same top three qualifications within the engineering field: type(s) of work experience (professionals=71 percent; employers=83 percent), years of work experience (professionals=67 percent; employers=68 percent) and education (professionals=47 percent; employers=63 percent).

Listed below are the most important factors Engineering professionals consider when evaluating a job opportunity. Candidates highly value the stability of a position, salary, and recognition of employees for hard work. Recruiters were asked how they would rate the same list of factors in terms of their importance to recruiting talent. Salary was at the top of the list, followed by stability of position and company‟s reputation. Interestingly, recognition of employees for hard work was ranked near the bottom of the list, when it was in the top three factors for candidates.

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Compensation Compensation expectations for recruiters and candidates are slightly skewed, as candidates have higher expectations for the lower paying jobs (under $60,000) and lower expectations for the higher paying jobs (over $80,000). The median salary offered in 2010 was $92,500 and the median salary candidates were seeking was $72,000. Please note these salary requirements may represent total compensation for some job seekers and only a base salary for others. A significatn 39 percent of Engineering job postings on Monster offer a salary over $100,000 while most job seekers have more modest expectations (56 percent expect to earn between $40-60,000).

The most significant disparity between recruiters and seekers is at $60,000, where a higher percentage of employers offer greater salaries than candidates are requiring. This trend supports the fact that there is a lack of available, skilled talent and that recruiters are willing to pay top-dollar for in-demand skills. The industry and relevant associations and education programs need to continue to develop future Engineers as well as train existing ones to keep their skills current.

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Diversify Your Recruitment Strategy in 2011

As the nation emerges from its downturn, recruiters should keep in mind the following points when planning for the next 12-months. Network to strengthen your brand: Networking has always been a fundamental aspect of establishing a presence and sourcing candidates. Today's recruiters must actively network across the Internet to get a more holistic view of the applicant. With Monster’s 20 network communities integrated into its core site, experts are better able to help individuals access advice from industry experts and keep on top of trends. These communities also offer employers access to a pool of targeted candidates. Play a smart matching game. Have hiring processes and paper work in place, be diligent about screening, and communicate frequently with hiring managers. Many recruiters are using technology to help quickly match candidates to jobs and eliminate unqualified applicants. Monster’s semantic 6Sense™ search technology powers our Power Resume Search application, sorting and ranking candidates so the best are at the top. Using these types of sorting programs, recruiters save time and money sourcing candidates that precisely match their positions. Spend accordingly. As budget managers remain cautious, leverage as many benefits as possible that attract and retain employees yet require minimal investment. Keep on top of what is most important to job seekers by leveraging Monster’s free online resources at the Resource Center (http://hiring.monster.com.) The site offers actionable reports and webinars covering the most current issues facing not only job seekers, but recruiters as well.

Monster Intelligence As the premier digital employment solution, Monster has consistently maintained a leadership position in defining and driving innovative products and services to champion digital recruitment. We see tremendous value in providing our clients, the online recruitment industry, and the public at large with analysis on both job seeker and employer behaviors, as well as general employment market trends. In direct response to our customers‟ needs for strategic human capital intelligence, Monster created an initiative, entitled Monster Intelligence, that is focused on providing business leaders and HR Executives real-time insight into market trends that will guide them in future recruitment planning. As a market leader, Monster is uniquely positioned to provide strategic information on employment trends to Corporate Executives and Hiring Managers. These tools provide our customers with views into the labor market and comprehensive information to further their employment strategy. More details are available at the Monster Resource Center at: http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices.aspx. We welcome your insight and comments on the monster intelligence reports and encourage you to let us know your thoughts by providing feedback at [email protected] Monster is the primary source of information for this report; it should only be interpreted as a definitive activity report on Monster and its subsidiaries. Monster‟s in-depth data-driven approach improves on typical survey-based methodologies by dramatically increasing the depth and breadth of information collected as well as by capturing actual behavior rather than intended behavior. Data is current through March, 2011 unless otherwise indicated.

http://hiring.monster.com/

http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices.aspx

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