Recruiters, with their diverse expertise, come in various shapes and forms. They are not just people who recruit but experts in their respective fields. For instance, entry-level recruiters specialize in searching for fresh talents in universities and colleges. Technical recruiters, a step higher on the ladder, mainly focus on finding candidates with specific skills in mechanical engineering and architectural design. The most proficient recruiters, known as headhunters, are adept at searching for leadership candidates or highly experienced talents to fill executive positions. Their expertise is a testament to their ability to find the right fit for your company.
Recruiters are not passive participants in the hiring process. Unlike an organization’s internal hiring manager or an employment interviewer, they are constantly and actively searching for talents. They don’t just wait for résumés to come in; they proactively scour the employment market for fresh and experienced design engineering talents that match their clients’ specific requirements. This targeted approach ensures that the candidates they present are not just technically competent, but also a cultural fit and willing to accept the predetermined salary range.
Recruiters face unique challenges when clients require candidates with proven expertise in a specific field. For instance, finding an experienced mechanical engineer for a mid-level position can be a complex task. Mechanical engineering is a vast field, and each subdiscipline requires specific skills and knowledge. If a client needs a medical device design professional, the recruiters cannot simply present a candidate with a background in automotive manufacturing. Even when they find a candidate with the right technical competence, they still have to ensure the person is a culture fit and willing to accept the predetermined salary range.
This complexity underscores the value of recruiters’ services. The complexity and the expectation of quick results in the recruitment process make it a challenging task. Therefore, it’s understandable that recruiters’ services come with a reasonably high price tag. The value they bring to the table, in terms of finding the right talent for your company, often outweighs the cost.
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Mechanical Engineer Recruiters’ Rates
Recruiters have several different payment structures. One of the most common models is commission pay, based on a percentage of the selected candidate’s first-year salary. The commission rate is between 15% and 35% for an average of 25%, although the industry standard is lower at 23%. The percentage is not deducted from the salary, so the hired candidate still receives the total amount. The client (employer) always has to cover the recruiters’ fees.
Based on the latest available data (May 2022) from BLS, mechanical engineers earn an annual median wage of $96,310 or about $46.30 per hour. If you plan to work with recruiters in finding a mechanical engineer to fill a position, the commission (per industry average of 25%) would be:
| Annual Salary | Commission Percentage | |
| $96,310 | X | 23% |
For a temporary placement, the commission is calculated based on the candidate’s hourly rate plus an additional “markup” fee for services. The markup rate can also be anywhere from 25% to 100% of the salary. Let’s say the recruiters ask for a standard 23% commission rate and 50% markup; the sum of those fees would be the amount you must pay per hour of the candidate’s work:
| Annual Salary | Commission Percentage | |
| $46.30 | + | $46.31 x 50% $23.15 |
You must pay the recruiters $69.45 for every hour of the candidate’s work. Remember that the amount already covers the candidate’s hourly rate. The recruiters have to distribute the salary. Apart from a commission-based payment structure, there is a flat fee rate and a one-time payment to cover all services provided.
While the set amount is established beforehand, many recruiters will charge you only when the process is done. US-based recruiters’ flat fee ranges from $20,000 to $50,000 per candidate placement. Especially for headhunting services to fill high-level positions, recruiters usually ask for a retainer fee upfront, and the remainder must be paid either gradually as the process moves forward or when a candidate is placed.
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Differences Between Recruiters, Human Resource Managers, and Liaison
Those professions have similar roles in the hiring process, but they are not the same. The terms should be used in various ways.
Recruiters
They are the actual matchmakers who work on behalf of employers, whether directly or through a staffing agency, to find the right candidate to fill a specific position. Their job mainly revolves around headhunting-related tasks, which include contacting the talents, screening applicants’ résumés, and conducting preliminary interviews before presenting the shortlisted candidates to the client. Another portion of the job involves handling the paperwork required for the actual contract/employment agreement at the end of the hiring process, and that is where their involvement comes to a close.
Human Resource Managers
Some human resource managers might be involved in recruitment and workforce planning, but their core competency covers a much broader area within the employment industry; in most cases, the roles have very little to do with searching for talents or finding a candidate to fill an open position. Also, their specific job titles vary depending on the organization, but they are commonly referred to as employment managers.
In general, HR managers’ primary duty is to assist employers in creating a robust workforce. Their roles in workforce planning primarily focus on personnel growth and how changes in employment might affect productivity and overall workplace conduciveness. For example, HR managers work with hiring managers and other supervisory professionals to determine any possible negative impact on the company from employment transfers and retirements. Based on the latest internal financial report, they may provide advice and guidance about short-term and long-term hiring needs, compensation structures, and employee benefits.
Employer liaisons
Sometimes referred to as an employer relations coordinator or account representative, an employer liaison works for a staffing agency or a similar organization that offers job placements and human resource services. The primary role is to promote the agency’s range of services to clients, usually employers; think of an employer liaison as a marketing agent who ensures that a client uses the staffing agency’s services to the fullest extent.
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How Recruiters and Staffing Agency Work
Finding a good worker is a challenging process. A job opening for a promising position like a mechanical engineer or engineering design professional might easily attract dozens of applicants with varied experience levels and specializations. Most of them will not be the perfect candidate fit for the role. Be that as it may, your hiring manager still needs to sift through all the résumés just to ensure you leave no stone unturned. At the same time, many job seekers might feel like no one takes the time to read their résumés because they never hear a single response.
A staffing agency can relieve the internal hiring division of the most daunting parts of a hiring process. Other important considerations are time and money. According to the American Staffing Association, hiring a single worker can take 30 to 45 days and may cost up to 20% of the position’s salary. With the help of professional recruiters, it is far from impossible to get the open position occupied – by the right talent – within 14 days or less.
The average commission rate for recruiters is slightly more than 20% of the selected candidate’s first annual salary, but remember that your company is freed from searching for qualified talents, prescreening, preliminary interviews, and background checks. Considering the benefit of time efficiency and the likelihood of getting the ideal candidate for the available position, partnering with recruiters can deliver benefits that outweigh the cost by a good margin.
Step 1 – Client Contacts Recruiters
Recruiters cannot know that a company is searching for talent unless a vacant position is listed on a job board or other media. Most of the time, a client contacts the recruiters and initiates the collaborative effort. Once the client fulfills the obligation to secure their services, both parties discuss and establish all the technical details about the nature of the partnership. The client can then share the job description, the salary range for the position, the candidate’s qualifications, and specific parameters of the recruitment process, such as estimated completion date and confidentiality concerns (if any).
At this point, the client can set as many requirements as possible. For example, suppose the client is looking for an experienced 3D mechanical design expert who specializes in internal combustion engines and has at least two years of experience in the field. In that case, the candidate must also be willing to travel and work overtime to oversee a parts manufacturing process. The job of recruiters is to find candidates who meet all those requirements.
Step 2 – Searching Begins
Before going anywhere else, recruiters start the search from their database of job seekers and passive talents within their network. Even if they find some talents with matching qualifications, recruiters often have to scour the labor market, such as job fairs, social media, or online job boards, to supplement the search results. Recruiters make phone calls to inform the candidates about the job opening and try to get them interested. However, recruiters cannot force the talents to apply for the job, let alone submit résumés without their consent. It is every candidate’s own decision whether to decline the offer or submit an application.
Step 3 – Sifting through Résumés
Candidates apply for the position through recruiters. Only some candidates who apply will pass the initial screening, including technical assessment and reference checks. There are also preliminary interviews to see if any particular applicant would be a cultural fit, which means the candidate showcases characteristics and personal preferences that align with company culture and the employer’s professional values. Cultural fit can be one of the most challenging requirements because the candidate has to adapt to the new work environment from the get-go and hit the new ground running.
Step 4 – Assessment by Internal Hiring Manager
Recruiters invite every shortlisted candidate to another interview with the client or the company’s hiring manager. Without having to repeat the initial vetting process, the hiring manager can focus more on job identification, performance expectations, the applicant’s professional attitude, technical proficiency regarding the position, and overall readiness to fill the role.
Step 5 – A Candidate is Selected
The employer and the company’s hiring manager decide to hire the selected candidate. Depending on the nature of the employment, such as short-term or long-term, the recruiters may or may not have any further involvement apart from handing the necessary paperwork to end the partnership. When a company temporarily hires a mechanical engineering candidate through recruiters, the candidate might still be on the recruiters’ payroll instead of the company’s. Recruiters pay the candidate’s hourly rate salary, which they will charge back to the client, plus an additional fee for services.
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Partnering with Recruiters, Best Practices
Before you partner with recruiters, whether from a small staffing agency or an international-recognized one, always keep the following practices in check:
- Clear communication: recruiters from every staffing agency claim to be the best in the trade. While there is nothing wrong with the marketing pitch, please ensure they can back the claim with facts and irrefutable track records. The point of having clear communication is to understand each other; you need to know the recruiters’ capabilities, and they must be aware of your hiring specifications. Make an effort to establish the recruitment details and partnership agreement beforehand. Have a point of contact in place so you may get prompt answers to every question.
- Compliance with employment laws: A direct hire means the selected candidate is officially your employee. A temporary hire presents a different challenge because your organization and the recruiters are engaged in a “co-employment” agreement. Although the candidate ends up working for you in the organization, the recruiters hire the person. The shared responsibility factor is something to take into account.
Having a good relationship with recruiters may be helpful when your organization urgently needs to fill an empty role quickly. They will likely prioritize an established client over the others, improving your chances of getting the best talent in a competitive labor market. However, you must remember that only some recruiters can offer the same range of services and guarantee optimized results, so choose your partners carefully and pay attention to their specializations.
How Cad Crowd can help
Cadcrowd has access to a broad network of mechanical engineering professionals who can help you with your project according to your specifications. Contact us today for a free quote.
