By Business & Finance 
New research conducted by Experis Ireland shows that nearly two-thirds of engineers (63%) are planning to look for a new role within the next 12 months.
Furthermore, the research, which was carried out in May 2016, also shows that a significant majority of those planning to look for a new role say they are confident in finding a new engineering position when they are ready to make a change.
92% said they were either ‘extremely confident’ or ‘confident’ of finding a new role, while just 8% said they were not confident of securing a new position.
Despite the fact that many of the engineers surveyed indicated they are planning to explore new job opportunities, satisfaction with engineering as a career remains high, with 6% saying they are ‘extremely satisfied’ and 46% saying they are ‘satisfied’ with their choice of occupation.
In addition, 45% said they are ‘extremely likely’ to stay in the field of engineering for the duration of their career while 39% said they are ‘very likely’. Just 1% said they are ‘not likely’ to remain in the sector.
The survey shows engineers are also very confident in their ability to demand a higher wage, with 34% of respondents expecting a 10% salary increase and almost a fifth (18%) hoping to obtain a 20% increase.
Interesting, 11% stated that they are not expecting a salary increase, indicating that some employees are motivated by other factors rather than monetary incentives.
In terms of motivating factors, 77% of engineers say work-life balance is the most important factor to be considered when deciding on a career move.
Overall, top considerations when seeking a new position include:
- Work/life balance
- Salary, bonuses and/or incentives
- Location
- Work environment/culture
- The current project you are working on
With so many engineers planning to move role in the next 12 months, Experis Ireland is advising companies to focus on retention efforts that will appeal to this talent group.
Engineers are looking for a strong work/life balance, good pay, better health benefits and better work culture.
For those who choose to look for new opportunities, a staggering 68% of respondents look for job opportunities through recruitment agencies, which is even higher than those searching online via job boards, which came in at 59%.
Increasing flexibility in the workplace is also attracting people to engineering, with almost 40% of those surveyed happy to take on contract work.
Andrew Crawford, head of Experis Ireland, said: “This data shows that those who choose a career in engineering are generally very happy with the path they take, with an overwhelming majority saying they want to stay in their chosen field, though not necessarily in their current roles. With so many engineers willing to move jobs, it is up to companies like Experis Ireland to work to meet the needs of these highly skilled individuals as well as those who employ them.”
