In engineering recruitment, there’s a saying that still rings true: “Pay peanuts, get monkeys.”
But in this industry, the consequences go far beyond just poor performance. Pay too little, and you might find yourself dealing with breakdowns, costly downtime—or worse—because someone who once fixed a toaster is now in charge of critical plant machinery.
Lately, I’ve been speaking with several highly skilled maintenance engineers—the kind of professionals you want on your team. What’s driving them to leave their current roles isn’t poor pay, awkward shift patterns, or a lack of career progression.
They’re walking away because they’re fed up with babysitting underqualified hires.
These engineers are constantly being asked to pick up the slack for team members who lack even the basic qualifications or hands-on experience. It’s not just frustrating—it’s a health and safety concern and a major productivity killer.
Short-Term Fixes Create Long-Term Headaches
Let’s face it—there’s a real shortage of skilled engineers in the UK. The temptation to plug the gaps with cheaper, less experienced candidates is understandable. But those short-term fixes often create a long-term recruitment headache that’s difficult to shake.
Instead of building a strong, reliable team, businesses end up trapped in a loop of:
Repeated re-hiring every few months
Increased downtime due to avoidable mistakes
Higher stress and workload for experienced engineers
Falling team morale and growing turnover
Invest in Talent That Adds Value
If you’re serious about building a resilient engineering team—whether in food manufacturing, FMCG, fresh produce, or agriculture—you need to hire qualified, experienced engineers. The kind who understand compliance, preventative maintenance, and complex systems—not just how to change a fuse.
So before you lower your hiring standards just to get someone through the door, ask yourself: Do I want to build a strong, dependable engineering team? Or am I prepared to be recruiting again in three months’ time?
In engineering recruitment, quality always trumps convenience. Invest in the right talent now, and you’ll avoid much bigger issues down the line.
Looking to strengthen your maintenance team with qualified engineers who actually add value? Get in touch with our Engineering team.
