​With diversity in engineering no longer seen as a “nice to have” but rather an imperative to the health and sustainability of the industry as a whole. Engineering companies are beginning to insist on a balanced and diverse shortlist for their open vacancies across all areas of their business, from C suite to apprentice.

Those leading the way do not believe it acceptable (or in any way productive) to merely tick a box to demonstrate hiring diversity has been considered during a hiring process. They are ACTUALLY hiring more women and people with alternative gender preferences with outstanding results. A recent study of 600 firms showed inclusive teams delivered 60% better results and took half as long to make decisions*

These forward thinking engineering firms are a good start but are not enough. If the engineering sector is to close the skills gap and challenge competing sectors like science and technology for talent, more needs to be done; culture needs to change; attitudes need to broaden, and ALL engineering firms need to insist on a diverse skilled workforce.

By doing so, the challenge of attracting young people (of all genders) to study and enter the engineering industry and attracting talent from competing industries becomes less of a challenge.
Moreover, a diverse skilled workforce with different ideas, perceptions and ways of tackling problems only enriches the industry, moving it forward like nothing else.

As an engineering search firm, Affinity has struggled (like all businesses that operate in this space) to actively identify passive gender divers engineering candidates. This is due to the inability to search for people by gender, along with skills and experience.

This we believed was such an issue, we decided to build our own unique platform to address the challenge head on. With the ability to identify prospective candidates not only for their skills but also gender, we can ensure our clients get far greater access to the entire addressable market, as well as those who come from sectors with transferable skills. Thus, we are able too help Engineering firms meet their diversity aspirations, furthering the cause for a rich and inclusive industry.

For more details on how we can support your hiring diversity policy with actual results, please click the button below to schedule a call.