General > General Technical Chat
How to go about hiring a number 2
Simon:
So 7 months ago I started a new job. I am the first and lead electrical/electronic engineer for what has been a mechanical company that used electronics subcontractors. For some reason electrical = electronic and electronic = software, my boss had quite the time with the recruiters getting terminology strait before they found me.
There was, even at my interview, the suggestion that there would be a second person to work under/with me in about a year.
So they are already thinking about as I am quite a busy chappy already and the company was growing before I got there and intends to grow further. I've been asked to have a think about the sort of person I'd want as a second.
We are a mechanical company, in the past equipment was powered hydraulically and by ICE's. Unlike my old employer (engine radiator manufacturer) my current employer sees the writing on the wall for the ICE and also has found very good reception to the equipment they have made electrically driven and customer demands are for more electric.
My strength is mainly in hardware design and interfacing with the mechanical and packaging. I can do programming but it's certainly not my strength right now and things that involve PC software and Bluetooth are probably on the horizon.
So we are not really sure which way to jump. As a small company there is no one else to shoulder what one person cannot do and it's the sort of environment where being able to pick things up on the job is ideal but obviously I don't have the time to teach someone to wipe their own backsides unless it's specific knowledge.
I don't know what university/college education is like in the UK. I am 95% self taught. College in Italy was pointless, whilst the class dossed about I read the text books and here in the UK I am studying a HNC written at times by people who cannot communicate in English before worrying about the technical content of what they write.
Now I won't take my one sample of experience with the UK education system as representative. So what sort of people can we expect to hire these days? Is it worth going for someone out of uni with some go getter about them or should we go for someone with some experience? When it comes to someone with more experience we want to avoid of course finding someone that is very good in an area that is not useful to us.
My only other experience of dealing with other engineers in the UK is those at subcontractors who generally have been, lets say, lacking in imagination.
Simon:
that is how they found me, they hired a guy that actually read CV's, spoke to the person and then made a recommendation rather than just shower the company with CV's. I think this initial exercise may be in working out what to ask the recruiters for.
Gyro:
I almost hesitate to mention it, but you could always try putting an ad in the Jobs section here! :D
As you say you are 95% self taught. You would have the advantage of being able to read any candidates' posts and getting a true idea of what they know - as well as asking for a CV, obviously.
Many jobs are filled by employee recommendations and incentive schemes.
Simon:
Well as I explained we want to first figure out what we want but I guess yes the that goes away when someone presents themselves that sounds like a good fit. I was unsure about posting this in the job offer section before establishing what we might go asking for.
Posts on here are some help I guess.
Ed.Kloonk:
Do you want someone to assist in sharing the load in what you are doing or do you want that person to do what you'd prefer not to do?
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