The Recruiting Challenge

A new report finds that firms are having a tough time finding qualified engineers.

Engineering firms are finding it more and more challenging to hire qualified engineers, concludes a recent ZweigWhite-conducted survey.

In fact, according to the Natick, Mass.-based ZweigWhite’s 2001 Policies, Procedures & Benefits Survey , 61 percent of responding firms classified hiring as “very difficult,” as compared to 57 percent in 2000 and 54 percent in 1999.

The primary drivers behind this situation, say ZweigWhite consultants, is a tight labor market, high salary expectations and competition from the technology industry.

The study also found that, as a whole, firms have improved their benefits packages, with 79 percent of firms offering flexible work hours and 74 percent incorporating casual Fridays, as compared to 59 percent in 1999.

For more information, log on to: www.zweigwhite.com .