Looking to refine your process and build the dream team?

For the past two years, we’ve exhibited at Hardware Pioneers in London — a fantastic opportunity to meet the brilliant minds shaping the future of electronics.

This year, our Director Jamie Harris took to the stage to share his talk, “Building the Dream Team.” 

He delivered practical, engaging advice on the five key pillars every team should follow to reach their full potential — including how to refine the recruitment process, from interviews to culture fit.

If you would like to improve any elements of your process, reach out to Jamie, he would be happy to help!

Looking for the best places in the UK to maximize your earnings as a Hardware Design Engineer?

We’ve compiled a list of the top-paying locations, along with house prices in those areas and a salary-to-house-price ratio to help you see where you can make your money go further!

Newcastle:

• Average House Price: £230,470
• Average Salary: £50,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 4.61

Birmingham:

• Average House Price: £250,190
• Average Salary: £55,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 4.55

Southampton:

• Average House Price: £283,000
• Average Salary: £58,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 4.84

Edinburgh:

• Average House Price: £336,000
• Average Salary: £50,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 6.72

Bristol:

• Average House Price 390,000
• Average Salary: £55,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 7.09

Oxford:

• Average House Price: £474,000
• Average Salary: £58,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 8.10

Cambridge:

• Average House Price: £500,000
• Average Salary: £55,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 9.09

London:

• Average House Price: £673,00
• Average Salary: £62,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 10.77

Do you want more for your money?

Let’s connect and help you get paid what you deserve!

Start exploring high-paying roles with us today!

Are you curious about the current salary trends for Mechanical Design Engineers in the UK? Whether you're an employee checking if your earnings are on par with industry standards or an employer aiming to offer competitive salaries, our detailed salary survey provides the insights you need. Explore the comprehensive breakdown of salary ranges across various regions below.

Midlands:

Junior: £21,000 - £30,000 | Mid-Level: £36,000 - £50,000 | Senior: £48,000 - £70,000

North East:

Junior: £20,000 - £32,000 | Mid-Level: £27,000 - £38,000 | Senior: £45,000 - £65,000

North West:

Junior: £22,000 - £32,000 | Mid-Level: £36,000 - £48,000 | Senior: £50,000 - £73,000

Scotland:

Junior: £21,000 - £30,000 | Mid-Level: £37,000 - £52,000 | Senior: £48,000 - £72,000

Wales:

Junior: £21,000 - £30,000 | Mid-Level: £38,000 - £50,000 | Senior: £47,000 - £70,000

South East:

Junior: £24,000 - £33,000 | Mid-Level: £40,000 - £55,000 | Senior: £55,000 - £80,000

South West:

Junior: £22,000 - £31,000 | Mid-Level: £37,000 - £52,000 | Senior: £50,000 - £75,000

East Anglia:

Junior: £23,000 - £32,000 | Mid-Level: £38,000 - £50,000 | Senior: £50,000 - £70,000

Yorkshire:

Junior: £22,000 - £32,000 | Mid-Level: £40,000 - £54,000 | Senior: £50,000 - £74,000

London:

Junior: £25,000 - £35,000 | Mid-Level: £35,000 - £60,000 | Senior: £60,000 - £90,000

(Wide range due to high cost of living and varied industries)

 It is important to remember that these are average ranges, and there will be outliers

Is it a match?

Is your existing salary aligned with the standards for your job position? Are you an employer concerned about competitive salaries and what you should be paying? Let us help!

If you're interested in exploring new career options, please submit your CV. Alternatively, if you need support with recruitment, or would like free salary benchmarking across the entire business, submit a vacancy or give us a call!

Please note, these salaries are based on estimation, if you would like a more accurate salary for your business, please get in touch!

3 reasons why recruiting growth-minded employees will drive your business forward:

1️⃣ Adaptability & Problem-Solving

Growth-minded employees embrace challenges, adapt to change, and continuously seek solutions, making them invaluable in fast-evolving industries.

2️⃣ Continuous Learning & Development

They proactively upskill, stay ahead of industry trends, and contribute to innovation, ensuring your team remains competitive.

3️⃣ Resilience & Motivation

Instead of being discouraged by setbacks, they see failures as learning opportunities, maintaining high performance even under pressure.

Download attactments: Download the 14 Interview questions!

Looking for the best places in the UK to maximize your earnings as an embedded software engineer?

We’ve compiled a list of the top-paying locations, along with house prices in those areas and a salary-to-house-price ratio to help you see where you can make your money go further!

Newcastle:

• Average House Price: £194,000
• Average Salary: £50,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 3.88

Birmingham:

• Average House Price: £232,000
• Average Salary: £57,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 4.03

Southampton:

• Average House Price: £245,000
• Average Salary: £62,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 3.92

Edinburgh:

• Average House Price: £334,000
• Average Salary: £53,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 6.25

Bristol:

• Average House Price: £343,000
• Average Salary: £62,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 5.49

Oxford:

• Average House Price: £470,000
• Average Salary: £62,500
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 7.52

Cambridge:

• Average House Price: £490,000
• Average Salary: £70,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 7.00

London:

• Average House Price: £803,451
• Average Salary: £70,000
• House Price to Salary Ratio: 11.5

Do you want more for your money?

Let’s connect and help you get paid what you deserve!

Start exploring high-paying roles with us today!

10 ways you can improve your interview process!

Design a clear and concise process:Plan the stages of the interview process well in advance, including determining how many interviews will be conducted and who will be involved. Streamlining the process is key to avoid overwhelming candidates. An overly complicated process with too many interviewers or stages can cause confusion and intimidate applicants. 

Prepare Thoroughly: All questions, assessments and tasks should be developed well before the interview begins. Tailoring questions to address specific challenges faced in the role is particularly important, especially if the position is niche or has been difficult to fill previously. This allows for a deeper understanding of the candidates' experiences and abilities.

Validate Claims: Instead of taking candidates' word at face value, probe deeper into their claimed experiences. Asking detailed follow-up questions helps verify their skills and ensures they truly meet your requirements. This step is essential to avoid hiring candidates who do not actually possess the skills they claim to have.

Ensure Team Coordination: Each interviewer should be well-informed about the candidates' background to ensure a smooth process. Internal communication prevents candidates from having to repeat themselves, which can be frustrating and inefficient. Ensuring that every team member is on the same page can make the interview process more coherent and professional.

Keep candidates Informed: Clearly outlining each stage of the interview process helps manage candidates' expectations. Informing them about what they need to prepare, such as presentations or tests, and giving them ample time to get ready, demonstrates respect for their time and effort.

Simplify the Process: In a candidate-driven job market, keeping the interview process as straightforward as possible helps maintain candidate interest. Prolonged processes with little feedback can lead to candidates losing interest or accepting offers from other companies. Efficiency and clarity can make your company more attractive to top talent.

Set Feedback Timelines:Informing candidates about when they can expect feedback helps manage their expectations and keeps them engaged in the process. Providing a clear timeline is a professional courtesy that can also improve the candidate experience.

Immediate Post-Interview Review: Discussing the candidate's performance promptly while the details are fresh ensures a more accurate assessment. Using a scoring system or criteria checklist can help evaluate candidates consistently across different interviewers, reducing bias and subjectivity.

Provide Constructive Feedback:Candidates often receive little to no feedback after an interview process, which can be frustrating. Offering detailed feedback, including constructive criticism for those who are not selected, can help candidates improve for future opportunities and leave a positive impression of your company.

Reflect on the Process: A well-organised interview process reflects positively on your company and can significantly influence a candidate's decision. Continuously improving your interview process based on feedback from candidates and interviewers ensures better hires and a positive candidate experience. Better interviews lead to better hires, and a well-structured process leaves candidates confident about your company.

Considering sponsoring a visa? Here's What You Need to Know!

During the recruitment process, you may encounter candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK. While this option opens doors to a diverse pool of talent, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Let's delve into the advantages and disadvantages of sponsoring a visa.

Advantages:

1. Fresh Perspectives: Visa-sponsored candidates often offer unique approaches to tasks, injecting fresh ideas into your team.
2. Specialized Knowledge: Many overseas candidates bring in niche skill sets and specialized knowledge gained from diverse work experiences.
3. Enhanced Diversity: Welcoming candidates from overseas fosters diversity, proven to elevate team productivity and competitiveness.
4. Addressing Skills Shortages: With a persistent skills shortage in the UK, sponsoring visas increases your chances of recruiting top talent, particularly in specialized fields.

Disadvantages:

1. Financial Responsibility: Sponsoring candidates can incur significant costs, including visa application fees and legal expenses.
2. Time Consumption: Navigating the visa process demands extensive time commitments, from researching procedures to completing applications.
3. Compliance Risks: Non-compliance with visa regulations can result in penalties for your company, highlighting the importance of thorough adherence.
4. Administrative Burden: Sponsoring visas adds to your administrative workload, requiring ongoing monitoring and compliance with licensing requirements.

Conclusion:

Before deciding whether to sponsor a visa, carefully weigh these pros and cons. If you need further assistance or advice on navigating this process, don't hesitate to reach out!

Simon says, work weekends!

In a recent article, Simon Sinek highlights that individuals that harbour passion for their work and genuinely care about their job and company, often find themselves opting for occasional weekend work simply because they are driven by intrinsic motivation. 

Simon explained that discouraging weekend work inadvertently signaled lack of appreciation for their dedication.

He speaks on enforcing a strict notion of work-life balance might not align with the prefrences of top performers; instead, showing an appreciation for their extra effort fosters a better morale and goodwill within the team.

You can read the full article by Simon Sinek here!

Optimizing Your Hiring Process: Strategies to Attract and Secure Top Talent Efficiently!

In the dynamic landscape of the UK job market, where the average hiring process has extended to four weeks, timing has become a critical factor in securing top talent. With the engineering sector evolving rapidly, the need for a swift and efficient recruitment process is more pronounced than ever.

In a candidate-driven market, every moment counts. Prospective employees are often engaged with multiple companies simultaneously. A slow and inefficient hiring process can adversely impact a candidate's decision-making process and shape their perception of your company.

Recognizing that the recruitment process involves coordination across various parties and departments, effective communication becomes paramount. To expedite the process, consider the following steps:

1. Prioritize Communication: Streamline the hiring journey by maintaining clear and consistent communication. Timely updates can significantly enhance the candidate experience.
2. Stay Informed about the Engineering Market: Keeping abreast of the current trends in the engineering market is crucial. Understanding the challenges of candidate shortages will provide valuable insights for an effective recruitment strategy.
3. Provide Timely Updates: If decisions are pending, keep candidates informed. A brief email outlining the current status ensures transparency and demonstrates respect for the candidate's time and interest.
4. Simplify the Process: Excessive steps and stages in the recruitment process can lead to candidate disinterest. Streamlining the process ensures that candidates remain engaged throughout the interview stages.
5. Manage Reputation: Lengthy hiring processes can harm your company's reputation and employer brand. Leveraging recruitment agencies like Enterprise Recruitment can prove instrumental in streamlining your process and maintaining a positive image.

If you have any recruitment needs, don't hesitate to reach out! We're here to help you secure the top talent effectively and enhance your hiring process.