Is San Jose America’s Great Engineering Hub?

San Jose continually demonstrates the highest levels of technological innovation, job openings, and opportunities for tech-minded professionals to grow and prosper in their careers. Despite honorable attempts from other parts of the country, it’s unlikely that Silicon Valley will be defeated as American’s engineering hub.

The Data

Before the pandemic, the numbers were clear. From 2015-2019, San Jose and San Francisco together were responsible for generating almost 20% of the country’s new tech employment. Growth in the area slowed during Covid-19…but it slowed everywhere else as well. As we began to emerge from the pandemic, despite lofty statements about remote work and distributed tech corridors, the Bay Area easily bounced back. San Jose isn’t likely to be displaced anytime soon.

The Problem for Employers

But what makes San Jose so appealing for engineers also makes it attractive for companies that employ engineers. That means you will face fierce competition to hire the best and brightest talent. The labor market has been tight since the pandemic and the Great Resignation that followed, which means that candidates have their pick of companies to choose from. You’ll have to think outside the box to hire top engineers in San Jose.

The Solution

Like most business dilemmas, the best solution to stiff competition for top San Jose engineers is multi-pronged. Areas of focus should include:

Streamlined hiring process:

Top engineers don’t want, or need, to wait around through a tedious hiring process and multiple rounds of interviews. Use technology and smart deployment of resources to cut unnecessary procedures and speed up hiring.

Passive recruitment:

Writing a job description and waiting for resumes to arrive is no longer the best hiring strategy. Passive recruits are already employed, but might be open to a better opportunity. Finding and targeting them can increase your candidate pool and help you get a jump on your competition.

Removing bias:

There a lot of women and people of color in tech, but too many companies still promote a “bro culture” that can turn them off. Remove gendered language from your job descriptions. Use software to strip out identifying information from resumes, such as university names and attendance dates. Diversify your HR team to ensure that all perspectives are considered.

Reducing barriers:

The best engineers got their start somewhere. Consider creating career pathways that lower the bar to entry and allow new graduates to learn on the job.

If all this sounds difficult, it certainly can be! That’s why many employers choose to partner with a dedicated engineering recruiter such as PEAK Technical Staffing. We can handle the legwork, providing you with a short list of qualified candidates who will be ready on Day One. And if you need someone now, we can send an experienced engineer on a temporary basis with just a few days’ notice.

Build A Forward-Thinking Engineering Team With PEAK

If you are looking for talented San Jose engineering employees who can help your organization achieve its goals, contact the experts at PEAK Technical Staffing today to learn how we can help you access cutting-edge talent.