Finding the Right Candidate is a Matter of Knowing Where to Look.
An Article By: Daniel J. Young, M.Eng., P.Eng., OSPE President and Chair

Face it. Finding the right candidate for your company can be a daunting task. It’s a mission that thousands of employers like yourself, go through each and every year. Some people say it’s akin to looking for buried treasure – where you search and search to no avail. Others say it’s easy if you know where to look.

What’s that you say? You’ve looked and looked and looked, and still no success. Well, it’s time to perk yourself up and start searching in a new place. A place not many employers would think to look. It’s a place we call the professional industry association. And for some employers, it can mean the difference between success and failure.

Let’s say for example, you’re an engineering company and you are in need of professional engineers or engineering students for summer placements. And you’ve tried all the other general job posting sites and newspapers and still no success. Well, instead of sitting back, waiting and wondering what to do next, simply source and locate the professional association that deals with engineers and register with them. It’s that simple. By registering with a professional association, you immediately gain access to all the major players (read potential employees!) in the industry.

Professional associations help businesses succeed.

Let’s continue with our engineering example for a moment. Now, let’s suppose you’re all set to begin your search for a professional engineer or engineering student. Being a smart, sophisticated recruiter, you place your recruitment ad in the usual places, where you think you have the best chance of success. Then, as days go by, you find that no one has answered your ad and you are no further ahead.
Enter the professional association. In this case, if you’re looking for engineers, you would find the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE). This is the society that represents engineers in Ontario. As the voice of Ontario’s professional engineers, OSPE provides its members with an online career centre, professional development and member discounts on products and services and also advocates to government, industry and the public on behalf of engineers and the profession.

So what’s that got to do with you, you ask? A lot. Especially if you happen to be looking for engineers. Because like many other professional associations, this group can prove to be invaluable in your search for the right professional engineer or summer placement. And by registering with the association (for OSPE, it’s free to register!), you immediately gain access to a wealth of information and support.

OSPE, for example, just happens to be the foremost engineering society dedicated to helping engineers and employers succeed. As a professional association, OSPE provides an online Career Centre that is jam-packed full of employee resumes, and is now the largest engineering job posting site in Canada. In addition, OSPE also provides professional development courses tailored to engineers that are open to anyone, and an industry specific, Employer Compensation Survey designed to help employers attract and retain the finest employees.

So in keeping with our engineering example, let’s suppose you’re looking to hire one or ten engineers, enhance your employees’ skills or discover how to attract the best engineers to your company, it pays to find and access a professional association.

Simply by joining, you immerse yourself in the tools you need to be successful. And that means not only finding the right candidate, but getting a leg up on your competition.

Start your search in the right place.

The importance of joining a professional association cannot be understated. It puts you in the thick of the industry and provides you with access to all of the major industry players (read employees!). And that can spell success.

So, where do you start? Well, the easiest place is on the Internet. Simply start up your search engine and find the professional association that interests you. Then talk to them. Remember, it’s their business to promote their industry, build their profession and help their members find employment. And it’s your business to recruit the right candidates. Especially now, since you have an ideal place to look.

Happy recruiting …

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) is the voice of the engineering profession in Ontario. We advance the professional and economic interests of our members by advocating with governments, offering valued member services, and providing opportunities for ongoing professional development. To learn more about OSPE please visit www.ospe.on.ca.

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