How to Recruit and Attract Top Industrial Automation Engineers
Recruiting industrial automation and controls engineers is not like hiring for general engineering roles. The talent pool is smaller, the skillsets are highly specialised, and the best candidates are often not actively looking for a job.
Most companies struggle not because there is no talent, but because they are missing a structured approach to attracting, engaging, and converting the right candidates.
If you’re new to the space or hiring across multiple disciplines, it’s worth first understanding the broader landscape of industrial automation systems and industrial automation skill sets.
This article outlines a practical framework you can use to improve your recruitment results.
Hiring Framework in 3 Steps – Building a Candidate Funnel
Attracting top automation and controls engineers is not a single action, it’s a process.
We’ve outlined below our effective three step hiring framework;
Step 1 : Awareness – Can Candidates Find You?
Before anything else, candidates need to know your company exists.
This is where many companies fail.
If your online presence is weak, you simply won’t appear in front of engineers working in:
- PLC programming
- SCADA systems
- Instrumentation
- Industrial networks
To build awareness, you need:
- A strong company website
- An active LinkedIn presence
- Job board visibility
- SEO-optimised content
- Listings in relevant directories
If candidates can’t find you, nothing else matters.
One of the fastest ways to improve visibility is by promoting your company on a niche platform built specifically for automation professionals such as ISA Jobcentre and Automation JobSearch where you can promote your automation roles to a targeted audience.
Step 2 : Interest – Do They Understand What You Do?
Even if candidates find you, they won’t apply unless they understand your work and see value in it.
This is where content plays a critical role.
You need to communicate:
- What your company actually does
- What kind of projects you work on
- What technologies you use
- What it’s like to work in your team
Effective formats include:
- Blog articles
- Employee stories
- Case studies
- Webinars or podcasts
Step 3 : Action – Why Should They Apply?
This is where many recruitment efforts break down.
Even interested candidates won’t apply unless the offer is compelling.
Key drivers include:
- Career growth opportunities
- Challenging and meaningful projects
- Work-life balance
- Salary and benefits
- Company culture
- Job security
You are not just filling a role—you are competing against other offers.
👉 A well-positioned job listing and company profile can significantly improve conversion rates.
Where to Find Automation & Controls Engineers?
Once your funnel is in place, you need to feed it with candidates.
Free or Low-Cost Channels
- LinkedIn and Facebook groups (automation, PLC, SCADA communities)
- Referrals from trusted contacts
- Niche job boards (e.g. automation-focused platforms)
Paid Channels
- Specialist recruiters (high quality, but expensive)
- Shortlisting or screening services
👉 Niche job platforms consistently outperform general job boards for automation roles.
Why Passive Candidates Matter More Than You Think
One of the biggest mistakes in automation recruitment is focusing only on active job seekers.
In reality:
- The best engineers are usually already employed
- They are not actively applying
- But they are open to the right opportunity
Your content strategy becomes critical here.
To attract passive candidates, focus on:
- Real project stories
- Day-in-the-life content
- Technical insights
- Thought leadership
👉 Your organizations content is the main lever for capturing attention of passive candidates.
Work-Life Balance Is a Major Differentiator
Industrial automation roles are often associated with:
- Long hours
- Site work
- Travel
- High pressure environments
This leads to burnout—and candidates are increasingly aware of it.
If you want to stand out, highlight:
- Flexible or hybrid working
- Remote options (even partial)
- Family-friendly policies
- Clear overtime expectations
Many engineers will choose sustainability over salary.
Smarter Screening: Define the Right Candidate First
Automation is a complex field with overlapping skills across industries.
Before you recruit, you need clarity on:
- What exact role you need
- Which technologies are essential
- Which skills are optional
This means you must
- Align job descriptions with real responsibilities
- Map required skills clearly
- Ensure communication between operations and recruitment teams
Poor alignment here leads to wasted time and bad hires.
The Shortcut: Use an Existing Candidate Funnel
Building this entire system takes time:
- SEO takes months
- Content takes consistency
- Brand awareness takes years
That’s why many companies choose to plug into an existing ecosystem instead.
Platforms like Automation Job Search provide:
- Access to an engaged audience of automation professionals
- Built-in visibility via SEO and Google Jobs indexing
- Company profile pages to showcase your brand
- Tools to track and manage applicants
👉 Instead of building everything from scratch, you can tap into an existing candidate pipeline
Final Thoughts
Recruiting automation engineers is not about posting a job and waiting.
It requires:
- Visibility (Awareness)
- Engagement (Interest)
- A strong offer (Action)
Most companies only focus on the final step—and that’s why they struggle.
If you build the full funnel, you don’t just fill roles—you create a consistent pipeline of high-quality candidates.
About Automation JobSearch
We provide job listing products to support automation companies and recruiters in their talent acquisition efforts, ensuring they find the right candidates quickly and efficiently.
Our online job board attracts both active job seekers and passive candidates, providing exposure to a focused candidate pool of automation professionals.
Are you looking for a new job in controls? Search 1000s of openings 👇
Automation JobSearch is the largest dedicated job board for industrial automation jobs, aggregated from leading employers and curated by automation professionals.
Employers? Recruiters? Register your openings now 👇
Promote your job openings and company brand to an engaged audience of automation professionals.
