How to Source Talent for Niche Network Engineering Jobs

Niche network engineering jobs require talent with specific skills and broad expertise. Whether it’s roles such as cloud automation, wireless networking, network virtualisation, or other specialist positions, these roles require professionals who can be hard to find in a competitive market. The more niche the position, the more niche the talent pool will be. 

Sourcing talent for these roles presents unique challenges, such as a limited talent pool. Businesses can successfully overcome these challenges by adopting a targeted approach to attract the specialist candidates they require. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the effective strategies you can take to source the talent you require for your niche network engineering jobs. We’ll discuss the importance of crafting clear job descriptions, considering transferable skills, upskilling your existing workforce, and hiring contractors. Adopting these methods will allow you to expand your talent pool, close internal skills gaps, and seamlessly fill niche positions.

This guide explores the following ways to source niche network engineers:

• Craft a targeted network engineer job description
• Factor in transferable skills
• Upskill your existing workforce
• Consider hiring contractors

Craft a targeted network engineer job description

Our first tip for sourcing niche network engineering jobs is to craft clear, specific and target job descriptions. With support from your existing IT and network specialists, you should clearly outline the type of individual you want to hire. Whether you want to connect with network security specialists or cloud networking experts, including the niche skills and experience you need candidates to possess and the responsibilities you'll require them to carry out should be detailed in the job title and description. 

Consider the position's specific technical expertise when creating a niche network engineer job description. Using this knowledge and SEO platforms, you can identify the most commonly searched and relevant keywords associated with the role. You can then incorporate these keywords and industry-used terminology into your job posts. Doing so will help your listings reach the right people and resonate with the applicants you want to target. 

When creating a detailed network engineer job description for your niche roles, you can outline the essential and desirable skills you want to acquire. As your role is niche, your talent pool may be limited. Therefore, highlighting your essentials and desirables won't disqualify capable applicants who may lack what you're looking for but could have the potential to add value to your vacancy. 

Niche network engineers expect to see clarity and specificity in their roles. Therefore, ensure your descriptions accurately showcase the intricacies of the position. Taking the time to craft targeted posts for your niche network engineering jobs will help you filter out applicants who may not be right for the role while allowing you to engage with suitable candidates.

Factor in transferable skills

Another approach to sourcing talent for niche network engineering jobs is to consider people with transferable skills. This step will take your search beyond your traditional candidate profile, broadening your talent pool and opening the doors to capable professionals you may not have considered.  

Network engineers and talent with backgrounds in similar industries can be valuable assets to your niche roles despite not having experience in the precise job you’re recruiting for. The transferable technical skills you can look for include network administration, architecture, security, configuration, cloud computing, wireless networking, and other associated network engineering skills. Essentially, transferable skills can be any skill required for your niche roles that can be found in other jobs.

Active and passive talent from similar network engineering jobs and industries may have experience using the same technologies that will apply to your niche vacancy. They may have also worked with the same vendors your business is partnered with and will be familiar with their various tools. Despite not having experience in your niche role, these candidates could use their knowledge of their varied backgrounds to offer fresh perspectives and unique solutions to support your business. 

Spending your time searching for the ‘perfect candidate’ could be an impossible task. Instead, focus on bringing in someone who has the technical expertise that can be adapted to your niche role. Turning to talent with transferable skills can speed up your network recruitment process, helping you to quickly close internal skills gaps and fill your vacancies with capable professionals. 

Of course, it’s not just the technical transferable skills you should look for in new hires. It’s also worth considering transferable soft skills. We’ve produced a guide all about this, which you can read here: The Top 5 Soft and Transferable Network Engineer Skills.

Upskill your existing workforce

As you search for the best people to fill your niche network engineering jobs, you may find that the ideal candidates are right under your nose. Looking at your current workforce of permanent network professionals, you can upskill your existing talent and promote them to your niche roles.

Tapping into your existing talent pool is valuable in the search for niche candidates. You’ll know who has the transferable skills required for your niche position. They will already have an understanding of your business, its culture, processes, and goals. This approach will reduce the onboarding times and costs of sourcing and placing niche hires while providing you with a reliable employee with a ton of potential.

Whether the talent from your existing team who is willing to transition into your niche vacancy has experience in network engineering or not, they will likely require upskilling or reskilling. You can develop a specific training programme to get your employee up to speed with their new role. 

These career development opportunities not only help fill your niche roles but also support your broader talent attraction and retention strategies. Ultimately, employees who see that their employer values their career growth are likelier to stay loyal. Active and passive candidates will also see your commitment to internal career progression as an attractive reason to pursue your vacancies.

You can promote your niche network engineering jobs internally or identify existing employees you believe have potential. Either way, upskilling your current workforce can make filling niche positions more seamless. 

If you need to find a replacement for the role your existing employee has transitioned from, you can appoint this position to another staff member. Alternatively, you can make a new hire. Sourcing a replacement for less niche jobs should be relatively simple, as you’ll have a broader talent pool to tap into.

Consider hiring contractors 

Contract recruitment can be an excellent approach to broadening your talent pool, allowing you to find niche experts to fill your network engineering jobs. As some of the most experienced professionals in the industry, contract engineers can enter your specialist roles and make an immediate impact. 

One significant benefit of hiring a contractor is their ability to solve your time-sensitive recruitment needs by joining your business at short notice. Regardless of how niche your role is, there will be an experienced contractor out there with the skills and expertise you require. Contractors will have experience working on similar projects to those you need support on and will enter your business knowing how to tackle them with a fresh perspective and best practices.

The nature of a contractor means they will support your business for a set period. With contract recruitment, you have the flexibility to hire a contractor for as long as you like, be it six months, a year, or for the duration of a project. You can also use a contractor to trial your new niche role to see if your business requires it. This time can also be used as a trial period for your contractor, who you may have the opportunity to make a permanent hire if all parties agree to do so.

Regardless of the time you require your contractor, they provide an immediate solution without you making a long-term commitment to a permanent hire. Again, due to their experience working on similar projects, contractors can seamlessly fit into your organisation with minimal onboarding and training required. 

Contractors also offer cost savings to your business as you commit to the time you can afford them without stretching your hiring budgets. As contractors are independent workers, you don’t have to pay them a set salary. Instead, you pay their set rate for the time you need them. Other costs associated with permanent recruitment, such as employee benefits and insurance, are covered by the contractor or the agency they work for. 

Their ability to make an immediate impact, with specialist expertise and fresh perspectives, along with the associated cost savings, make hiring a contractor an excellent option for companies looking to source talent for their niche network engineering jobs.  

Rounding up how you can find niche network engineers

Sourcing talent for niche network engineering jobs requires a strategic and flexible approach. Using the methods highlighted in this guide, such as crafting targeted job descriptions, factoring in transferable skills, upskilling your existing workforce, and considering making contract hires, you can develop an excellent strategy to find the people you require for your specialist positions.

Are you a small or medium-sized enterprise seeking support in acquiring niche talent? Read our guide and discover why SMEs should partner with network recruitment agencies.

We source talent for niche network engineering jobs

If you need support with finding niche talent for your specialist network engineering jobs, we’re here to help. As experts in network recruitment, we understand the pain points associated with sourcing and placing candidates in niche roles. We also know how to overcome these hiring challenges and have an extensive talent pool ready to connect with your business. No matter how niche your network job is, we’ll work closely with you to find the people you need to fill your role and power your brand.

So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with our specialist network recruitment consultants to find out how we can help you with your niche roles.