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Consulting HR Recruitment

Addressing Talent Shortages in Germany
in Design, Procurement, & Construction
of Controlled & Regulated Environments

The case study highlights the ability to address complex recruitment challenges in the engineering sector. By engaging a broader talent pool and providing strategic support throughout the hiring process, PRODENSA enabled the client to fill critical roles that were essential for their operations. The project demonstrates our strengths in managing specialized recruitment, maintaining high candidate engagement, and delivering quality hires in a competitive market, ultimately contributing to the client’s continued success and growth.

Table of contents

Overview

An international company headquartered in Germany specializing in design, engineering, procurement, and construction within controlled and regulated environments faced a significant challenge: a shortage of senior engineers in Germany for their operations. Despite extensive internal efforts, the company struggled to find suitable candidates for critical roles. To overcome this, the CLIENT engaged PRODENSA for direct recruitment services, aiming to access a larger talent pool both locally and internationally and to place hard‑to‑fill positions essential for their ongoing and future projects.

Project Stages

CLIENT Needs Analysis

PRODENSA began by thoroughly understanding the CLIENT’s specific recruitment needs, focusing on the critical roles that were challenging to fill internally. This stage involved detailed discussions with the CLIENT to identify the qualifications, skills, and experience required, as well as any language or relocation requirements.

Candidate Search, Selection & Pre‑Screening

Leveraging an extensive network and advanced recruitment strategies, PRODENSA conducted a comprehensive search for suitable candidates. The focus was on identifying both local and international talent, with an emphasis on candidates open to relocation. Pre‑screening processes ensured that only the most qualified candidates, particularly those with the necessary German language skills, were presented to the CLIENT.

CLIENT Interviews & Onboarding

The selected candidates were submitted to the CLIENT for consideration. The CLIENT then conducted interviews and made hiring decisions. PRODENSA maintained close communication with the CLIENT and candidates throughout this stage, providing support to streamline the selection process and mitigate the risk of losing top candidates due to delays.

Challenges & Solutions

  • Slower Candidate Selection Process: The CLIENT’s hiring managers sometimes took longer to make decisions, risking the loss of strong candidates who may not wait.
  • Solution: PRODENSA proactively managed candidate expectations and maintained ongoing communication to keep them engaged throughout the process, reducing the likelihood of drop‑offs.
  • Language Requirements: Many roles required proficiency in German, significantly narrowing the candidate pool.
  • Solution: PRODENSA focused on sourcing candidates with the necessary language skills within a wide EU geography.
  • Hard‑to‑Fill Roles: The specialized nature of the roles meant that the candidate pool was small, and candidates were often more demanding in terms of remuneration.
  • Solution: PRODENSA leveraged its market expertise to identify competitive compensation packages and advised the CLIENT on structuring offers that would attract and retain top talent. Additionally, we massively looked in the regions of Central and Eastern Europe where we also have a huge engineering database to attract the candidates with the matching remuneration expectations.

Project Outcome

PRODENSA successfully filled numerous critical positions, including (Senior) Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, Lead Engineers in Building Automation, HVAC Engineers, Construction Managers, and Project Managers and Directors. The efficiency of PRODENSA’s recruitment process was evident in the high numbers of shortlisted candidates as well as impressive conversion rate of submitted candidates to hires. The service also included a guarantee of replacement candidates, though the need for replacements was minimal due to the quality of the initial hires. 

The CLIENT was highly satisfied with the results, leading to continued collaboration on new projects and recommendations of PRODENSA’s recruitment services to other divisions within the company that still continue.