With unemployment falling, it is now up to companies to attract talent. AUSY (Randstad) and Infopro carried out a study among students and engineers revealing the graduates’ expectations of their future profession and their company.
Via AUSY, Randstad took an interest in the aspirations of engineers and the determining criteria which have an impact on their choice of company. But that’s not all! With its survey, the company specializing in consulting and engineering looked into the reasons that pushed students to choose engineering schools in the first place.
Methodology of the AUSY-Infopro survey on engineers’ expectations
To carry out this survey measuring the expectations and determining criteria for engineers in the world of business and higher education, AUSY and Infopro interviewed a representative sample of 664 engineers. Among them, we find 95 students at the beginning or middle of their course, 57 students at the end of their course, 50 young graduates who have not yet found a job and 462 engineers already in work.
The survey was conducted between February and March 2022. Participants were questioned on several topics:
- Why did you choose the profession of engineer?
- The most popular sectors of activity
- The professional environment
- Future challenges
Why choose the engineering profession?
To carry out its survey, AUSY and Infopro first asked respondents the following question: “ What are the motivations that push you or have pushed you to turn to the engineering profession? » And the answer is not necessarily the same for students and graduates.
Students who are still in engineering school and recent graduates explain that they turned to this profession and these studies because of the attractive remuneration (41%), the ease of quickly accessing positions of responsibility ( 39%), but also because it is a profession that makes it easy to find a job after graduation (34%).
As for engineers already in post, it is above all the taste for science which guided them on this path (59%), the multidisciplinary side of the profession (57%) and the fact of being at the heart of the innovation (38%). Note, however, that for 28% of them, the job does not completely correspond to the image they had in mind. 31% of them would even consider changing careers.
Sectors and subjects of the future according to engineers
Concerning the sectors of activity which are of particular interest to engineers, AUSY and Infopro first questioned respondents on the areas of the future, those in which they believe training should be a priority. Here again, the answer differs within the population surveyed.
Students and recent graduates think it is important to train on subjects related to cybersecurity (52%), data and AI (40%) and management (30%). On the other hand, current engineers consider that the priority areas are data and AI (50%), project management (43%) and digital transformation (41%).
Training in emerging sectors is decisive for Jérôme Gontard, CEO of AUSY, who indicates that “ although the engineers managed to get through the health crisis without too much difficulty thanks to their ability to adapt, they learned lessons from it. In particular, they have become aware that the regular acquisition of new skills is essential to be able to understand an environment that is constantly evolving. »
The engineers interviewed by AUSY and Infopro also highlighted the sectors of activity favored by students and graduates. Unsurprisingly, aeronautics, aerospace and automobiles come out on top for 23% of respondents. If we exclude those who do not yet know where they want to work (15%), it is chemistry (14%) and the world of banking-finance-insurance (13%) which close the podium. Transport (excluding automobiles) and logistics interest only 0.4% of respondents.
The aspirations of engineers in business
Infopro and AUSY were interested in the determining criteria in the choice of a company for an engineer or a student. Obviously, the pandemic has also shaken up the habits of graduates. 55% of them even say they are ready to refuse a job offer if the company does not allow teleworking. It must be said that the trend has been reversed and that it is now the candidates who have the power.
Thus, for students, like working graduates, work-life balance is a determining criterion (62%), as is autonomy (59%) and the salary of engineers (54%), tied with a sense of mission (also 54%). Geographical proximity between work and home is only important for 40% of those surveyed.
It is important to note that Infopro and AUSY also asked engineers and students the reasons that could push them to leave their position or their company. At the top of the reasons that could push them to write their resignation letterwe note disagreement with the hierarchy (57%), unstimulating projects (56%) and poor relations with the teams (47%).
The major challenges awaiting engineers
The pandemic has inevitably pushed engineers to rethink the major challenges of the 21st century. We also see that the vision of the future of young graduates and students and of current engineers is not necessarily the same. Even if these two populations agree on certain subjects.
Thus, for alumni already in post, the three major challenges of this century that engineers will face are global warming (60%), new sources of energy (53%) and cybersecurity (44%). On the other hand, students and young graduates have been marked by the pandemic. If, according to them, the two main challenges for engineers in 2022 are cybersecurity (41%) and global warming (40%), health threats and pandemic risks close the podium (30%). This subject only represents a challenge for 10% of working engineers surveyed.
