How Aerospace & Defence Firms Are Competing with Big Tech for Engineers

The aerospace and defence (A&D) industry is entering a period of unprecedented growth. As the need for advanced defence and aerospace technology continues to increase, there is a growing demand for highly skilled talent – but the industry is facing a major challenge: attracting highly skilled talent. According to Boeing’s 2024 Commercial Market Outlook, over 44,000 aircrafts will be built globally over the next 20 years. This signals major production increases across commercial, military, and space sectors. Although demand is increasing, there is a shortage of qualified talent, predominately in engineering, project management, and technical leadership.

Aerospace & Defence firms are not just competing with industry peers but also Global tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, and Meta, who often attract candidates with remote flexibility, cutting-edge projects, and upgraded employee compensation plans.

A Global Shortage of Qualified Engineers:

Although, there are over 100,000 engineering graduates across Europe annually, approximately only 10% choose to enter the A&D industry. In Germany alone, there are 76,400 open engineering positions, yet only 20,400 unemployed engineers.

This shortfall stems from two factors:

• A retiring workforce and a weak pipeline of replacements.
• Perception challenges, where many younger professionals favour tech brands over defence firms due to their remote work flexibility and lucrative compensation packages.

Five Talent Strategies Powering the Next Era of Aerospace & Defence:

These five strategies are redefining how the industry attracts and retains top talent:

1. Strengthening Employer Branding: Over 60% of professionals under 40 say employer branding significantly influences their job decisions. European aerospace corporation, Airbus, use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, alongside virtual hiring events, and transparent culture communication to attract early-career talent.
2. Knowledge Transfer through Mentorship: As senior engineers retire, structured mentorship programs will help to transfer knowledge to the next generation. This would help to speed up onboarding and reduce the skills gap.
3. Globalisation of the Talent Pipeline: Regions like India, China, and Eastern Europe are producing top-tier engineering talent. Companies opening to hiring globally are able to fill roles faster and access specialised skills, often more cost-effectively. Whereas, western companies who still focus on local recruitment are left at a disadvantage.
4. Offering Smart Flexibility: Whilst full remote work isn’t always viable due to security restrictions, many A&D firms can offer compressed workweeks, flex-time, or hybrid options. This would help to increase the number of potential candidates.
5. Closing the Digital Skills Gap: As aerospace systems are becoming increasingly digital. The gap between talent demand and supply continues to widen. Employers need to focus on upskilling their current teams, retraining staff, and sourcing externally to find the right talent.

Our Role: Experts Group International:

At Experts Group International, we’re proud to help drive innovation across the technology and aerospace & defence sectors. Our cross-sector talent network spans semi-conductors, data infrastructure, automotive technology, and more.

We connect high-performing professionals with A&D firms seeking talent in:

• Engineering (Systems, Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, and Civil)
• Operations & Project Management (predominately with prior experience in satellite or mission-critical environments)
• Sales (with a focus on satellite communications and complex B2B environments)

(See all of our available Technology roles here)

If you are hiring in the technology sector, you can speak to one of our consulting experts here.

Lastly, if you are exploring new work opportunities within the Technology industry, click here to see our available roles.