Hybrid vehicles: China and Europe

Throughout 2018, Mane successfully won a number of new contracts to provide OEM companies within the automotive industry with hybrid vehicle specialists in both Europe and China.  This has included roles from powertrain engineers to low emission vehicle engineers for businesses in the UK, Italy, Germany and China.

Many of these award wins have been as a direct result of Mane’s ability to identify trends and growth markets within the global automotive industry. The recruitment company quickly identified that because of the fast approaching deadline of 2021, when all diesel engines will cease to be produced, the growth of hybrid vehicles, and the subsequent increased appetite for professionals in this areas, would be gaining pace.  Consequently Mane approached several OEM companies to demonstrate its market knowledge, expertise in talent sourcing and global talent pool with huge success.

While the contracts Mane has worked on in Europe have been relatively straightforward, they have not been without their challenges. And because hybrid vehicles have been commonplace in Europe for several years, the recruitment company quickly identified numerous suitable candidates for its client base. However, it is an incredibly competitive market so while talent certainly exists, enticing individuals away from their existing roles was not an easy task. In addition, the roles in Italy and Germany would mean UK based nationals that had expressed an interest relocating. Despite the challenges, by identifying the right skill sets and providing a consultative approach for professionals who were concerned about the upheaval of moving overseas and clear information on the ability to upskill relatively quickly, Mane was able to source and place all professionals required for its European clients in an efficient and timely manner.

In contrast to the recruitment campaign adopted in Europe, the roles Mane were tasked with sourcing in China – specifically for Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing based companies -  required a different strategy. And this was largely because the hybrid vehicle market is much newer in China so domestic skills are few and far between. Consequently, the recruitment company had to tap into its large talent pool in the UK for the relevant skills and experience.  The challenge, however, was identifying professionals who were open to relocating their entire lives to China for a number of years, if not indefinitely. 

While Mane was quickly able to find professionals interested in working in the cosmopolitan areas of Shanghai and Hong Kong, the recruitment company’s experience told them that the same could not be said of Beijing. Many of the individuals they spoke to expressed concerns about moving to a city which has a reputation for being over populated, polluted and not a good environment for families.  However, by demonstrating the huge benefits of working for its clients in the area – the ability to fast track their career and benefit from huge investment in training & development – Mane was able to source the requisite number of professionals for all its Chinese based clients.

Through implementing comprehensive recruitment campaigns in Europe and China, and providing candidates with a truly consultative service - Mane was able to provide all the roles required. In fact, so successful were the projects that the recruitment company has continued to work with several of the OEM companies. In fact, it has managed to sign a global agreement for one company in China which Mane believes is just the start of a longstanding relationship.  In addition, by focusing so heavily on the hybrid vehicle market, Mane has built up an expansive talent community of professionals which will help service both existing and future clients in the arena. 

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