Transmission Design Engineer

In May 2018, a multinational automotive manufacturing company which sells passenger vehicles under a variety of brands, as well as commercial vehicles was seeking a chief transmission design engineer in China.

While Mane hadn’t previously worked with this arm of the large company, the recruitment company’s relationship with other businesses within the group dates back many years. It has provided staff in many of the company’s operations across North America, Asia and Europe and Mane has a track record of successfully filling hundreds of roles spanning R&D & design, through to quality and manufacturing.

So in February 2018, when Mane’s automotive division was seeking to expand its client base in China due to the rapid advancements in the country’s automotive industry, they were an obvious target. Not only did Mane have a track record of supplying the company’s other brands with talent, but it also had a global candidate network it could tap into for roles. The recruitment company’s credentials spoke for themselves and this sub-division of the automotive manufacturing company quickly invited the team in to pitch.

Despite having to compete against multiple agencies, Mane was able to highlight its expertise and ability to source niche skill sets, and consequently won the contract.  Despite the assignment being incredibly challenging, Mane knew that if it adopted the right recruitment strategy it would be able to source the right person. Because the role was so senior, Mane knew that, because China is still a relatively new player in the automotive industry, it has a huge shortage of senior level talent. Consequently, Mane’s search centred on countries in Europe which had a much larger pool of senior candidates.

By focusing its search on European professionals with the requisite skills and experience, Mane identified over 50 potential candidates. The challenge, the recruitment company faced, however was quickly assessing their suitability for the roles, whether they would be a good cultural match for the client, and if they were open to relocating overseas.  While the opportunities and benefits that the successful candidate would receive – ranging from an incredibly lucrative relocation package, free accommodation and fast track career progression were – it was clear that finding the right person willing to relocate would not be an easy task.

Consequently, of the 50 individuals initially identified seven were shortlisted based on their suitability and availability for the role. The clients, impressed, subsequently telephone interviewed five and of them - three were invited for a face-to-face interview in China. Following all interviews, the successful candidate was offered the role. However because the individual was relocating their entire family to China, Mane ensured its work didn’t stop there.

While the China-based clients arranged accommodation, flights, and visas and were also instrumental in sourcing schools for the family’s children ahead of their move, Mane kept in touch with the candidate throughout this process. By adopting a consultative approach – making sure that the individual was regularly communicated with and any fears or concerns were allayed – the recruitment company ensured a smooth transition for the family in question.

So successful was the transmission design engineer project, Mane has since signed a global agreement to work with 184 of the multinational automotive manufacturing company’s brands worldwide.

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