The construction, infrastructure, and engineering sectors are under pressure. Major players like BAM, Royal HaskoningDHV, and Heijmans are constantly searching for technical talent, but that talent is scarce. HR and recruitment teams are working hard to fill vacancies, but often end up with too few responses or applicants who do not fit the role. More often than you might think, the root cause lies in the job postings themselves.
The reality of recruitment in the engineering sector
Technical staff are in short supply, and good engineers, supervisors, or project planners have plenty of options. What many companies underestimate is that their job postings often do not resonate with what this audience is looking for. Consider the following issues:
- Too much jargon
- Vague or unclear job descriptions
- Lack of inclusive or inviting language
- No optimization for search engines (SEO)
Recruiters in this sector often say they are mostly “sending” but hardly “receiving.” A lot of effort, but little response.
The role of job postings in the (failing) application process
A good job posting is not just a formality, but a strategic tool. It determines whether someone clicks, reads, and eventually applies. In practice, we often see companies like BAM and Royal Haskoning using:
- Copy-pasted outdated job ads
- Text that is clear internally but confusing externally
- Unconscious use of language that excludes women or younger candidates
- Little focus on online visibility
How Textmetrics supports you
Textmetrics was developed to tackle exactly this challenge. Using AI and language models, it supports HR professionals and recruiters in the engineering sector to:
- Optimize job postings for inclusiveness, readability, and audience relevance
- Make content SEO-proof so it can be found more easily
- Tailor language to fit specific profiles like engineers or project managers
- Ensure consistency with the employer brand
Conclusion
Recruitment in construction and engineering is a discipline of its own, and the job posting is an essential tool within it. HR teams that keep relying on outdated, non-optimized content will continue to fall behind. Tools like Textmetrics not only help with writing better content, but also elevate your entire recruitment process.
Want to know how your job postings perform? Request a free trial from Textmetrics and instantly discover where you are missing opportunities.