How to source and shortlist {role_name}

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

  • Professional network
    • Leverage your professional network and reach out to former colleagues, industry peers, and tech community members to ask for referrals.
  • Educational Institutions
    • University Career Centers: Partner with universities that offer programs in chemical engineering or related fields to source fresh talent.
  • Company Career Pages
  • Posting jobs on your company’s own career page is an effective way to attract candidates who are already interested in working for your organization.
  • Role-Specific Job Boards
    • AIChE Career Center: A job board dedicated to chemical engineering roles.
      AIChE
    • Engineering.com: Offers a variety of engineering job listings, including chemical engineering.
      Engineering.com
  • Geography-Specific Job Boards
    • US:
      • Indeed: One of the largest job boards in the U.S., offering a range of technical roles.
        Indeed
      • Glassdoor: A platform for both job listings and company reviews, frequently used by engineers.
        Glassdoor
    • India:
      • Naukri: A leading job portal for technical and engineering roles in India.
        Naukri
      • Shine: Another prominent job portal in India for engineering positions.
        Shine
    • UAE & KSA:
      • Bayt: Focused on Middle Eastern job markets, popular for technical roles in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
        Bayt
      • GulfTalent: Frequently used in the UAE and KSA to source engineers.
        GulfTalent
    • Remote Positions:
      • We Work Remotely: A job board dedicated to remote opportunities, including engineering.
        We Work Remotely
      • FlexJobs: A site for finding remote, part-time, and flexible jobs, including engineering roles.
        FlexJobs

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

  • Target Chemical Engineering Networks: Leverage industry-specific job boards like AIChE, as they cater to a pool of professionals in this field.
  • Engage in University Outreach: Collaborate with top engineering universities to connect with fresh talent.
  • Use Data-Driven Approaches: Utilize LinkedIn’s Talent Insights to track where the best Chemical Engineers are currently working, and target those geographies.
  • Attend Industry Conferences: Participate in chemical engineering conferences and workshops to network with potential candidates.

How to shortlist candidates?

Once you have started to get applications from applicants, a thorough screening process and shortlisting of prospects will help you make the most of your time spent with the most qualified ones. 

Automated shortlisting tools :

Automated screening quickly filters out unqualified candidates, saving time for manual review. This allows the manual process to focus on the most promising candidates, ensuring the best ones are considered for further evaluation.

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

like qualifications, location, experience, and skills. Either use job board or use an ATS such as whitecarrot. Here are some questions for {role_name}

  • How many years of experience do you have with chemical process design?
    • Less than 2 years: Auto-reject
    • 2-4 years: Keep for further review
    • 5+ years: Auto-shortlist
  • How many years of experience do you have working in chemical manufacturing?
    • Less than 1 year: Auto-reject
    • 1-3 years: Keep for further review
    • 3+ years: Auto-shortlist
  • Are you located within [specified location] or willing to work remotely?
    • No: Auto-reject
    • Yes: Keep for further review

Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

Analyze the skill test data to automatically shortlist top-performing applicants. (recommended screening test time - 15 minutes). Here are some skill test questions for {role_name}

Process Design

Knowledge of chemical process design and optimization.

  • Question 1: What software have you used for chemical process simulation?
    • Options: Aspen, MATLAB, COMSOL, None (Correct: Aspen, MATLAB)
  • Question 2: How do you ensure process efficiency in a chemical plant?
    • Options: Regular monitoring, Use of advanced analytics, Cutting corners (Correct: Regular monitoring, advanced analytics)
  • Question 3: What are the key considerations when scaling a process from lab to production?
    • Options: Cost, Safety, Time to market, None of the above (Correct: Cost, Safety, Time to market)

Safety Regulations

Understanding of chemical safety protocols and environmental regulations.

  • Question 1: What does HAZOP stand for?
    • Options: Hazard and Operability Study (Correct), Hazard Operations Plan, Hazardous Operations Procedures
  • Question 2: How do you conduct a risk assessment in a chemical plant?
    • Options: Identify hazards, Analyze risk, Apply controls (Correct: Identify hazards, Analyze risk, Apply controls)
  • Question 3: Which safety standard applies to chemical processing plants?
    • Options: OSHA (Correct), ISO 27001, Six Sigma

Analytical Thinking

Ability to analyze complex data to inform decisions.

  • Question 1: What tools do you use to analyze production data?
    • Options: Excel, MATLAB, Power BI, None (Correct: MATLAB, Excel, Power BI)
  • Question 2: How would you handle unexpected variations in a production batch?
    • Options: Investigate cause, Stop production, Adjust parameters (Correct: Investigate cause, Adjust parameters)
  • Question 3: What is the first step in troubleshooting an inefficiency in a chemical process?
    • Options: Collect data, Change process settings, Conduct a root cause analysis (Correct: Collect data, root cause analysis)

Note - Auto reject candidates if scores less than 70% in this section

One way video interview

Recruitment Bullet

Use tools like hirevue, whitecarrot.io to ask candidates pre-recorded questions about their experience and skills.

Recruitment Bullet

Use sample question given in scorecard.

Collect other information 

Recruitment Bullet

Collect data from shortlisted candidates, such as salary expectations and visa status.

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Recruitment Bullet

Thoroughly review the CVs of the top scoring candidates from the automated process

Recruitment Bullet

Look for evidence of the required skills, experience, and achievements

Recruitment Bullet

Review the candidate’s portfolio or GitHub repositories to see examples of their work.

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

Recruitment Bullet

Use a tool like calendly or whitecarrot to allow candidates to self-schedule calls based on your availability

Recruitment Bullet

Confirm the call details (date, time, dial-in info) with the candidate via email

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Recruitment Bullet

 Use scorecard for rating candidates for recruiter

Recruitment Bullet

Sample scorecard : 

Criteria Sample Question Rating (1-5) Comments
Technical Skills How well did the candidate demonstrate knowledge of process design? 4 Strong knowledge of Aspen and process scaling
Problem-Solving Describe a time they solved a process inefficiency. 5 Gave a clear example of data-driven decision-making
Communication How well did the candidate explain technical concepts? 3 Technical explanation was good, but could simplify more
Cultural Fit How well does the candidate align with company values? 4 Good fit for collaborative environment
Analytical Thinking How did they approach analyzing complex production data? 5 Detailed, methodical approach to problem-solving
Recruitment Bullet

Check for consistency in responses from the candidates.

Recruitment Bullet

Record such scorecards in an ATS like whitecarrot or use google doc