Engineers around the globe feeling increased pressure in the workplace, according to survey

August 2018

Engineers around the globe feeling increased pressure in the workplace: A global survey of engineers has found more than half (53%) are feeling increased pressure in the workplace as the pace of engineering intensifies.

The Pulse of Engineering Survey – The Changing Work Environment for Engineers Today conducted by IEE GlobalSpec Media Solutions also found that 41% felt the pressure to work to strict deadlines is putting product quality in jeopardy.

The survey of 2,236 engineers asked respondents about their opinions on subjects such as available resources, competition and the changing landscape of engineering, as well as the impact of new technology.

It found most engineers are working on multiple projects at the same time, with almost three-quarters (73%) saying the size of their team over the last two years has reduced or stayed the same. It also found that 26% felt most pressured by launch date deadlines, followed by product quality (24%) and customer service (24%).

Loyalty in the workplace

When it comes to loyalty, the survey suggests engineers are loyal to their industry despite its pressures, however, when thinking about staying with their current employer for the next five years, only 27 percent said it was 'very' or 'completely likely' to stay on.  

The top reasons given by respondents for leaving a role were to move company (32%), retire (30%), promotion to a more senior role (16%) or due to being made redundant or downsizing (11%).

Another area the study highlighted was the increasingly competitive nature of the engineering industry, with just over half polled saying competition is growing.

Technology

The rate at which technology evolves and develops can also bring about challenges the survey found, with 54% saying their companies’ technologies became outdated at a faster rate and 49% saying new tech developments can interfere with products or markets.

Millennials are not as concerned as older colleagues that their company is losing expertise due to new technological developments. They instead look to what they are gaining as a result of new developments: newer tech to boost productivity.