Why would someone choose to work here? ​It's the most important question in recruitment. And most hiring managers aren't prepared for it.

When you open a maintenance engineer vacancy, your requirements list is usually straightforward: the right qualifications, sector experience, machinery knowledge, compliance awareness, shift flexibility, and product familiarity. Then there's salary - a market that's moved significantly in the last five years.

You work through the process. You find someone who ticks every box. You get them in for an interview.

Then they ask: "Why would I join you instead of somewhere else?"

That's where most hiring processes fall apart.

If your answer is salary, location and benefits, you're not differentiating yourself. You're describing every other factory on the same industrial estate - and there are nine of them, all looking for engineers too.

Engineering talent in the food and FMCG sector is genuinely competitive. Candidates at the right experience level know their value and have options. If you can't clearly articulate why someone should choose your business, don't be surprised when they choose another one.

What actually makes engineers move jobs?

It's rarely just money. It's progression, culture, investment in kit, quality of management, and whether the business treats its maintenance team as an afterthought or a priority. The best candidates are evaluating you as much as you're evaluating them.

So before you brief a recruiter or write a job advert, spend five minutes answering the question honestly: Why would a good engineer choose us?

If you can't answer it, your competitors already have the advantage.

P.S. A pension isn't a selling point. You're legally required to provide one.