Employer Insights: Essential Skills and Hiring Criteria for Entry-Level Engineering Positions

The engineering industry in Malaysia has grown rapidly, becoming a key pillar of national economic and technological progress. However, this growth highlights a mismatch between employer expectations and graduate skills, raising concerns about employability and workforce readiness. This study identifies and ranks the skills and hiring factors most valued for entry-level engineers, shifting focus from academic performance to personality, adaptability, and willingness to meet industry needs. A quantitative survey using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire was distributed to engineering employers, and data was analysed via SPSS and the Relative Importance Index (RII). Findings show that “positive attitude”, “teamwork skills”, and “integrity” ranked highest among essential skills, while “willingness to work outstation”, “willingness to work overtime”, and “relevant salary expectations” were top hiring factors. Academic indicators such as CGPA and university reputation ranked lower, highlighting employer emphasis on workplace readiness over credentials. Lower-ranked factors, including “mutual hobbies”, “gender”, and “ability to communicate in Mandarin”, were situational rather than universally relevant. The findings reinforce that technical proficiency alone is insufficient; employers prioritise traits that foster workplace cohesion, resilience, and adaptability. Higher education should integrate structured opportunities to build these competencies, aligning graduate capabilities with industry demands and enhancing long-term career growth in engineering.