'Imaginative' work wanted

Australian engineers rate "work which requires imagination" as the most important factor when considering a new job, according to a survey by Australian Wide Personnel recruitment firm.

Salary and benefits ranked as the fourth most important factor for engineers when considering a new job, behind "challenge of the role" and "work environment".

Stephen Noble, managing director of Australia Wide Personnel, said that "in this talent-short environment, if employers want to attract and retain engineers, they should be incorporating creative elements into their roles where possible.

"Employers who can demonstrate that they're pushing the boundaries of engineering are the ones which will attract the best talent. Don't stifle their imagination - let them ask why, give them challenges and give them latitude to run with projects.

"By and large, engineers are inquisitive - we hear over and over in our interviews that when growing up, a lot of engineers spent time pulling things apart so they could find out how it worked. And then they'd want to modify them to make them work better. I think it's natural that engineers would also crave this creativity in their professional life."