Hiring an HVAC or refrigeration engineer directly seems straightforward. Post a job, review applications, interview the best candidates, make an offer. In practice, it rarely works that way. Here is what the process actually involves, and why most FM and facilities clients end up working with a specialist recruiter after trying it themselves. The market you are advertising into The engineers you want are not sitting on job boards waiting to be found. The majority are in work, not actively looking, and only considering a move if the right opportunity comes to them. Calibre's 2026 Pulse survey found that only 17 percent of FM professionals describe themselves as actively seeking a new role. The other 83 percent require a different approach entirely. A specialist recruiter holds an existing network of those candidates. We know who is open to a conversation, what they are looking for, and what it would take to move them. That intelligence takes years to build and cannot be replicated by a job posting. Screening takes longer than you think Reviewing applications, identifying the right qualifications, checking Gas Safe registrations, F-Gas certifications and relevant experience then conducting first-stage calls to assess attitude, availability and genuine motivation is a significant time commitment. It pulls technical managers and HR teams away from their core responsibilities for weeks. We handle all of that before a candidate reaches you. The shortlist you receive has already been qualified against your brief, your location, your team and your culture. The hidden cost of a bad hire Getting this wrong is expensive. A gas or refrigeration engineer who leaves within six months costs far more than a recruitment fee when you factor in lost productivity, management time, retraining and the cost of starting the process again. Counteroffers, notice periods and dropouts Nearly half of FM engineers who resign now receive a counteroffer from their current employer. Without experience managing that conversation, a hire you thought was secured can unravel at the final stage. We manage the process from offer through to start date including notice period negotiation, counteroffer handling and first-day logistics. The probability of a successful placement is significantly higher when that process is managed properly. What you are actually paying for The fee covers access to a candidate network you cannot replicate, a qualified shortlist, managed process from brief to start date, and a placed engineer who is still contributing to your business over a year later. For FM clients who have tried direct hiring and then come back to us, the consistent feedback is the same. The time cost of doing it themselves was higher than the recruitment fee would have been. If you have a role to fill or want to discuss how the current market looks for your discipline, myself directly. 📧 matthew.finlay@calibresearch.co.uk 📞 0113 234 6047