Hiring Engineers in Today’s Market

Posted on 22nd April 202622nd April 2026

Hiring engineers right now isn’t just competitive—it’s exhausting. Between skill shortages, evolving tech stacks, and candidates fielding multiple offers at once, even strong internal teams can struggle to keep up. That’s exactly where a specialized partner can make all the difference.

At Preferred Staffing & Recruiting, we help companies cut through the noise and connect with the right engineering talent—faster, smarter, and with far less stress. Here’s why working with us isn’t just helpful—it’s a strategic advantage.

You Gain Immediate Access to Hard-to-Reach Talent

The best engineers aren’t scrolling job boards all day. They’re working, building, and often only open to opportunities that come through trusted relationships.

We spend every day building and maintaining those relationships. Our network includes both active and passive candidates—people you simply won’t reach through traditional postings. When you partner with us, you’re not starting from scratch; you’re tapping into a pipeline that’s already been cultivated.

You Reduce Costly Hiring Mistakes

A bad hire is expensive—not just financially, but in lost time, team disruption, and delayed projects.

Our process is designed to minimize that risk. We go beyond resumes to evaluate long-term fit, motivation, and alignment with your team’s goals. The result? Better hires who stick—and contribute.

You Gain a True Hiring Partner

We don’t just fill roles—we collaborate with you to understand your business, your team culture, and your long-term goals. That partnership approach means we’re aligned with your success, not just a transaction.

Hiring engineers today requires more than job postings and hope. It requires access, insight, and speed. Preferred Staffing & Recruiting brings all three—helping you build the kind of engineering team that drives real results. If you’re ready to stop chasing candidates and start hiring strategically, we’re here to help.

Five Things to Know Before You Hire an Executive Recruiter

Posted on 5th September 20255th September 2025

Hiring an executive recruiter can be one of the smartest moves a company makes when searching for top leadership talent. The right recruiter can save you time, open doors to hard-to-reach candidates, and ensure you find leaders who align with your organization’s goals and culture. However, not all recruiters work the same way, and it’s important to understand what you’re getting into before signing a contract. Here are the key things you should know:

Ask About Industry Expertise

Not all recruiters specialize in the same fields. Some have deep knowledge of technology, finance, healthcare, or manufacturing, while others operate more broadly. An executive recruiter with proven experience in your industry will better understand the nuances of leadership skills, market dynamics, and the type of talent that thrives in your environment.

Clarify the Fee Structure and Guarantee

Recruiters typically charge between 20%–35% of the candidate’s first-year compensation. Before hiring, make sure you understand what’s included in that fee and whether the recruiter offers a replacement guarantee if the hire doesn’t work out within a certain timeframe.

Evaluate Their Search Process

A quality recruiter does more than send résumés. Ask about their sourcing strategies, assessment tools, and how they evaluate cultural fit. Strong recruiters will spend time learning about your company’s values, leadership style, and long-term goals to ensure the candidate is the right match beyond technical qualifications.

Get References

Just like you would with a candidate, check a recruiter’s track record. Ask for client references or examples of past successful placements. Speaking with other businesses that have worked with them can give you valuable insight into their effectiveness and style.

Chemistry Matters

Finally, remember that this is a partnership. You’ll be working closely with the recruiter, and trust is essential. Make sure their communication style, responsiveness, and approach align with how you like to work.

Hiring an executive recruiter is an investment. The right partner can help secure leadership that transforms your organization. Call our recruiters today at 617.723.1919 to find out if PS&R is the right fit for you!

Why Work With PS&R?

Posted on 8th March 20238th March 2023

There are so many staffing and recruiting agencies in the Boston area, so why work with PS&R? Three major themes set Preferred Staffing & Recruiting apart from other recruitment agencies to make us the obvious choice: Trust, Experience and Action.

Trust
Kathy Orcutt, founder and president of PS&R, is hands on with each and every client and candidate. Her professionalism coupled with her phenomenal listening skills put people at ease, confident in the knowledge that she is truly working for them.

Experience
PS&R was originally established in 1984. Now, with over thirty years of experience, we continue to provide top quality staffing services to companies and institutions in the Greater Boston area and beyond. Kathy’s team has placed temporary and direct hire candidates across all industries. Here is a sample of the job placements we specialize in:

Executive Placements
• Director of Operations
• CEO’s
• VP of Business and Strategic Partnerships
• SVP of Product
• VP of Product
• Director of Facilities

Engineering Placements
• Application Engineers
• Sales Engineers
• Manufacturing Engineers
• Director of Manufacturing
• Electrical Engineers
• Senior Process Engineers
• Engineering Managers
• Manufacturing Technicians

Finance/Accounting Placements
• Controllers
• Senior Accountants
• Staff Accountants
• Bookkeepers
• Payroll Managers
• Accounting Assistants

Office Support
• Executive Administrative Assistants
• Personal Assistants
• Administrative Assistants
• Office Managers
• Receptionists

Action
It’s one thing to say you can place the right candidate but executing it is a whole different story! Our PS&R team succeeds because we treat every job opening as a new challenge, and we work tirelessly until the perfect match is found. We get back to our clients and candidates promptly with communication, so you know we are always at work helping you in your employment search.

Come and learn why Preferred Staffing & Recruiting’s collaborative and consultative approach makes us the best staffing agency in the greater Boston area and the perfect fit for you. Visit us at andrewf318.sg-host.com or call Kathy today at 617.723.1919.

Three Reasons to Use a Staffing Firm to find an Executive Administrator

Posted on 7th September 20227th September 2022

The Executive Administrative Assistant is one of the most important – and difficult – positions to fill in any company. You need to find someone with the business acumen, emotional intelligence, and administrative competency to take on the challenging role of being the right-hand person to the leaders within your organization. In addition, you need someone who can guide these leaders, keep them on task, and handle each unique personality. Here are three reasons to use an experienced and knowledgeable staffing firm to help find your executive administrator:

1. Expertise. Preferred Staffing & Recruiting has been placing administrators for over thirty years. We know the experience and skills required in a candidate who will succeed at any given corporation.

2. Only See the Best. Posting a job online can result in an influx of applicants. Instead of sorting through hundreds of resumes followed by dozens of interviews to narrow down the talent pool, your recruiter can present you with top candidates right from the start.

3. Save time and money. Recruiting cannot be done passively; it is a strategic and time-consuming effort. Because we can find the right person right away, you avoid the extra expense of hiring for the same position more than once.

Preferred Staffing & Recruiting is a woman-owned staffing business providing permanent and temp to perm workforce solutions for Boston and beyond. Let us help you find your next great Executive Administrative Assistant by contacting us today!

Get The Most Out Of Your Staffing Agency

Posted on 25th February 202125th February 2021

If you only call your staffing firm when you have a specific job to fill, you are likely not using them to their full potential. Here are some ways to take advantage of everything your recruiting firm can offer you:

Increase your access to talent. We use a wide range of sites and tools to track down both active and passive candidates. Working closely with a staffing agency can give you access to candidates you otherwise wouldn’t know about.
Stay connected. Maintain regular contact with your executive recruiting firm so that they keep you top of mind. Touching base often and reminding them of the type of candidate you typically look to hire will make it more likely they will think of you when a talented candidate is uncovered.
Learn about trends. Your staffing firm knows the ins and outs of the current local hiring market. Why do the hard work yourself when you have a great partner who’s already done it for you?

Preferred Staffing & Recruiting’s collaborative and consultative approach makes us the best staffing agency in the greater Boston area and the perfect fit for you. Visit us at andrewf318.sg-host.com or call Kathy Orcutt today at 617.723.1919.

Tips for Helping WFH Parents Succeed

Posted on 29th October 202029th October 2020

Parents currently working from home while their kids are remote learning are in a uniquely difficult situation, especially if both parents hold a full-time job. There are many steps employers can take to show these workers that they care, and that they are willing to help them succeed. Below are just a few ideas companies might keep in mind to make sure they retain these parents and help them avoid burn out.

Allow for Flexibility. Be sure to empathize with the challenges that these employees are currently facing. While these parents are likely reaping the benefits of no longer commuting to work, they are also facing new challenges to their work-life balance. Offer flexible scheduling or windowed work if possible. If needed, be prepared to spread the workload by bringing in interim staff. You should also consider what post-pandemic flexibility might look like. These employees may be incented by the idea that after their children return to school, they will still have options to work from home and have a more manageable schedule.

Provide Resources. Studies have shown that working moms are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. According to NPR, 865,000 women left the workforce in the month of September. Employers should help these employees understand that they are not alone in their struggle. Providing a platform for parents to connect with other parents at the company would be a great way to show that you care. Consider creating a spot on your company website to offer parents information on childcare options, children’s’ activities and field trips, recipes, stress relief and other helpful websites or webinars.

Communicate. It’s easy for remote employees to feel isolated from the company, especially when you add in the stress of managing a child’s at home learning. This is the time to overly communicate with your employees. Be sure to celebrate accomplishments and big wins. Schedule team-building events over zoom to keep up camaraderie and make everyone feel like they are part of the team.

Are you looking to add to your team? Let PS&R help you find your next great hire. Call 617.723.1919 to start working with one of our experienced executive recruiters.

Information Technology Jobs on the Rise

Posted on 20th February 202026th February 2020

These days we are using technology more than ever before. It’s not surprising that, as a global trend, computer and tech-related jobs are becoming more important. According to data provided by CompTIA, the information technology industry will grow at a rate of 3.7% in 2020. This information leaves companies scrambling to attract top tech talent to fill some of this year’s most in-demand positions. These roles range from data-focused to AI-related jobs, and everything in between.

Here is where Preferred Staffing & Recruiting can help! The industry is broad, so IT recruitment covers a diverse spectrum of technology related disciplines. PS&R works with a wide range of talented staff with varying degrees of experience. We know the Information Technology industry and we know how to recognize good people. When new projects begin, hiring managers return to us because of our excellent record of matching their requirements and budget.

Here are just some of the IT staff we can help provide:

IT Managers
IT Project Managers
Business/Systems Analysts
Help Desk/Desktop Support
Network Engineers/Administrators
Systems Administrators
Cloud/DevOps Engineers
Data Center Technicians/Engineers

Do you need IT Staff for ongoing technical work or for a short-term project? Tell us your requirements and let PS&R’s executive recruitment team find the right candidate for you!

What To Do After Job Search Rejection

Posted on 16th October 201916th October 2019

You found the perfect job. Your resume and cover letter were stellar, you aced the interview, and you followed up with every person from the company you came into contact with. So when you find out that you didn’t get the job, you are understandably shocked and crushed. What you do next can make or break your job search. PS&R is here to help you move in the right direction after rejection.

Be resilient! It is natural to feel upset in this situation. Although you thought this job was “the one”, the truth is that it was not, and there are plenty of other opportunities where that one came from. Recognize your rejection but then move on. This likely is not your first rejection and might not be your last. Choose to show off your resilience by getting back out there and trying even harder this time.

Reach out. You’re disappointed and probably do not want to contact your interviewer. However, this is a great chance to reiterate how interested you are in the company. Send a quick email to thank them for the opportunity and ask what you might have done better. Showing your willingness to learn and grow will keep you in the forefront of their minds the next time they need to hire.

Stop overthinking. Being overlooked for this job does not mean you are not a great fit for another role. It’s easy to overthink all of your small actions in the process and wonder which one lost you the opportunity. But the reality likely is that you did nothing wrong, and those remorseful thoughts you are having are not productive!

PS&R’s executive recruiters know that being rejected for a job is normal and you are not alone. Choose to learn from the process and use this time to make necessary changes. The most important thing you can do is to stay confident!