Recruiting for Industrial, Manufacturing, Robotics, and Automation

Talent shortages across industrial sectors

The manufacturing industry in Denmark includes a broad range of areas such as industrial equipment, process technology, robotics, automation, component production and engineered systems. Across these fields, many companies experience increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified employees. The need for experienced professionals continues to rise, while the available talent pool remains limited.

Engineering roles with process technology understanding

Many manufacturing companies depend on engineers who combine technical knowledge with hands-on experience from production environments. These profiles can troubleshoot equipment, improve production efficiency or develop complex machinery and robotics systems. However, finding candidates with this background is becoming more difficult. Job postings often have limited reach, especially for specialised roles.

As a headhunter specialised in manufacturing and automation, we conduct targeted searches to identify and approach candidates with relevant technical backgrounds and practical insight. A solid understanding of the role and its context is important when opening a dialogue with candidates who are not actively looking. This applies particularly to process engineers, robotics specialists, automation experts and other specialised profiles working in technical development or production.

How to recruit technical sales profiles?

Companies offering industrial systems or specialised equipment often need salespeople who understand the product as well as the market. Roles such as sales engineer or key account manager typically require a mix of technical knowledge and commercial focus. The number of people who bring both is relatively small, and many are already in established positions.

In these cases, a proactive approach is necessary. As a headhunter with experience in the industrial and robotics sectors, we identify and reach out to candidates working in relevant industries who match both the technical and personal requirements of the role. A clear message and an informed, industry-specific approach are essential to engaging candidates who are not actively applying.

Recruiting leaders with operational understanding

Leadership recruitment in manufacturing involves more than reviewing experience on paper. Cultural fit and operational understanding are equally important. Leaders in this sector often need to balance strategic direction with practical insight into production, automation and continuous improvement. Familiarity with lean management, safety standards and cross-functional collaboration is often a prerequisite.

We work closely with clients to understand what kind of leadership the organisation needs, not only in terms of responsibility, but also communication style, decision-making and the everyday context the leader will operate in. This helps identify individuals who can contribute with both competence and credibility.

Why job ads aren’t enough in technical recruitment

In many technical and industrial roles, including automation and robotics, the most qualified candidates are not actively applying for jobs. This means that job advertisements alone rarely reach the right people. A research-based approach to recruitment makes it possible to identify individuals who may be open to a conversation, even if they are not currently searching.

As a headhunter in robotics, automation and process technology, we focus on relevance and timing. We aim to establish contact based on knowledge of the company, the role and the sector. A well-prepared first conversation increases the chance that the candidate will consider the opportunity seriously.