Sigil Partners

3 Selection Mistakes That Keep Strong Engineers From Accepting Offers (and How to Fix Them) Losing a top engineer at the finish line is frustrating. You spent weeks sourcing, screening, and selling only for them to pass. After reviewing hundreds of hiring processes, here are the three most common mistakes that reduce offer acceptance rates: 1. Dragging the process too long Engineers have options. A 5-step, 6-week interview process signals indecision. Fix: Tighten your process to 2–3 focused interviews and provide fast feedback to build confidence. 2. Failing to sell the “why” Too many teams only evaluate — they forget to attract. Fix: Train interviewers to communicate impact, growth, and culture. Candidates want to know how they will matter. 3. Weak closing conversations Many offers are extended without reaffirming interest or addressing concerns. Fix: Before extending an offer, have a genuine conversation by asking: “Is there anything that might hold you back from joining us?” Then listen carefully. The takeaway: Engineers do not reject offers, they reject uncertainty. The best hiring teams remove it at every step. #hiring #engineering #recruiting #talentacquisition #leadership

The engineering hiring playbook has changed a LOT over the last couple of years... It's safe to say that the pendulum has definitely swung back one fully favoring hiring teams.  That being the case, this is also one of the BEST times we've seen for making targeted, strategic "needle in a haystack" type hires. With the right focus and definition, this market isn’t a challenge.  It’s the best opportunity we’ve seen in years to partner with agencies like ours and strengthen your engineering teams with a truly competitive edge. It's important to note, we're also seeing smaller and midsized companies benefiting from very different gameplans on how to make effective hires. For startups, this is a great time to find those adaptable generalists.  The ones who can handle everything from design tweaks to hands-on prototyping to full scale production.  We're also noticing that candidates are currently more open to wider range of responsibilities than we've seen in recent years.     For mid-sized companies, the effectiveness of our recent efforts have been much more impactful when the sights are set for highly adapted, targeted specialist type hires... Mid-sized companies seeking these hires, customized to fill internal gaps are more possible than ever.  But it's important to stay focused on those gaps, rather that double up on range. There’s never been a better time to meet your hiring targets.  But the companies that will win in 2026 are the ones that defining their needs the sharpest before they start the search.  So, keep these tips in mind folks!

During a recent candidate interview, he was asked about leading a team to resolve a critical instability in a control system for an industrial automation project. Rather than diving into their own technical fixes, he highlighted how they mentored a junior controls engineer to tune a PID loop, guiding them to take ownership while ensuring the team stayed focused under a tight deadline. Exceptional controls engineering leaders don’t just design robust systems, they build teams that can achieve the goal faster together. When assessing leadership, I dig in on the these: Empowerment = Do they delegate critical tasks like controller tuning to foster growth? Precision = Can they align cross functional teams to meet system performance goals? Humility = Are they willing to step back and let others help solve the problem together?

Hiring priorities change quickly. Each quarter presents new challenges. Whether it’s speed, quality, budget, or branding, each factor affects how teams grow or stall. Hiring Leaders of LinkedIn: We’d love to hear from you. What’s been your biggest challenge lately? Share your perspective below.

Looking for excellent leadership and loyalty for your IT Teams? Call Adrian Lopez right away as he’s looking for his next mission. 

We almost lost a top engineer for a crucial hire… but three small tweaks in our interview process made all the difference.

Things have been shifting...away from traditional hubs like Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C., toward emerging markets where the cost of living and hybrid-friendly ecosystems are attracting skilled CS professionals.

Hiring for a Controls Engineer in today's challenging market isn’t ever straightforward. Our team recently completed a tricky search for a Sr. Controls Engineer that reminded us how layered these roles can be: balancing PLC/HMI expertise, industry-specific experience, and the soft skills to work cross-functionally on the plant floor. A few of the challenges we faced included: -Narrow talent pool with both Allen-Bradley and Siemens experience -The need for hands-on field troubleshooting AND strong design skills -A smaller location that limited local candidate options Here's how we created & attacked a successful gameplan: -Expanded our search nationally and pre-qualified relocation-ready candidates -Partnered closely with the client’s engineering team to refine the must-haves vs. nice-to-haves, ensuring we had a clear picture of the ideal candidate -Used advanced technical screening & assessments to ensure candidates could hit the ground running It took extra effort, communication, and persistence, but we found the right fit for our client.

Excited to feature a highly versatile Technology & Program Leader with 12+ years of experience driving enterprise product and program success across industries like e-commerce, telecom, manufacturing, defense, and consulting. From building cost-saving technical solutions with Python and Raspberry Pi, to internationalizing platforms across Europe, to leading large-scale compliance programs in manufacturing, this candidate brings both the technical depth and program leadership needed to deliver real business impact. If you’re looking for a proven leader in product strategy, agile roadmap delivery, and cross-functional execution, let’s connect.