Free Employer Guide
How to Hire an FM Engineer
Without Paying a Recruiter £15,000
The complete checklist for hiring commercial hard FM engineers directly — from writing the spec to making the offer. Used by FM contractors across the UK.
The real cost of using a recruiter for FM hires
15–20%
Typical recruiter fee as % of first-year salary
£8,000+
Minimum cost for a mid-level FM engineer hire
£99
Cost of a featured listing on this board
Why direct hiring works for FM
FM engineering is a niche trade. The candidates you need hold specific certs (Gas Safe, F-Gas, 18th Edition) and they are actively looking — you don’t need a recruiter to “find” them. They’re on job boards, in trade forums, and in LinkedIn groups right now.
Recruiters add value in executive search and roles that require passive candidate outreach. For field-based FM engineers, the talent is accessible. The only thing between you and a direct hire is a well-written listing on a board they actually visit.
This board exists specifically for commercial hard FM engineers. Every engineer on it is in your discipline. Zero noise from irrelevant candidates.
Our free 2026 certification guides — covering F-Gas Cat 1, SKILLcard, BS 5839-1, RSPH Level 2, and more — attract engineers actively researching the qualifications your roles require. Your listings reach cert-ready candidates before they land on the generalist boards.
The complete FM hiring checklist
1Writing the job spec
- ✓State the specific certifications required (Gas Safe, F-Gas, 18th Edition) — not just "experience in HVAC"
- ✓Be explicit about van provision, fuel card, and call-out expectations — engineers filter hard on these
- ✓Include the salary range. Listings without a salary get 40% fewer applications from qualified engineers
- ✓List the exact sites or contract types (PPM vs reactive, single-site vs multi-site)
- ✓Mention the management structure. "Managed by a non-technical FM manager" is a red flag to experienced engineers
2Screening CVs
- ✓Check cert dates — Gas Safe and F-Gas require annual revalidation. An expired cert = a compliance risk
- ✓Look for contract tenure. FM engineers who move every 6 months may be contract-only workers misrepresenting themselves
- ✓A short cover note that references your specific vacancy is a strong positive signal
- ✓Gaps in employment are not automatically a red flag — ask about them in the interview
- ✓Ignore formatting. The best field engineers write terrible CVs. Screen for certs and experience, not presentation
3Interview questions (FM-specific)
- ✓"Walk me through how you'd approach a first-time visit to a new site." (Tests process discipline)
- ✓"What's the most complex fault you've diagnosed and how did you resolve it?" (Tests depth of knowledge)
- ✓"How do you handle a situation where a client is pushing back on a PPM schedule?" (Tests client management)
- ✓"What certifications are you currently holding and when do they expire?" (Verify on the spot)
- ✓"Are you comfortable with the call-out rota and what's your typical availability?" (Eliminates surprises)
4Making the offer
- ✓Benchmark against the salary guide before making an offer — underpaying means they leave within 12 months
- ✓Verbal offer first, written within 24 hours. FM engineers are in demand and will accept elsewhere if you're slow
- ✓Include the full package in writing: salary, van, fuel card, call-out rate, holiday, pension, cert sponsorship
- ✓Ask for their notice period on day one of interviewing. 4 weeks is standard; senior roles may be 3 months
- ✓Cert sponsorship (Gas Safe, F-Gas renewal) is a strong retention tool that costs less than a single recruiter fee
Ready to hire direct?
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