Navigating the Challenges of Hiring for MRO Jobs

The aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry faces a critical juncture in 2025. With global air travel returning to the pre-pandemic surge, there is an increased demand for MRO services. Besides the challenges of skilled labour shortage and supply-chain disruptions, how should recruiters proceed with recruiting for such roles? What inherent challenges impede steady and swift recruitment for MRO jobs? And is there a way out? This blog post dives right into these pressing concerns.

Skilled Labour Shortage

A report by Oliver Wynman projects that by 2027, North America will face a shortage of 43,000 to 48,000 aviation maintenance workers. The aviation industry continues to struggle with an ageing workforce and a lack of a pool of skilled technicians. 

Multiple factors have led to this situation. The first is a wave of retirements among skilled and experienced mechanics and engineers, leading to a knowledge gap. Adding to this problem is the slow pace of training and certifications for new entrants, mainly due to the strict adherence to an exhaustive list of regulatory requirements, which further causes delays. The industry also faces tough competition from other high-end industries, such as automotive and renewable energy, which attract talent with better pay, benefits, and work-life balance.

The way forward: The ideal way for recruiters to hire deserving candidates is to advertise more about the industry. Aviation MRO is less talked about than the other areas of the aviation field. A stronger outreach and recruitment effort by industry leaders can go a long way in attracting attention from deserving candidates. Alternatively, organizations that want to build a strong MRO framework can build talent pipelines by offering internships, apprenticeships, and co-op programs while investing in the training of existing workers for higher-skill roles (e.g., PLC programming, diagnostics).

Urgency vs. Availability

Aviation MRO jobs are usually reactive because they focus on addressing equipment or system failures after or when they are about to occur. While many organizations have built frameworks around preventive maintenance programs, unexpected failures can arise, necessitating urgent MRO intervention. Companies must often fill roles quickly to have personnel tend to the breakdowns. The pressure to fill roles fast also leads to a compromise in candidate quality.

A potential solution: To avoid a reactive recruitment response, human resources can maintain a database of pre-vetted contractors to help recruiters contact interested candidates. It also allows companies to cross-train staff to handle multiple tasks during staffing gaps. Alternatively, one can partner with skilled labor staffing agencies for surge capacity.

Working Conditions

Jobs in aviation MRO are undoubtedly physically demanding. Most job profiles entail working outside or in hangars, or inside aircraft in confined spaces. This can be physically challenging. Additionally, AMEs may be asked to work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Since system breakdowns can happen anytime, maintenance specialists must have a flexible and adaptable frame of mind. This challenges recruiters to find people willing to work in this environment. Besides, the younger workforce entering the job market often prefers tech-based or remote-friendly jobs, making attracting talent to MRO roles harder.

How companies can respond: Attracting the right candidates, despite the physically demanding aspect of the job, requires companies to advertise the substantial compensation and stability these jobs offer. Many aviation MRO jobs provide significant benefits such as competitive salaries, benefits packages, and opportunities for professional development. These can be heavily advertised on job boards and the website. Alternatively, investing in better PPE, tools, and equipment that improve working conditions and allow shift flexibility is also essential. You can also show company culture by showcasing how MRO roles are critical to operational success.

Negative Perception

There is generally a negative perception about industrial jobs, including aviation MRO. This viewpoint gradually developed during the decline of industrial professions, and the POV has not changed as much as the industry would have liked. MRO professionals are not usually considered “trendy,” so college students resist pursuing a career in the industry.

Misconceptions about growth opportunities and income potential deter many from pursuing MRO careers. Despite the innovation in aviation, organizations have not done much to inculcate a positive perception of the field. 

What can recruiters do? How do you change how a generation views an industry? Focus on success stories and innovation in media, where they are most found. Organizations can start by sharing videos, articles, or testimonials of employees who grew from entry-level to leadership. Platforms such as LinkedIn or TikTok can be invaluable in showcasing behind-the-scenes pictures of MRO work in a modern, engaging way.

Equipping Enterprises for Industry 4.0

As recruiters deal with the challenges of the evolving aviation MRO field, they must be prepared to address the new workforce requirements through proactive employee recruitment and retention. This starts by defining what talent looks like while considering the latest skills needed for implementing industrial maintenance tasks in the digital era. Enterprises should also use social networks to identify and connect to workers with the proper skill sets. This starts by establishing a corporate presence before you start posting about jobs. 

Lastly, enterprises should consider that Industry 4.0 maintenance requires entirely new profiles and job descriptions when revising their recruitment processes. The world of aviation is changing, and so are many job profiles. HR strategies must accommodate emerging roles like Chief Digital Officer (CDO), Digital Engineer, Virtual Reality VR/AR System Specialist, Worker Experience Designer, and Digital Maintenance Engineer, among many others. These roles provide new job opportunities that were unavailable a few years ago. Sooner or later, industrial organizations will introduce these roles in their corporate structures and recruitment processes.

Conclusion

With the wide-ranging changes in each industry, including aviation MRO, it is vital to revisit corporate human resources and recruitment processes while identifying the MRO workforce skills needed in the next five years. Enterprises must understand the significant trends shaping the larger aviation job market to alleviate this talent shortage. With this knowledge, they can then take appropriate measures at the corporate and public policy levels. 

The world is changing, and so are the ways we do business. To understand how we arrived at this point, it’s worth revisiting our blog on the key trends in aviation recruitment.

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