How to: Engage Engineers Effectively

First published in 2019; updated November 2026.

Imagine buying a powerful and innovative device, but you don’t understand how to make it work to its full potential. That’s the dilemma most project managers face today when they don’t use their engineers effectively in the workplace. According to Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace report, manufacturing workers were 8% less engaged than the national average of all workers. Here are some helpful tips on how to engage engineers in any project effectively.

Project Details

It is essential to have engineers heavily involved in the project’s “brainstorming phase” to rule what ideas are possible from the impossible. As a manager, you must understand all your goals, priorities, and scheduled due dates so you can effectively lead through great communication.

Lousy communication equals wasted time both in your life and to the engineers who are the brains of the project. The more you understand the project, the smoother the relationship will be between you (the manager) and the engineers.

Supply the Necessities

Once the project is clear, it is essential to surround engineers with other like-minded workers. The worst type of situation is two engineers working on a project, and only one of them has experience or the skills to work efficiently. Even if they did match the skill requirements that the project demands, you need to provide fast and modern technology.

By making sure your manufacturing facility contains modern technology and selecting workers who have similar experience in a project, the employees will work better together. Also, the fewer headaches both you (the manager) and your engineers will have. Make sure that the only problems that arise correlate with the project itself and not the necessities that surround it.

Respect & Trust

Trust the engineers in their profession and recognize that they know what they are doing. Ask questions to understand the process and the engineering mindset so that you ease your mind as a manager. Empower your engineers so that they feel respected while working for you. Don’t create more stress than there already is.

Create A Good Work Environment

In the same 2017 report, Gallup found that two-thirds of workers were disengaged at work. A complete work environment includes amenities that will strengthen your relationship with the engineers and differentiate yourself from other manufacturing facilities.

As a manager, you are trained to have an in-depth knowledge of how to improve efficiency for the company but sometimes lack the ability to lead people. Focus on getting everyone on the same page when conducting a project, but always remember that bringing coffee one morning for all the workers goes a long way. Make work exciting and worth waking up for and bring the passion back to the facility.

Conclusion

Treat your engineers correctly by becoming the master in the department of operations, but also in the people department. To help improve your facility's efficiency, use Automate America so that you can pair the right engineers together for your projects, save time, and staff open positions faster. Cheers to creating big things!

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