Pratt & Whitney speeds delivery of certified tech talent for high-security, highly regulated aerospace production.
centralized recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) accelerates hiring of in-demand talent for mission-critical aerospace and defense production at scale
client
Pratt & Whitney, an RTX company and global leader in propulsion technologies, designs and manufactures aircraft and rocket engines for military, commercial and civil aviationgoals
To support rising production demand, Pratt & Whitney needed to hire large volumes of specialized technical talent and corporate professionals across four production sites in Poland. Strict regulatory requirements, high-risk security protocols and prolonged hiring cycles in a talent-scarce market put delivery timelines and operational efficiency at risk.solution
To streamline and speed hiring, Pratt & Whitney partners with Randstad Enterprise on an end-to-end recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) program, delivered by Randstad Sourceright. The new recruitment model centralizes hiring across sites, reduces time to fill, and builds a scalable workforce for technical, engineering and corporate functions.key results
The organization was able to reduce time to hire by 31% (from 45 to 31 working days) and achieved an 85% offer acceptance rate. Recruitment program satisfaction scores average at 4.85 out of 5 from hiring managers and candidates alike.
the goals: hiring specialized talent, avoiding high-risk delays
In aerospace manufacturing, precision is everything — and it starts with the people behind the machines. Pratt & Whitney, an RTX company and global leader in propulsion technologies, designs and manufactures the engines that power today’s most advanced military, commercial and civil aircraft. Hiring the right talent is mission-critical, especially for defense projects governed by stringent security, compliance and confidentiality standards.
To meet a surge in production demand, the company needed to scale manufacturing capacity, improve operational efficiency and accelerate delivery — all while navigating a highly regulated, high-security environment. Its success depends on building a flexible, certified workforce quickly and cost-effectively.
challenges: market pressures and talent constraints
Yet, the talent market can’t keep pace. Severe shortages of skilled professionals — including engineers, machinists, inspectors and assembly technicians — can make recruitment slow and difficult. Aerospace engineers are particularly scarce in areas like structural design, aerodynamics and avionics.
While growing competition from automotive, railway and other manufacturing industries adds to the pressure, lengthy hiring processes compound the challenges. Many roles require advanced certifications, extensive onboarding, security clearances and government-mandated compliance — further extending timelines.
With decentralized recruitment managed independently across four Polish sites, the company faced fragmented processes, duplicated efforts and inconsistent candidate experiences. High turnover in frontline roles, rising labor costs and shifting expectations around pay, flexibility and development made it even harder to attract and retain skilled professionals.
Leadership recognized that the current model couldn’t support future growth. To meet demand, they needed a centralized, high-performance hiring approach — one that could deliver certified talent faster, more consistently and at scale.
the solution: centralized hiring, end-to-end
To meet rising demand and stabilize its workforce, Pratt & Whitney partnered with Randstad Enterprise to implement and manage an end-to-end recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) program, delivered by Randstad Sourceright. The RPO’s goal: to streamline hiring, improve candidate quality and build a scalable model to deliver certified talent faster across all four Polish production sites.
The RPO manages the entire hiring life cycle — including sourcing, screening, interviewing, onboarding and administrative support. The program covers technical, engineering and IT roles, along with managerial and administrative positions linked to production and logistics.
built for complexity and scale
A dedicated delivery team brings deep experience in regulated hiring environments and securing certified technical talent. Leveraging advanced sourcing platforms, labor market analytics and predictive hiring tools, the RPO accelerates decision-making and improves alignment between candidates and role requirements across all roles, including niche positions requiring security clearances.
Built for flexibility, the recruitment model scales rapidly during peak hiring cycles and adjusts quickly during times of decreased demand without sacrificing quality or continuity. Compensation benchmarking helps maintain cost control while ensuring competitive positioning in a tight labor market.
During implementation, the RPO team navigated a highly competitive landscape and strategically adapted recruitment strategies to evolving regulatory and certification demands. Close collaboration with HR and business leaders — including clear performance expectations, shared feedback loops and regular strategy reviews — ensured alignment and accountability from the start.
As trust deepened, the partnership expanded beyond initial goals and the RPO now also supports internal mobility, intern hiring and new hire onboarding — helping Pratt & Whitney strengthen long-term workforce planning and talent development. With a stable, experienced delivery team in place and advanced analytics guiding strategy, the talent acquisition model continues to evolve to meet changing business needs.
the results: centralized recruitment at speed and scale
Centralizing hiring operations delivers measurable improvements in speed, candidate quality and workforce retention while creating a scalable foundation for future growth.
Average time to hire dropped from 45 working days to just 31, a 31% reduction that accelerates onboarding and helps prevent costly production delays. Offer acceptance climbed to 85%, and hiring managers and candidates alike are pleased with their recruitment experience; satisfaction scores average at 4.85 out of 5.
With consistent processes across all four production sites, Pratt & Whitney gains greater visibility into recruitment performance and workforce trends. Candidate quality has improved, attrition has declined and hiring managers report stronger alignment between candidates and job requirements — leading to faster, more confident hiring decisions.
strengthening employer brand and workforce readiness
The candidate experience has improved as well. A more transparent, structured application and onboarding process boosts engagement, enhances the company’s reputation and positions Pratt & Whitney as an employer of choice in a highly competitive talent market.
Access to well-matched talent also supports broader business goals. Key roles are filled more quickly for strategic projects, while increased workforce availability enables the expansion of technology-focused departments.
With an RPO hiring model that is built for agility, Pratt & Whitney is transforming hiring to adapt with speed and consistency for long-term success.