A talent pipeline for civil service agencies that can't fill licensed roles
Your exam can only rank the people who sit it. We find the licensed engineers who aren't watching job boards, talk to each one, and get the qualified ones to apply. Your process does the rest.
The MakoHire Talent Pipeline: recruitment outreach for public agencies. Fixed monthly fee, no placement fee.
The problem: the exam opens and the list comes up short
A civil service agency can't hire from a recruiter's shortlist. It can only hire from its own eligible list. So when licensed people don't apply during the filing period, the list comes back thin, and it may be years before the exam opens again.
Exams open rarely
Many agencies announce an exam for a class only every few years. Miss the window and the vacancy waits for the next one.
Licensed people aren't looking
Nearly every agency posts on the same job board: 90% of public HR teams use GovernmentJobs.com, according to NEOGOV's 2023 report. Employed, licensed engineers rarely check it. And while applications per job are rising, up 8.3%, ineligible applicants are rising faster than eligible ones, up 10.8% against 4.4%, according to NEOGOV's 2026 data. The shortage is qualified, licensed people, not volume.
Engineering is hard to fill
66% of state and local HR managers had trouble filling engineering roles in the past year, more than any other position, according to MissionSquare's 2026 survey. More than 60% still see fewer qualified engineering applicants than openings.
How civil service hiring works, and where we fit
We work only in the first two steps: finding licensed people, telling them the exam is open, and helping them apply. We never touch scoring, ranking or appointment.
The exam is announced
The agency opens a filing period for a job class. We find and contact the licensed people who fit it.
Candidates apply and test
Applicants file and sit a public, competitive exam. We direct qualified people to apply and confirm they filed.
The eligible list is ranked
Passing candidates are ranked on a list that runs for a set period, which varies by jurisdiction. The agency alone does this.
The agency appoints
The agency hires from the list under its own rules. The agency alone does this.
What we do, and what we don't
We find, contact, screen and direct people to apply. You run the exam, the scoring, the list and the appointment.
MakoHire does
- Map the market for the class: who holds the license and where they work
- Contact people directly by phone, email and LinkedIn
- Screen each one by phone against your class specification: license, degree and experience
- Explain the role, your agency and any residency rule
- Confirm they are willing to sit the exam
- Hand them to your recruiter and direct them to apply on your site, then confirm they filed
- Report every person contacted to you each month
MakoHire does not
- Administer, influence or prepare anyone for your exam
- Score candidates or affect the eligible list
- Interview, rank or select candidates on your behalf
- Negotiate salary or extend offers
- Charge a fee when you hire someone
Veterans' preference, EEO and every other rule that applies today applies unchanged. Every candidate we contact competes on the same exam as everyone else, and your agency remains the employer and the only hiring authority. Our Talent Partners make every call and do the screening themselves.
How the Talent Pipeline runs
Four steps, starting before your filing period opens, so qualified people are ready to apply the day it does.
Confirm the class and the window
We confirm the class specification, the license rules and the filing period dates, and who on your team receives candidates.
Build the market map
We identify the licensed people in your area who fit the class, and where they work today.
Outreach and phone screening
Talent Partners contact each person, screen them by phone against the class specification, and direct the qualified ones to apply.
Monthly coverage report
You see everyone we contacted and screened, who was directed to apply, and why people declined.
What you get
The report is the deliverable, not a candidate count. We don't promise a number of qualified people per month, because the market sets that. We commit to covering it completely and showing you all of it.
The market map
Who holds the license your class requires, where they work, and how the map grows as people change jobs and earn new licenses.
A monthly report on everyone
Each person contacted and screened, their license status and experience, the date we spoke, and whether they were handed to your recruiter or directed to apply.
Why people declined
Pay, residency, location, or who else approached them. That is evidence you can use when you need to argue for a change to a pay band, a grade or the timing of a requirement.
Repeat contact
Someone who says no in month one isn't finished. Circumstances change, and we go back to them before the next window.
What counts as a qualified referral
We count someone as qualified only when all five of these are true.
Licensed
They hold the license or registration the class requires, or a path to it on your terms.
Meets the class
They meet the degree and experience requirements in the class specification.
Spoken with
One of our Talent Partners has spoken with them by phone, not only emailed or messaged them.
Will sit the exam
They have confirmed interest in your agency and willingness to sit the exam.
Knows the conditions
Any residency or other condition of employment has been explained, and they have accepted it.
Commercial terms
- A fixed monthly fee for a defined term, covering a defined set of classes. The cost doesn't move with the number of hires or the salary.
- No placement fee, whether you hire none of the candidates or all of them.
- Can start as a short pilot with a joint review at the midpoint, then continue month to month.
- Vendor setup, W-9 and supplier registration are handled through our parent company, Mako Professionals, LLC. We're glad to work on your purchase order or standard professional services terms.
Terms are set per engagement and discussed directly. We don't publish prices. If your RFP calls this recruitment outreach, candidate sourcing or partial recruitment services, it's the same work.
Who it's for
Public employers that hire through civil service exams and keep running short of licensed technical applicants. There were 91,438 local governments in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Special districts
Water reclamation, sanitary and other districts. There were 39,555 special district governments in 2022, according to the National Special Districts Association.
Municipal utilities and public power
Public power serves about 2,000 communities and employs more than 100,000 people, according to the American Public Power Association.
Water and wastewater agencies
About a third of the water workforce is nearing retirement age, according to the EPA.
Counties
County public works and engineering departments that hire licensed engineers through the same exam calendar.
Roles we source for
Licensed and hard-to-fill technical classes, especially where the license narrows the field.
- Utility engineersElectrical, protection and controls, substation, transmission planning, distribution, SCADA and grid operations engineers.
- Water, gas, civil and environmental engineersWater and wastewater, gas and pipeline, civil and structural, environmental and permitting, and nuclear engineers.
- Utility IT and CISBilling and customer systems, ERP, and the analysts and developers who own them.
Civil service recruiting questions
Can a civil service agency use an outside recruiter?
Yes, for recruitment outreach. An outside recruiter can find, contact and encourage qualified people to apply. It can't choose who is hired. With the MakoHire Talent Pipeline, the agency keeps the exam, the scoring, the eligible list and the appointment. Your own HR and procurement rules decide how you buy the service.
Who helps public utilities find PE-licensed electrical engineers?
MakoHire does, through the Talent Pipeline. We map the PE-licensed electrical engineers in your area, contact each one, confirm their license, degree and experience against your class specification, and direct the qualified ones to apply during your filing period.
How do I get more qualified applicants for a civil service exam?
Start before the filing period opens. Map who holds the license, contact them directly instead of relying on a job posting, screen them against the class specification, and follow up to make sure they file. That is what the Talent Pipeline does.
What does recruitment outreach cost for a government agency?
The Talent Pipeline is a fixed monthly fee for a defined term and a defined set of classes, with no placement fee. Terms are set per engagement and discussed directly; we don't publish prices.
What's the difference between executive search and recruitment outreach?
Executive search runs a search for one leadership role and presents a slate of finalists, usually with a fee tied to the hire. Recruitment outreach, sometimes called partial recruitment, fills your applicant pool and leaves selection to your exam. For roles below the executive level in a civil service system, outreach is usually the one you can use.
Do veterans' preference and EEO rules still apply?
Yes, unchanged. Every candidate we contact competes on the same exam as everyone else, and your agency remains the only hiring authority.
Do you guarantee a number of qualified applicants?
No. How many licensed people will consider a public employer depends on the market. We commit to covering it in full, repeat contact, screening before referral, and a monthly report on every person we reach.
Can you work within our procurement process?
Yes. Vendor setup, W-9 and supplier registration are handled through Mako Professionals, LLC, and we can work on your purchase order or professional services terms.
Go deeper by topic
- Engagement modelsRetained Search, Engaged Search and the Talent Pipeline side by side.
- How to hire utility engineersWhat to look for in each engineering discipline, including licensing.
- How civil service hiring worksThe four steps, and where an outside recruiter fits.
- Why licensed engineers skip civil service examsAnd how to reach them before the window closes.
- Recruitment outreach vs executive searchWhich one a public agency can use, and when.
- Recruiting and civil service termsPlain definitions of filing periods, eligible lists and class specifications.
Is your next exam window coming up?
Book a 30-minute hiring call with Tyson Franco. Tell us the class, the requirements and when the filing period opens, and we'll tell you what the market for it looks like.