Renewable Energy Industry: 4 Reasons Why Your Company Needs A Specialised Recruitment Agency

It’s official, there are now more people working in renewable energy than in fossil fuels. 

To be exact, nearly 40 million people work in jobs related to clean energy. The renewable energy sphere is an exciting industry that requires manpower and specialised skills to keep propelling it forward. In a candidate-driven market, it’s harder than ever to find the right people and identify the ideal transferable skills that will be an asset to your company. The renewable industry is so fast, projects are coming left, right, and centre. In addition to a burgeoning offshore wind sector coming to the shores of Australia, the need for the right talent is high. Higher than ever before.

With it being such a niche industry, you need a recruitment agency that’s focused on renewable energy. An all-rounder agency can only do so much. Without the experience and in-depth knowledge of the renewable energy sphere, general recruiters will struggle to find not just suitable candidates, but ones with the potential to take your company further than it’s ever gone before.

Here are four reasons why you need a specialised recruitment agency to find your talent in this exciting industry.

1. A Niche Industry Requires Niche Knowledge

Knowledge is power. With a niche industry like this one, you require a recruiter who is not just an expert at matching clients to candidates but knows your industry inside and out. All great workers need to have a lay of the land, if you will. What are bankers’ reading in the morning? The stock market, the Financial Times. Public relations officers? Newspapers, current events. We do this so we know not just what is happening now, but what might or will happen in the future. And be ready for it.

A specialised recruiter is passionate about their industry. They are reading the latest journals and news articles. Additionally, some may have prior experience actually working in that sphere. They are going to understand what you need. Their knowledge is an asset. You can talk freely with them without them becoming confused by the industry jargon, and they can just as importantly, communicate effectively with your potential candidates. This understanding will simplify the hiring process, and save your company time and mitigate potential miscommunication that can happen when a recruiter doesn’t know what your business is.

2. Keeping Up With A Fast-Moving Industry

Renewable electricity growth is faster than ever. While countries begin to race towards renewables, governments are going to provide more concessions, approve more projects, and invest in new technologies. We’re all trying to keep up. This point definitely connects with the previous one. Being up-to-date on innovations and upcoming projects are a significant benefit of using a specialised recruiter. 

Also, being a niche recruiter means that you have passionate people hiring for you. They are passionate about the environment, the renewable industry, and, as such, passionate about your company getting the best talent to drive the green transition.

3. Tap Into The Recruiters Vast Network Web

Recruiters who have deep ties within the community are going to know where suitable candidates are. They have an extended reach. They are going to find talent that might not be actively searching for a job, known as passive candidates. In fact, with more than 73% of job seekers being passive candidates, they are the most valuable, untapped talent market that we don’t know about. While job boards are also a valuable tool, in this industry you need more than that to find the right person for the position.

4. The Recruiters Understand What The Job Needs

This goes back to the knowledge of the industry. Knowing what the job requires and who fits the bill is essential for recruiters. In a niche sphere like this one, it’s critical to hire not just the best talent, but the talent your company needs. Unfortunately, this industry has a skills shortage. Another problem is that the skills required are hard to come by, and due to this being a burgeoning industry, there aren’t many educational opportunities. 

In that, there aren’t many, or even at all (depending on the college or university), clear pathways and specialised courses. For example, if you want to be a journalist, you can do a degree in journalism. If you want to be a nautical engineer to assist on offshore wind projects, that’s less straight-forward. 

This lack of clarity can be confusing for potential talent. Because they feel unqualified. However, more often than not, their previous experience, especially in other industries, like say coal or gas, can be transferred to renewable energy. The niche recruiter knows this and can, as such, identify what skills and work experience can be crossed-over and utilised by your company. 

The benefits of a specialised recruitment agency are clear. Their recruiters have the knowledge and industry experience to identify what your company needs, understand what the role requires, find the best talent for that role, and match them accordingly. This is all underpinned by their passion for the renewable energy sphere.