Renewable energy firms step up hiring as sustainability takes centre stage

To meet the talent demand, companies are going heavy on the filtration process to identify the best among the rest.

As India Inc prioritises sustainability in its business models and moves towards more environmental, social and governance (ESG)-compliant, the need for talent is rising.

Not just technical knowledge, companies in the renewable energy sector are looking for candidates for departments such as Business Development, Finance etc.

Currently, there are close to 41,000 active jobs in the renewable energy sector, job platform foundit’s data showed. Top officials from Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), Hero Future Energies, and Gautam Solar, among others, told Moneycontrol they are recruiting across verticals for experienced talent. However, hiring freshers to arrest attrition and women to increase diversity is also among the focus areas.

While the power and energy sector has a major focus on renewable energy, some of the other industries which have soaring demand are construction, oil & gas, agriculture & dairy, consulting, and research.

Hiring to drive growth

In line with TPREL’s plans for rapid expansion and new projects, it will double its workforce in the current fiscal year by hiring 2,500 people. The focus is on recruiting individuals with expertise in areas such as solar cell and solar module manufacturing, solar and wind project management, operations and maintenance, supply chain management, engineering and technology, as well as business development.

Gautam Solar is currently looking to hire talented individuals for two specific job profiles. Firstly, as it is expanding its operations to 1 GW, the firm is looking for individuals with expertise in manufacturing for upcoming sites.

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Secondly, with its plans for international expansion, the hunt is on for candidates with experience and knowledge in navigating global markets, understanding international business practices, and developing effective marketing strategies to promote the products and services globally.

“With our focus on renewable energy, we anticipate recruiting approximately 100 individuals for various roles in this sector. This will help us expand our capabilities and drive our commitment towards sustainable energy solutions,” said Gautam Mohanka, MD of Gautam Solar.

Skills in demand

To meet the talent demand, companies are going heavy on the filtration process to identify the best among the rest.

Depending on the role, Sekhar Garisa, CEO of foundit, said companies nowadays administer skills assessments or tests to evaluate candidates' technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and knowledge.

He said strong technical knowledge and skills related to renewable energy technologies are essential. They include understanding the principles, operation, and maintenance of various renewable energy systems like solar PV, wind turbines, hydropower plants, and energy storage systems, along with policy and regulatory knowledge. AutoCAD is a must-have skill in engineering and design.

Skills in data analysis, statistical modelling, and problem solving are valuable for optimising energy systems, identifying efficiency improvements, and making informed decisions.

“However, it is equally important for candidates to possess softer skills, including problem-solving abilities, logical reasoning and a passion for contributing to the renewable space and bringing societal impact,” said Rajlaxmi Dubey, AVP, HR of Avaada Group, a green energy developer which plans to hire 250 people this year.

Battling attrition and diversity gap

India has the potential to create up to 35 million green jobs by 2047 across traditional and emerging sectors. However, it also highlighted that only 35 percent of working professionals were aware of the specific job roles or skill-building programmes for the ‘green jobs’.

Besides, though the share of women in the renewable energy sector is high, compared to the overall energy sector, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2019 found that women’s participation is much lower in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs (28 percent) than in administrative jobs (45 percent).

“Challenges with the renewable industry are high attrition due to demand-supply gap and lack of diversity in terms of gender,” said Bhawna Kirpal Mital, Head of HR, Admin, IT & CSR at Hero Future Energies.

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With initiatives to hire more women employees, Hero Future Energies’ hiring strategy involves the participation of employees through an encouraging incentive scheme of ‘Employee Referral’.

TPREL’s recent recruitment drive for women operators, in collaboration with the Tirunelveli district administration, attracted over 5,000 candidates across various educational streams, including BSc, BTech, Diploma, ITI and 12th Std. The Tata firm was able to select around 1,000 women for operator-level training.