Renewable energy hiring soars amid intense competition to lure talent

With the government setting ambitious targets, Sterlite Power is observing a surge in demand for skilled professionals, particularly in manufacturing, transmission, and renewable energy verticals, leading to a 20-30 percent rise in hiring this financial year.

Given the ambitious clean energy targets, renewable energy companies are snapping up professionals across the spectrum. Solar engineers, wind turbine technicians and project managers are in high demand to design, build, and maintain these green giants.

But it's not just technical roles – analysts, consultants, and business developers are crucial too, navigating regulations and driving market growth. However, problems of talent supply and competitiveness loom large. With a limited number of specialists, companies are finding it hard to hire and retain experienced professionals lured by multiple lucrative offers.

According to job portal foundit’s data, shared with Moneycontrol, the renewable sector has shown consistent hiring growth across all time frames. The growth rate increased significantly over the past six months, reaching 19 percent.

Robust hiring to support expansion 

With the government setting ambitious targets, Sterlite Power is observing a surge in demand for skilled professionals, particularly in the manufacturing, transmission, and renewable energy verticals, leading to a 20-30 percent rise in hiring this financial year.

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Having a workforce of around 1,500 on-roll and off-roll employees, the company plans to hire over 100 professionals in one year.

Similarly, Avaada Energy has plans to add 3GWp to 5GWp solar/wind and pumped storage every year from next year onwards. It has around 4 GW plus projects under construction and their goal is to have around 11 GWp by 2026 and 30 GWp by 2030.

To meet its business plan, the company is currently adding over 500 team members to its independent power producer or IPP business. To be sure, the primary focus will be on strengthening the Wind, Solar, and Pumped Storage teams, as well as the business support team. Avaada Electro, its solar panels manufacturing division, is looking to add 3,000 people over the next couple of years, and the Green H2 business is also on a hiring spree.

Specifically, Avaada Energy will be hiring in various departments such as engineering, procurement, construction, operations & maintenance.

Gruner Renewable Energy has bagged projects worth Rs 1,500 crore and to execute these long-term projects, the firm is planning to hire around 8,000 people (around 6,400 at the site and 1,600 on company payroll) by the end of FY25.

Challenges ahead

In India, 23 percent of the workforce is directly or indirectly involved in green jobs, according to data from job portal, foundit. From January to September 2023, the job portal recorded a substantial 32 percent growth in green jobs. Remarkably, there has been an exceptional growth of 217 percent of such jobs since December 2021.

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Despite all the growth, India's booming renewable energy sector is facing a talent crunch. While the industry offers exciting green jobs, companies struggle to fill them. One reason is the skills gap - new technologies demand fresh expertise that traditional energy backgrounds may lack.

Additionally, leadership positions are scarce, hindering growth.

“The demand for talent in the energy sector is outpacing the supply of qualified individuals, creating a significant talent gap that companies must address to sustain growth and innovation,” Ruhie Pande, Group CHRO of Sterlite Power, told Moneycontrol.

For new entrants, the challenges are deeper.

Biofuels Junction, which plans to increase the workforce by 30 percent, is facing hurdles in attracting the right talent as the biofuel industry is relatively a new field and hence talent pool is limited.

“....hiring from other sectors is expensive as biofuels is a commodity and hence profitability is not comparable to other sectors; Although growth prospects are strong due to tailwinds from government policy and global push, the demand for talent too is high,” said Ashvin Patil, Founder and Director of Biofuels Junction.

Shaila Singh, DGM of HR at Gruner Renewable Energy feels the same.

“Hiring and planning to hire the right candidate in the sector is challenging as this is a new sector, therefore our strategy is to scout the best candidates from the available talent pool in the industry and also to hire from other industries such as oil and gas, infrastructure,” he said.

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The average compensation for general roles in the renewable energy industry, such as project managers, technicians, and sales executives, typically ranges from Rs 3 lakh per annum (LPA) to Rs 14 LPA, foundit data showed.

On the other hand, for niche roles like renewable energy engineers, data scientists, and sustainability consultants, the average compensation tends to be higher, ranging from  Rs 6 LPA to Rs 21 LPA.

Adapting to challenges

With the looming talent gap, companies are adapting and experimenting with a three-pronged strategy: hiring freshers, investing in in-house training programmes, and beefing up their employer branding.

“Addressing these challenges requires a strategic approach to talent acquisition and development, including targeted recruitment efforts, investment in training and upskilling programmes, and collaboration with educational institutions and industry partners to cultivate a pipeline of skilled professionals,” said Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit.

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Sterlite Power has amplified its campus hiring efforts emphasising on-the-job training for freshers, enhancing their individual growth and providing it with a pool of young, talented individuals. It's important to note that the company has ambitious plans to double its gender diversity by earmarking specific roles for diversity hiring.

Additionally, the company said it is active in market mapping, and by internally training top management, it aims to create a sustainable talent pipeline.

Avaada Energy has a separate strategy for hiring at all three levels. The company is deliberating on offering equity stakes, bonuses, and other incentives to attract high-calibre senior talent.

“Senior-level talent is available as energy is one of the oldest fields. Organisations like NTPC, NHPC, EIL, and Power Grid have created many good leaders who have become assets in the private sector. We look for professionals who have extensive experience, deep technical expertise, and leadership skills necessary to drive strategic initiatives and large-scale projects,” said Sindoor Mittal, Vice Chairperson of Avaada Group.

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For mid-level, the company is planning to offer “clear career progression paths” and continuous learning opportunities to retain mid-level professionals, apart from competitive compensation packages.

For the junior-level, the company targets partnerships with educational institutions to invest in training and mentorship programmes to quickly bring junior hires up to speed.