Hydrogen Energy Recruitment Success: How CSG Talent Helped EET Scale an Innovative Clean Energy Project

Overcoming challenges posed throughout the recruitment process

There can be significant challenges throughout the recruitment process for start-up businesses or smaller companies that have recently been awarded funding or received private investment. With EET, there was already pressure due to tight timescales and a growth trajectory heavily reliant on filling multiple business-critical roles. Without these key positions in place, EET would not have progressed to the next stage of government funding.

Not only was there pressure with regards to the timescales, but the positions EET sought were niche, with very limited talent pools. As a newer industry within the clean energy market, there is a significant lack of experienced professionals without sourcing talent from allied sectors. While working for a new, innovative start-up organization can appeal to some, it can be a difficult sell to candidates from larger, more established businesses.

To address this challenge, the Renewable Energy Team at CSG Talent engaged in detailed conversations with candidates, explaining the company’s structure, future plans, and overall vision.

Partnering with an industry specialist to drive hiring results

After initial discussions, a senior consultant from the Renewable Energy Team met with EET’s HR Business Partner. Demonstrating deep expertise in the hydrogen energy recruitment market, the consultant highlighted the team’s niche expertise and the significant benefits that come from partnering with a specialist who understands every facet of the recruitment and talent attraction process.

EET had not previously worked with an industry specialist, so partnering with a renewable energy expert with in‑depth market knowledge and expertise across the full hiring process was a completely new approach for them.

A recruitment process demonstrating pace and precision

The Renewable Energy Team at CSG Talent delivered a seamless and efficient recruitment process. They provided a concise shortlist of only the most relevant candidates within four days of receiving the brief, followed by an in‑depth interview process. Thanks to the high calibre and market relevance of the candidates, two offers were made within a short overall process of four weeks from the initial brief to employment offers. Following this success, CSG Talent was also appointed to support additional roles within the business, including:
 • 2 Operations General Managers
 • Construction Manager
 • Procurement and Contracts Lead
 • Senior Process Engineer
 • HSE Manager – Hydrogen Production Plant Project

Effective candidate management 

Effective candidate management is an essential part of the hiring process. Throughout the recruitment campaign, CSG Talent maintained open communication and transparency with both candidates and EET. Regular updates were provided to manage expectations and address any challenges or objections as they arose. For one of the positions, there was a significant delay in the offer process due to pauses with government funding.

Over a period of seven months, the Renewable Energy Team maintained weekly contact with the candidate, keeping them engaged and informed about progress while ensuring that the candidate remained committed to the opportunity. By explaining the process in detail from start to finish, the team built trust and established a strong partnership, which ultimately led to a confirmed start date once negotiations aligned between client and candidate.