Recruitment for solar and energy companies

Mobilise in waves, not all at once

Hiring everyone on the day of award means paying electricians to wait while piling is still under way. Plan the team in three waves tied to the project schedule, and raise a separate requisition for each wave so it closes by itself once filled.

• Wave one, at award: project manager, site in-charge, civil engineer, surveyor, HSE officer and store keeper
• Wave two, as structures rise: electricians, module fitters and cable crew supervisors
• Wave three, before commissioning: commissioning engineers, O&M technicians and SCADA operators who stay on

Where the skills come from

ITIs supply electricians and fitters, and polytechnics supply diploma engineers who can grow into site in-charges. HSE officers usually hold an industrial safety diploma or an international safety qualification, which is worth checking against the original. Helpers, security guards and module cleaners are often hired from villages near the plant, which builds goodwill with the community and cuts attrition, since people live at home. Experienced site supervisors are a strong referral source; they know which electricians from their last project were careful and which were not.

Practical tests for site roles

Give every site candidate a task from the job. An electrician should crimp an MC4 connector, check string polarity and run an insulation resistance test with a megger. A fitter should mount a module with the right fasteners and torque. A site engineer should read a single line diagram and a string layout and spot a planted error. An HSE officer should run a five-minute toolbox talk and check a sample work permit. A SCADA operator should read an alarm list and say what to do first. Record each result as a screening note on the pipeline board.

Offers to candidates far from home

Candidates from Bihar or Kerala deciding on a job in the Thar desert want facts, not promises. The offer should state the site allowance, camp facilities and food arrangements, the home break pattern and who pays the travel. Construction roles suit fixed-term appointments ending at or shortly after commissioning; fixed-term employment is allowed under the Industrial Relations Code. Send offers as an online accept or decline link, and watch pending offers per wave in recruitment analytics as the mobilisation date gets closer.

How to set it up in ZeniaHR

1. Raise one requisition per project and hiring wave, with the site as location and the number of openings for each role.
2. Share the careers page with ITIs, polytechnics and village panchayat notice boards near the plant.
3. Write each practical test result into the candidate's screening notes, and move them along the pipeline board on the day of the test.
4. For engineers, offer interview slots the candidates pick themselves, and sort big applicant pools by resume match score.
5. Issue construction offers as fixed-term appointments through the online offer page, where candidates accept or decline, and push acceptances into onboarding.

Read more about recruitment in ZeniaHR.

Roles this applies to

Frequently asked questions