Highlights from Can climate anxiety help you staff up?

We teamed up with UNIRAC to bring together an expert panel to answer the question, “What is the secret to effective recruiting?”  Our panelists, ranging from energy HR experts to solar industry leaders, helped attendees understand how to harness the power of the climate movement to recruit their dream team.  

The panel was moderated by Scott Nguyen, CEO of Bodhi.  Our panelists were:

• Zayra Trujillo — HR Manager at UNIRAC
• Katie Mehnert — CEO of ALLY Energy
• Kristy Drutman — Founder and Creator of Brown Girl Green
• Stephen Trimble — Founder and CEO of Arctic Solar Ventures

Here's one key takeaway from each panelist:

Stephen Trimble, Arctic Solar Ventures —  “As an installer based out of Alaska, Arctic Solar Ventures is in a developing market.  That means that when we were getting started seven years ago, we had a pretty tough uphill battle to develop a local talent pool.  But by partnering with the carpenters union, we were able to train them above and beyond, as well as develop a baseline of cultural fit.  And now we’re finding more local luck.  For example, we’ve found that Craigslist is a great place to cast a broad net for local talent

Kristy Drutman, Brown Girl Green — “More companies need to be on social media if you’re going to engage a younger workforce, because that is where they’re looking for jobs and skills.  I think that if you want to be relevant, especially for getting young people hired, you should consider platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.”

Zayra Trujillo, UNIRAC —  “When we hire people from outside of solar, while we still check to make sure they have the right baseline qualification, what we really want is someone who will fit our culture.  We look at an applicant’s behavior, their communication style, and their ability to collaborate.  We also look for people who are willing to take risks, and who are not afraid to fail.  If you fail, that’s fine.  You get up, you learn, you move on.  Finally, we look for people who are willing to work outside of their job description.  You don’t need to fit a job description perfectly; instead, if you’re willing to grow and learn, we’re willing to give it a shot.”

Katie Mehnert, ALLY Energy —  “The c-word, culture, is absolutely important in hiring.  What the pandemic has taught us — especially around social issues like equity, our environment and the economy — is that we need to be really switched into culture if we’re going to succeed.  This gets back to people.  It’s all about creating an experience where people want to get up every single day, engage, and love the work they do.  We all have a limited time on this planet.  We’ve got to make it count.”

To learn more, watch the recording of the panel below: