Smart Grid Jobs Add Up - New Study by Zpryme & SmartGridCareers.com

Zpryme and SmartGridCareers.com present Smart Grid Hiring Trends 2012 - survey of 184 hiring managers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT

Austin, TX - (Zpryme) – 7/30/12 – Zpryme and SmartGridCareers.com present a highly-comprehensive study summarizing the findings of a survey of 184 hiring managers responsible for recruiting candidates for U.S.-based Smart Grid roles. Part 1 of the 2-part series, Smart Grid Hiring Trends 2012 Study uncovers insights for hiring candidates to fill Smart Grid roles in the United States. “Zpryme intends to follow the evolution of the Smart Grid human resources strategy very closely,” stated Jason Rodriguez, CEO of Zpryme. “Repeat studies will ensure we keep our finger on the pulse of developments in this dynamic and ever-changing market segment.”

Download Smart Grid Hiring Trends 2012 Study (part 1 of 2) directly: HERE

This in-depth analysis with contributions also made by Itron, Echelon, S&C, and Siemens provides human resources executives with benchmarking data on compensation, recruiting, training, hiring policy and employee retention. “Representing 25 sectors in the Smart Grid, this data provides hiring managers with the insights they need to evaluate the competitiveness of their human capital game plan,” commented Heather Anusbigian, CMO at SmartGridCareers.com. “Identifying, recruiting and retaining qualified Smart Grid candidates is an arduous task. This detailed report offers directional data that can be leveraged to fine-tune the Smart Grid human resources road map.”

Top findings to note from Smart Grid Hiring Trends 2012 Study (part 1 of 2):

1. The overall average number of employees hired increased from 24.8 in 2010 to 25.7 in 2011. However, hiring mangers estimated that their overall hiring would decrease in 2012, to 15.9 employees, on average. The study was conducted in June of 2012, thus this estimate should be interpreted with caution. That said, there is a net positive hiring growth trend in the Smart Grid industry.


2. Companies with 501 to 1,000 employees hired an average of 27.0 employees in 2010 and 36.6 employees in 2011. These companies also indicated that they would increase the average number of employees they hire in 2012 (45.8). This is not surprising since these companies are likely more established than smaller companies in the Smart Grid industry, but not as heavily staffed as larger companies.


3. Fifty-nine percent of hiring managers said that starting salaries for new hires are increasing. The average annual compensation for new hires without previous experience was $55,600.


4. Sixty-five percent of hiring managers said that starting salaries for experienced hires are increasing. The average annual compensation for Experienced Engineers and Operational Professionals, and Senior Experienced Engineers and Operational Professionals was $93,800 and $119,200, respectively. The average compensation for Experienced Management Professionals was $136,000. The average compensation for Experienced Directors and Executive Managers was $175,000 and $190,000, respectively.


5. Starting salaries between new hires and Experienced New Hires was significantly different by position. However, the data indicate that Smart Grid career opportunities can be financially rewarding for employees with management skills and advanced engineering expertise.


6. Overall, the use of hiring bonuses was found to be more common for Experienced New Hires. Among the managers that indicated that they did use hiring bonuses for new hires, the largest group (33%) indicated a bonus amount of $1,001 to $2,500. Among the managers that indicated that they did use hiring bonuses for Experienced New Hires, the largest group (29%) indicated a bonus amount of $5,001 to $10,000.


7. The time needed to recruit both new hires and Experienced New Hires is increasing, but hiring managers indicate that it takes longer to recruit Experienced New Hires.


8. For new hires without previous experience, the top sources cited for recruiting were headhunters and referrals from industry contacts. Respondents identified referrals from industry contacts, word-of-mouth from current employees, and headhunters as their top sources for recruiting experienced industry professionals.


9. Sharing best hiring practices with industry and professionals organizations was expressed to be the main way hiring managers would solve their long-term hiring challenges.


10. Mentoring programs with employees who already have skill sets for Smart Grid roles was chosen as the top training method to build Smart Grid skills.


11. According to the hiring managers, executive leadership and hiring managers were most likely to set Smart Grid hiring policies at their respective companies and organizations.


12. Sixteen percent of respondents said that retention of Smart Grid employees is a large problem. When asked about how retention of Smart Grid employees has changed over the past five years, 24% said that employees are staying less time now.


13. Seventy-seven percent of hiring mangers indicated that they allow Smart Grid employees to telecommute. Among those that said they allow telecommuting, 32% said they have allowed telecommuting for over 5 years. Thirty-eight percent indicated they have allowed telecommuting for 2 – 3 years.