Once upon a time, in a land called Distributed Generation Industry, a beleaguered, bewildered servant was tasked with managing a project team and growing it to expand a small distributed generation (DG) business. At his first round table discussion, he asked his team members for their professional backgrounds so, in playing a game of Strengths and Weaknesses, they could be assigned their proper tasks. The bewildered servant watched and listened, and at the end of the game, he realized he had a greater shot at slaying the dragon and the evil king, overthrowing the army, taking the keys to the royal carriage, and living happily ever after with the princess as well as the queen than he ever did of growing a small DG business with the players in front of him. His ragtag bunch included more than a few court jesters‹only one had ever personally seen a DG project.

Eight years ago, I was the beleaguered servant.

Although the industry is gaining more attention, with major corporate players diving in, DG remains an enigma. Within these parameters comes a smaller pool of talent, but the talent does exist, and more talent is being trained every day. And with the uptick in the economy and the attention that electric power has received the past two years, many are looking for jobs in this industry.

The Big Question is how do you find the talent you are looking for?

Eight years ago, I tried all sorts of avenues - everything from classified advertising to networking to jobs boards to conferences to recruiters. Regardless of the avenue, I still took much longer than I would have liked to find the talent I needed for the job. The industry was still in its infancy, and specialized recruiters were non-existent. I couldn't find any recruiters who really, truly understood what the industry was about.

So, tired of fighting the dragon and the ragtag bunch of not-so-merry men‹unless they were out on a corporate expense account‹I formed a search firm focused on my industry. The firm was based on the premise that those who know the industry via actual, real-world experience would be the best qualified to do the things that will clearly make or break a company: assist with human capital. It doesn't matter how good a product or process is, how innovative, how cutting-edge; if the wrong person is in charge or tasked with bringing it to market, developing customer relations, operating and maintaining, or accounting for it, the product or process will tank. It's just a matter of time.

How can a recruiter help your business emerge? Regardless of the company, its bottom line is all about the people who work there. It's well worth taking the time to find the best person for the job, and recruiters can definitely take the extra steps to ensure the best match. In no particular order, these benefits include the following:

Your recruiter is an extension of you. Think of your recruiter as your partner. He or she should know your business plan, your short- and long-term goals, what your firm hopes to accomplish. He or she should be able to articulate your vision perfectly to potential candidates to ensure their goals and strengths are exactly in sync with yours. Just about any recruiter should be able to produce candidates for a staff accountant position, but a good recruiter will find a staff accountant with industry experience, knowledge that translates into desire to work for you, and who will be a good fit into your corporate culture.

Along the same lines, many recruiters step in and play a greater role in the hiring process. Depending on your human resources department, your recruiter can assist in everything from arranging the travel schedules of the candidates to coordinating the interview times with the various hiring managers to arranging pre-employment drug testing. When you think of a recruiter as a natural extension of your office, the hiring process can be more streamlined for everyone.

You always have a Plan B. You're thrilled with your new vice president of sales. His references have checked out and he's passed the drug test with flying colors. His record is impressive and his Rolodex of contacts is even more so. But he is out at a convention, working the exhibit hall, and falls madly in love with the conference coordinator. They elope that night to Jamaica to open a bar on the beach. Great for him, bad for you. Luckily, you have a Plan B in place. Not only does your recruiter have a ready pool of candidates, having led an extensive search, but he also is bound contractually to replace your erstwhile vice president of sales with another equally qualified candidate, within a particular window of time.

No idea where to start? Your recruiter can help you formulate a team from ground zero. Particularly in this industry, as technology improves and startups are formed, a knowledgeable recruiter can help you assess where you are and match it against where you need to go. When I was in the kingdom eight years ago, none of the players had experience in the industry. While some skills are transferable, including accounting and, to a small degree, sales, others are not quite so readily apparent. A recruiter can help you determine not just the job title but also the type of person you need in place. A good recruiter is worth his or her weight in gold in determining intrinsic professional traits, such as flexibility and adaptability.

In today's unpredictable yet exciting market, human capital has never been more critical to corporate success. Many company hierarchies are flattening to a more team-based structure, and it is critical each person has the skills, disposition, education, and training to pull his or her weight. This evolving industry poses tremendous opportunities for all involved, so make sure the people hired are the best ones for the job.

That way, everyone lives happily ever after.

A member of Distributed Energy's Editorial Advisory Board, J. MICHAEL EDWARDS is principal of the Power Recruiting Group in Austin, TX.

DE - July/August 2004