Energy Storage is maturing and so should your hiring approach
When I moved my Search career into Energy Storage in 2020, the biggest challenge was simple: there wasn't enough accessible talent in the sector. We regularly had to work with clients on where to "compromise" during critical senior hires because the market was still immature.
Fast forward to 2026 and the dynamic has completely shifted. The sectors' rapid and exciting emergence has attracted a wave of new talent, but at the same time, the operating environment of the sector has evolved. Energy Storage is no longer "emerging" - it has matured to an execution-critical phase. Projects are larger, debt and equity capital is flowing faster, and ultimately the pressure to deliver and scale has never been greater.
These parallel trends have made high‑quality senior level hiring more complex than ever.
The New Leadership Profile
A clear pattern is emerging from my hiring conversations, and board and investor discussions. Quite simply, the most in-demand talents are those who successfully operate when things get messy, complex, and fast.
- Commercial‑technical hybrids who can translate seamlessly between strategy, delivery, finance, and policy
- Ecosystem builders who create partnerships rather than operating in isolation
- Calm operators who stay steady during volatility
- Aligners of multidisciplinary, cross‑border teams without losing momentum
The Problem: You Can’t See This On Paper!
We're in murky waters. Yes, the talent pool is broader than ever - but company expectations have sharpened dramatically.
Most senior candidates claim to have "driven growth" or "scaled international teams" on a CV or LinkedIn profile. Here lies the challenge - on paper you will only see what they want you to see. It won't tell you:
- How they align their team, the board, and investors without losing momentum
- How they make decisions when the data isn't all there
- How their leadership style actually looks like when the pressure is on - not the polished interview version
- Whether they truly drove growth or simply rode the wave of wider teams and market tailwinds
This is where companies get caught out: the CV looks great, the references sound fine, but the behavioural reality doesn’t match the demands of the role.
This is where a true Search process becomes invaluable...
Why Executive Search Gives You the Truth Behind the CV
Search is not just about "filling roles". Anyone can forward a CV with an AI-draft attached. True Search goes beyond surface-level screening that you typically see in agency or internal talent recruitment. It digs beneath the surface to uncover the real behaviours, capabilities, and decision‑making patterns that determine whether a candidate will actually thrive in your environment.
- Validating "real world" leadership behaviours - Using comprehensive scenario‑based evaluation, we assess how candidates navigate the situations you will face in your business - scaling challenges, investor tension, project delays, cross-functional alignment issues, regulatory changes and more.
- Advising on the talent archetype your company truly needs - No guesswork. We combine market benchmarking, behavioural assessments, and psychometric profiling to advise on the talent archetype best suited to your stage, execution goals, culture, and values.
- Deep dive the market for true A-players - Those making a real difference in the sector are not sat on job boards, they are rarely "available". Search identifies, engages, and lands them.
- Placing cultural alignment on par with experience and skills - More often than not, cultural misalignment is the cause of a senior hire not working out. During a Search process, we look not only at what a candidate can do, but how they operate, communicate, and make decisions.
- Aligning key stakeholders around what “great” looks like - Boards, Investors, and Executive teams may view a role slightly differently. Search forces clarity on the required behaviours, leadership patterns, and outcomes, preventing mid-search pivots.
- Undertaking thorough, unfiltered referencing - Not only those pre-filtered references, but also discreet, detailed market referencing to get a true picture on candidates' key behaviours for success.
The Outcome
When you combine these elements, you’re no longer gambling on a polished CV, a charismatic interview, or whoever happens to be “available.” You’re choosing from a rigorously selected and evaluated talent shortlist of top talents.
Choose Search and you de-risk your hiring process, at a time where execution is critical, the cost of making the wrong hire has never been higher!
I lead the Energy Storage & Grid practice at Hyperion Search. For 11 years we've been partnering with international clients across the scaling cleantech segment, with success in 19 countries to date. Our robust and comprehensive Search methodology combined with a wealth of sector experience, gives us a unique position to support your key senior and strategic hiring challenges.
David Beeston