Filling a critical 500kV construction role in three weeks
Speed in recruitment usually comes at a cost. Move fast and you tend to lower the bar. The exception is when you already know the market well enough that the right people are a phone call away. That is the difference between a fast process and a rushed one.
3 weeks
First call to candidate on site
500kV
Specialist transmission sector
Months
Role previously left vacant
ACCIONA needed both speed and quality on a transmission role that had been open for months. Here is how the search was delivered in three weeks without compromising on the hire.
The challenge
ACCIONA had a resourcing gap at Construction Manager level in its transmission business, a role that had been vacant for several months. The 500kV sector is defined by a severe shortage of qualified people, with major project owners and contractors all competing for the same small pool.
Urgency escalated quickly. A follow up conversation a week after the initial discussion confirmed the requirement had become critical. There was no room for a slow process.
The approach
We moved immediately. Candidate profiles were submitted the morning after the urgency was confirmed, and a discussion with the Project Manager was arranged that same afternoon. Three profiles, three interviews the following week, a structured two stage process, and an offer made after the first interview stage.
Speed was not achieved by cutting corners. It came from an active, current network in a niche sector, and a disciplined process that kept momentum without dropping the calibre of the hire.
The result
Three weeks from first conversation to the successful candidate starting on site. ACCIONA closed a resourcing gap that had been open for months, and did it without lowering the bar.
From the outset, Amy demonstrated a strong understanding of the transmission line construction sector and quickly grasped our specific resourcing needs. Within days of our initial discussion, she had already sourced and arranged interviews with multiple high quality candidates. What stood out most was her efficiency and execution. There was no lag, no unnecessary back and forth, just clear, direct communication and consistent follow up. This level of turnaround in our industry is not easy to achieve, and it reflects both Amy's network and her ability to deliver under pressure. A genuinely outstanding experience.
What this tells you about hiring in a scarce market
- In a sector this tight, speed comes from a live network, not from shortcuts. You cannot build that relationship the week a role opens.
- Momentum is part of the strategy. In a small market, the business that moves first and keeps the process tight tends to win the candidate.
- Fast and thorough are not opposites. A disciplined two stage process can still move in days when the groundwork is already done.
