The 2013 Smart Grid Hiring Trends report offers human resource professionals and hiring executives unique insight into emerging Smart Grid human resources challenges, solutions and trends. Featuring 76 unique tables illustrating nearly 30 distinct Smart Grid hiring topics, this research arms industry professionals with a powerful benchmarking tool that will ensure the development of a successful Smart Grid human capital strategy. Universities and colleges can also leverage this report to pinpoint the exacting qualification requirements of this growing sector, facilitating their development of curricula targeted to produce the most employable graduates. Topics include: average compensation information for seven classes of Smart Grid positions, past and forecasted hiring activity (national and regional data), academic, certification, experience and skill requirements for Smart Grid candidates, average time to hire, universities/colleges targeted for recruitment, hiring bonus averages and usage, employee retention, women in Smart Grid roles, telecommuting and relocation policies and usage, best practices for recruiting Smart Grid candidates, industries with transferable skill sets, training initiatives pursued by the industry, international employee hiring policy and sponsorship, trend data for 2012-2013.

1. 2013
SMART
GRID
HIRING
TRENDS
RESEARCH

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KEY FINDINGS: A Comparative Analysis of 2012 and 2013 Data
The Smart Grid job market continues to show signs of
growth, with hiring managers reporting a projected 9%
increase in hiring activity over 2012. This figure may
be conservative, however, as respondents anticipated
a 38% decrease in 2012, yet reported a 26% overall
increase in this year’s study. While Smart Grid hiring
managers forecasted the rate of job growth to slow
in 2013, hiring will far surpass the national average of
nearly 2%.
A comparison of 2012 and 2013 data revealed the following
emerging trends:
Hiring managers continue to face significant hiring
challenges attracting both inexperienced and
experienced hires, yet seem unwilling to make any
compromises in the area of qualification requirements,
including desired degrees, additional certifications and
experience levels. While hiring bonuses have increased
substantially, salaries have remained relatively flat.
Coupled with laggard growth in domestic graduates
obtaining the desired degrees, an unfavorable
immigration policy barring the retention of qualified
foreign graduates, an expected attrition rate of power
industry engineers in the 50% range over the next
five years and a corresponding generational shift in
the workforce, hiring managers are struggling to fill
open roles expeditiously. Respondents also reported
a slightly larger reliance on experienced candidates
over inexperienced candidates in 2013, compounding
problems by increasing the overall cost of talent
acquisition.
In response to these challenges, respondents in 2013
indicated that they are proactively addressing the issues
by networking with industry organizations to share best
practices, establishing knowledge transfer initiatives
in anticipation of massive future retirements, exploring
more flexible work arrangements, offering relocation
packages to attract talent outside of their geography,
looking outside the industry to recruit candidates with
transferable skill sets and aggressively pursuing available
visa sponsorships.
1
#1: Candidate Qualification Requirements are
Increasing
Hiring managers are raising the bar, setting higher expectations
for both inexperienced and experienced hires in the areas of
academic achievement, experience levels and additional soft
skills. Approximately 60% of hiring managers now require
both inexperienced and experienced candidates to have a
master’s degree to be considered for a Smart Grid role (a 60%
increase for inexperienced candidates and a 25% increase for
experienced candidates). Additional certifications (EIT, PE and
PMP being the most common) are prerequisites for 35% of
hiring managers considering inexperienced candidates (a 30%
increase over 2012), and 22% of hiring managers interested
in experienced candidates (a 37% decrease over 2012).
The decrease in certification requirements for experienced
candidates was counterbalanced by the increased
requirements for advanced academic degrees.
#2: Recruitment of Smart Grid Employees is
Becoming More Difficult and Expensive
In an effort to entice both inexperienced and experienced
candidates to join their organizations, hiring managers are
upping the ante via increased sign-on bonuses (up 47%
and 18% respectively). Landing a candidate is becoming an
arduous affair, with open roles sitting unfilled for an average of
3.5 months for an inexperienced candidate and 4.3 months
for an experienced candidate; a considerable strain on overall
morale as existing employees take on the burden of increased
workloads while new hires are recruited.
#3: Smart Grid Employers are Actively
Exploring a Wide Variety of Solutions to
Address Hiring Challenges
Smart Grid organizations are highly proactive in addressing the
recruitment, retention and training challenges that lie ahead:
• Executive leadership is becoming more involved in the
development of Smart Grid hiring policies. 30% more
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respondents indicated that upper-level leadership is now
shouldering this important responsibility.
• In 2013, networking with industry organizations to share
best practices remained the top method for solving longterm challenges. An increasing number of respondents
(20% versus 15% in 2012) indicate that they are engaging
academia in the development of human resources solutions.
• Anticipating the potentially paralyzing “brain drain”
associated with large-scale retirement, hiring managers are
actively developing knowledge transfer strategies. Mentoring
programs continued to top the list in 2013, while outside
assistance from consultants and training organizations
gained more widespread usage, increasing by 39% and
34% respectively.
• While 8% fewer organizations reported the use of
telecommuting as a strategy to both attract and retain top
talent, over 80% of Smart Grid employers continue to allow
employees to telecommute.
In addition to in-depth comparative analyses on the data
points listed above, this 45-page report also includes the
following insightful information:
• 2012-2013 average salary information for inexperienced
hires, experienced sales professionals, junior and senior
engineers, mid-level managers, directors and executives
• Academic organizations targeted for Smart Grid recruitment
• Changes in Smart Grid employee retention
• Percentage of women filling Smart Grid roles
• Hiring activity by geographic area
Methodology
The 2013 Smart Grid Hiring Trends Study was conducted by surveying 115 Smart
Grid hiring managers and executives from May 2013 to August 2013. Only one
response per company was allowed for the study. Only U.S.-based executives and
managers who played a role in making hiring decisions for Smart Grid-related roles
at their respective companies were allowed to respond to the survey. Respondents
were asked a total of 54 questions. The reported results represent the percent of
respondents who selected a specific answer choice. Responses may not add up
to 100% due to rounding. In some cases, where multiple answer choices were
allowed, the total percentages will exceed 100%.
Definitions
• Inexperienced Hires: A candidate with no previous work experience (outside
internships) who is hired to fill a Smart Grid role/position.
• Experienced Hire: A candidate with previous Smart Grid experience who is hired
to fill a Smart Grid role/position.
2013 Smart Grid Hiring Trends Study | January 2014

3. CONTENTS
Executive Summary.......................................3
Average Number of Smart Grid Hires.................................. 3
Methodology..................................................4
Definitions.................................................................... 4
Survey Respondent Characteristics.................................... 5
Company Size.............................................................. 5
Job Title....................................................................... 5
Company Revenues..................................................... 6
Sectors Served by Respondents.................................. 6
Type of Smart Grid Employees Hired............................ 7
2012 Respondents vs. 2013 Respondents................... 7
Key Findings: A Comparative Analysis of
2012 and 2013 Data.......................................8
Candidate Qualification Requirements are Increasing.......... 8
Inexperienced Hires...................................................... 8
Education Requirements........................................ 8
Ranking of Top Additional Skills.............................. 8
Experienced Hires........................................................ 9
Education Requirements........................................ 9
Average # of Years of Relevant Experience Needed.. 9
Ranking of Top Additional Skills............................ 10
Recruitment of Smart Grid Employees is Becoming More
Difficult and Expensive...................................................... 11
Inexperienced Hires.................................................... 11
Average # of Months to Recruit............................ 11
Average Starting Salary........................................ 11
Percent of Employers Using Hiring Bonuses......... 12
Average Hiring Bonus........................................... 12
Experienced Hires...................................................... 13
Average # of Months to Recruit............................ 13
Average Hiring Bonus........................................... 13
Smart Grid Employers are Actively Exploring a Wide Variety
of Solutions to Address Hiring Challenges........................ 14
Percent Indicating Executive Leadership is in Charge
of Smart Grid Hiring Policy......................................... 14
Method of Solving Long-Term Hiring Challenges........ 14
Training Efforts to Build Smart Grid Skills Within the
Organization............................................................... 15
2
Percent of Employers Allowing Telecommuting........... 15
Usage of Relocation Packages................................... 16
Industries with Transferable Skill Sets......................... 16
Foreign Hiring............................................................. 17
Inexperienced Hires - 2013 Results...........18
Academic and Certification Requirements........................ 18
Academic Institutions Targeted to Recruit
Inexperienced Hires.......................................................... 18
Reasons for Targeting Academic Institutions..................... 19
Additional Skills Required for Inexperienced Hires............. 19
Top Skills Required for Inexperienced Hires....................... 20
Skills Inexperienced Hires are Lacking.............................. 20
Length of Time to Recruit an Inexperienced Hire............... 20
Change in Time to Recruit an Inexperienced Hire.............. 21
Top Sources Used to Recruit Inexperienced Hires............ 21
Ranking of Top Sources to Recruit Inexperienced Hires........ 22
Average Compensation for Inexperienced Hires................ 22
Change in Starting Salaries for Inexperienced Hires.......... 23
Bonuses Offered to Inexperienced Hires........................... 23
Length of Time Bonuses Have Been Offered to
Inexperienced Hires.......................................................... 24
Average Hiring Bonus for Inexperienced Hires.................. 24
Experienced Hires - 2013 Results..............25
Required Demonstrated Skills for Experienced Hires......... 25
Academic and Certification Requirements........................ 25
Years of Relevant Experience Required............................. 26
Additional Skills Required for Experienced Hires............... 26
Top Skills Required for Experienced Hires......................... 27
Length of Time to Recruit an Experienced Hire................. 27
Change in Time to Recruit an Experienced Hire................ 28
Top Sources Used to Recruit Experienced Hires............... 28
Ranking of Top Sources to Recruit Experienced Hires....... 29
Average Compensation for Experienced Sales
Professionals.................................................................... 29
Average Compensation for Experienced Junior Engineers/
Operations Professionals.................................................. 30
Average Compensation for Experienced Senior Engineers/
Operations Professionals.................................................. 30
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Average Compensation for Experienced Mid-Level
Management Professionals............................................... 31
Average Compensation for Experienced Directors............ 31
Average Compensation for Experienced Executives......... 32
Change in Starting Salaries for Experienced Hires............. 32
Bonuses Offered to Experienced Hires............................. 33
Length of Time Bonuses Have Been Offered to
Experienced Hires............................................................ 33
Average Hiring Bonus for Experienced Hires..................... 34
Smart Grid Hiring 2011- 2013.....................35
Smart Grid Employees Hired in 2011................................ 35
Smart Grid Employees Hired in 2012................................ 35
Expected Smart Grid Employee Hiring in 2013................. 36
Key Issues in Smart Grid Hiring – 2013
Results..........................................................37
Plan to Solve Long-Term Hiring Challenges...................... 37
Training Efforts to Build Smart Grid Skills.......................... 37
Smart Grid Hiring Policy Responsibility............................. 38
Changes in Retention of Smart Grid Employees............... 38
Smart Grid Employee Retention Problem.......................... 39
Smart Grid Employee Telecommuting............................... 40
Time Smart Grid Employees Have Been Allowed to
Telecommute.................................................................... 40
Relocation Packages Offered............................................ 41
Time Relocation Packages Have Been Offered................. 41
Hiring of Women for Smart Grid Roles.............................. 42
Industries with Transferable Skills...................................... 42
Hiring of Non-U.S. Citizens............................................... 43
Types of Visas Sponsored................................................. 43
Regions Where Most Hiring is Taking Place...................... 44
2013 Smart Grid Hiring Trends Study | January 2014

4. ABOUT ZPRYME:
ABOUT A. CULLEN & ASSOCIATES:
Zpryme helps energy organizations understand their business
environment, engage consumers, inspire innovation, and take action.
This practice represents an evolution beyond traditional market
research and consulting: combining sound fundamentals, innovative
tools and methodologies, industry experience, and creative marketing
savvy to supercharge clients’ success. At Zpryme, we don’t produce
tables and charts; we deliver opportunity-focused, actionable insight
that is both engaging and easy-to-digest.
With our finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving Smart Grid, commodities and
energy industries, and our eyes clearly focused on the future, we offer clients a
distinct and important advantage in identifying and recruiting the talent required to
adapt and succeed in the face of change. Backed by over a decade of industry
experience, we have a track record of building profitable teams in these niche
sectors. Armed with a keen understanding of legislative and regulatory change,
industry business model evolution and human capital trends, we help our clients
continually stay one step ahead of the competition. www.acullen.com
ZPRYME CREDITS:
DISCLAIMER:
Editor
Research Manager
Research Lead
3
Megan Dean
Roger Alford, Ph.D.
Stefan Trifonov
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2013 Smart Grid Hiring Trends Study | January 2014

5. INTELLIGENT RESEARCH
FOR AN INTELLIGENT MARKET