Welcome to Season Eleven of Conversations in Cleantech!
This season, we're exploring the talent equation, examining the people, skills, and leadership required to accelerate the energy transition. From workforce strategy and culture, to talent development and organisational growth, we'll explore what it really takes to build the teams driving the sector forward.
In this episode, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by Stephanie Ahearn, Director of Talent at Scale Microgrid Solutions, a business developing distributed energy infrastructure for commercial and industrial customers while expanding into the rapidly evolving world of AI and data centre power.
When people talk about scaling the energy transition, the conversation usually centres on technology, investment, or policy. But every ambitious growth plan eventually runs into the same question: who's going to build it?
For Stephanie, talent isn't simply an HR function operating behind the scenes. It's one of the biggest competitive advantages a business can have. Drawing on nearly two decades in recruitment, she explains why hiring quickly isn't the same as hiring well, why protecting culture becomes harder as organisations grow, and why accountability, communication, and adaptability often matter more than the perfect CV.
The conversation explores what it means to build teams during periods of rapid expansion, from navigating shortages of specialist engineering talent to identifying transferable skills in unexpected places. Stephanie also shares how Scale's evolution into AI and data centre infrastructure is reshaping hiring priorities, why leaders should resist compromising on culture under pressure, and how AI is already changing both sides of the recruitment process.
Ultimately, it's a reminder that every microgrid, battery project, and data centre begins long before construction starts. It begins with the people capable of making it happen.
01:30 - Introduction to Stephanie
02:30 - What prompted your move from agency recruitment into an in-house talent leadership role?
04:430 - Which lessons from agency recruitment still shape the way you lead today?
05:30 - What attracted you to Scale Microgrid Solutions, and what stood out about the opportunity?
07:25 - What does Scale Microgrid Solutions do, and what makes the business different within distributed energy?
09:00 - How has your hiring strategy evolved alongside the company's rapid growth?
10:00 - How do you attract talent in one of the industry's most competitive hiring markets?
12:00 - How do you preserve company culture while scaling so quickly?
14:25 - What hiring mistakes do leaders commonly make during periods of rapid growth?
17:05 - Where are the biggest talent challenges facing the energy industry today?
18:25 - Which technical and leadership skills have become most valuable in recent years?
21:45 - How has EQT's investment influenced Scale Microgrid Solutions’ growth and talent strategy?
23:35 - Why is Scale Microgrid Solutions expanding into AI infrastructure and data centres?
24:42 - What new skills and experience have become priorities for your dedicated data centre team?
26:00 - Are you seeing talent move naturally between energy and digital infrastructure, and where are the biggest opportunities over the next few years?
27:47 - How is AI transforming recruitment and talent acquisition?
32:26 - What is one interview question everyone should ask?
33:05 - What is the best piece of career advice you've ever received?
33:35 - If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self starting out in recruitment, what would it be?
Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.
Find your guest, Stephanie Ahearn, on LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.
This is a Loaded Hype production.
