Insights into the forces shaping our industry.

There was a time when recruiting within the electrical industry was considerably more straightforward. Manufacturers had established product lines, distribution channels were relatively predictable, competitors were well defined, and career paths often followed a progression within a particular segment of the business. A lighting professional generally stayed in lighting. Someone who built a career in wire and cable understood that market, its manufacturers, distributors, and customers. Power distribution, industrial automation, and electrical construction each had their own distinct communities of professionals who understood the products, applications, and relationships that made those businesses successful.

Much of that still exists, but the industry surrounding those professionals has changed dramatically. The boundaries between markets are becoming less defined, technologies are converging, and the expertise required to compete successfully is becoming considerably more specialized. Manufacturers are entering markets they previously did not serve. International companies are establishing North American operations. Distributors are expanding their technical capabilities. Private equity investment is changing organizational structures and expectations for growth. Meanwhile, the customers purchasing electrical products and solutions are demanding considerably more from the companies supplying them.

The people required to lead these businesses, develop their products, engineer their solutions, manage their operations, and sell into their markets are becoming increasingly difficult to identify and recruit.

Yet we continue to see executive search approached as though the electrical industry is one large, interchangeable collection of companies and professionals. It isn’t. And that misunderstanding can be costly for companies that depend on specialized talent to remain competitive.

The electrical industry has never been a single, uniform market, but the distinctions within it have become more important as businesses expand into new technologies, applications, and customer segments. A company that historically manufactured conventional electrical equipment may now be developing connected products incorporating software, communications, and remote monitoring capabilities. A manufacturer serving commercial construction may be pursuing data centers, utility infrastructure, or renewable energy. An industrial automation business may be expanding into energy management, while a lighting manufacturer develops increasingly sophisticated controls and building integration capabilities.

These developments introduce competitors, business models, purchasing processes, and customer expectations that many organizations have not previously encountered. The experience required of the people working within them is changing accordingly.

A successful sales executive who built a career developing electrical distribution relationships may not have the technical background or customer access necessary to lead an expansion into utility markets. An engineering leader who has spent twenty years developing conventional electrical products may be exceptionally accomplished but have limited experience integrating communications, software, or intelligent monitoring technologies. A general manager who successfully operated a mature manufacturing facility may face an entirely different set of challenges when asked to establish a North American operation for an international manufacturer.

None of these individuals is necessarily less capable than another. Their experience is simply different, and understanding those differences is fundamental to making an informed hiring decision.

For years, recruiting has often been approached in relatively simple terms. A company has an opening, develops a job description, engages a recruiter, and expects qualified candidates. The recruiter identifies individuals with relevant titles and experience, conducts interviews, and presents those who appear to meet the requirements.

On the surface, the process sounds reasonable. The problem is that a job description rarely tells the complete story of what a company needs, particularly in an industry experiencing the level of change we are seeing today.

A position may specify ten years of sales experience within power distribution, but what does that mean? Does the company need someone who understands electrical wholesale distribution, manufacturers’ representatives, electrical contractors, utilities, OEMs, or EPC firms? Is the position focused on established products and customers, or will the individual be responsible for introducing unfamiliar technologies into a market where the manufacturer has limited recognition?

Someone who understands architectural lighting specifications and relationships with lighting designers may have little in common professionally with a sales executive focused on commodity lighting distribution. An individual experienced in building wire may not understand the engineering requirements and qualification processes involved in specialty industrial cable. A cybersecurity executive with an extensive enterprise IT background may have limited exposure to operational technology environments where industrial control systems, substations, and critical electrical infrastructure introduce different security considerations.

Yet all of these individuals could appear qualified in a database search if the recruiter relies primarily on industry classifications, job titles, and keywords.

Technology has made it easier than ever to identify people who appear to possess the appropriate experience. LinkedIn, recruiting databases, artificial intelligence, and increasingly sophisticated sourcing platforms can produce extensive lists of potential candidates in minutes.

But access to information should not be confused with the ability to interpret it.

Knowing that someone worked for a major electrical manufacturer does not establish what they know about the industry. Recognizing a company name does not mean understanding its products, competitive position, customers, or distribution strategy. Identifying someone with the title of Vice President of Sales does not explain whether they built a business, inherited an established customer base, managed a national channel organization, or personally developed new markets.

Technology can help locate people. Determining whether those individuals are right for a particular business requires knowledge, judgment, and experience.

Consider the growth of data center infrastructure. A company pursuing this market may require expertise in transformers, switchgear, UPS systems, power distribution, controls, or the integration of multiple electrical systems. The customer could be a hyperscaler, developer, EPC firm, electrical contractor, consulting engineer, or equipment manufacturer. Each has different responsibilities, purchasing considerations, technical requirements, and decision making processes.

A recruiter who simply searches for candidates with data center experience may overlook individuals who possess precisely the expertise the company needs while presenting others whose involvement has been relatively limited. The important question is not whether a candidate has worked on data center projects. It is what they contributed, which products or systems they understood, who they worked with, and whether that experience translates into the opportunity being considered.

This level of evaluation is equally important when recruiting for companies entering new markets.

International electrical manufacturers establishing or expanding their North American presence often bring established engineering capabilities, successful products, and decades of experience elsewhere in the world. But succeeding in the United States requires navigating different product certifications, technical standards, channel relationships, specification practices, and customer expectations.

An executive who has successfully managed an established North American business may not possess the entrepreneurial capabilities required to develop a market from its earliest stages. Likewise, someone with an impressive history of business development may have little experience establishing distribution partnerships, navigating product qualification requirements, or building credibility for an unfamiliar manufacturer.

The challenge for the search partner is to understand what the company must accomplish and determine which professional experiences are genuinely transferable. That understanding becomes particularly valuable when the client itself is still defining what success should look like.

A company may believe it needs someone from a direct competitor because that appears to be the safest approach. But perhaps the strongest candidate comes from an adjacent product category with access to the same customers and a demonstrated ability to introduce new technologies. Another organization may insist on a particular engineering background when its larger challenge is developing a team, improving manufacturing execution, or bringing products to market.

An effective search partner should recognize these possibilities and discuss them with the client before the search is underway. Simply accepting a job description and agreeing to find someone who matches it is not necessarily providing the expertise the client is paying for.

And this brings us to an issue we believe companies should examine more closely.

There is no shortage of recruiting firms claiming to specialize in the electrical industry.

Spend a little time reviewing recruiting websites and LinkedIn profiles, and the terminology becomes familiar.  Using buzzwords and repeating the terminology does not demonstrate an understanding of the businesses operating within them.

A recruiter can become familiar with the names of major manufacturers, recognize commonly used product categories, and learn enough terminology to conduct a reasonably convincing introductory conversation. The real measure of expertise comes when the discussion moves beyond those generalities.

Can the recruiter explain how a manufacturer’s route to market influences the experience required of a sales leader? Do they understand why relationships with investor-owned utilities differ from those with electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, or industrial end users? Can they recognize the difference between a business built around engineered to order equipment and one dependent on high volume standardized manufacturing?

Do they understand the commercial distinctions between selling through independent manufacturers’ representatives and managing a direct sales organization? Can they explain why the specification process in architectural lighting differs from the purchasing process for industrial controls, or why experience selling medium voltage cable through utility channels may not translate directly into specialty cable applications serving OEMs?

These are the realities of how companies within the electrical industry compete and generate revenue. Without that knowledge, it becomes difficult to evaluate the people being recruited.

A candidate may describe having developed a new territory, but did they establish relationships where none previously existed, or did they inherit a successful customer base? They may claim responsibility for substantial revenue growth, but how much resulted from their own efforts compared with favorable market conditions, pricing increases, or existing customer demand?

An engineering executive may have worked for one of the industry’s most respected manufacturers, but were they personally involved in product design, technical decision making, and commercialization, or did their responsibilities primarily involve managing people and resources?

A manufacturing leader may have overseen significant increases in production, but did they develop the processes, improve throughput, reduce quality problems, and establish the operational discipline necessary to support that growth?

There is a meaningful difference between describing experience and demonstrating accomplishment. Recognizing that difference requires the recruiter to understand the work well enough to ask informed questions, challenge incomplete answers, and evaluate the substance of what a candidate is presenting. Otherwise, the recruiter is largely repeating information provided by the candidate and leaving the client to determine whether it is relevant.

That is not the level of service companies should expect from a specialized executive search firm.

Of course, industry expertise is only part of the equation. A recruiter can understand electrical products and markets exceptionally well and still lack the skills required to conduct a successful search.

Executive search is a discipline of its own.

It requires a thorough understanding of the client’s business, a defined search strategy, meaningful candidate evaluation, consistent communication, sound judgment, and the ability to manage a process involving individuals whose professional and personal circumstances must be carefully considered.

It also requires credibility.

The most accomplished professionals are frequently not looking for another position. They are employed, performing successfully, and have little reason to respond to a generic recruiting message. Engaging those individuals requires an understanding of their current responsibilities, career accomplishments, and what might make another opportunity worth considering.

An experienced sales executive may have no interest in leaving a successful position for a similar title and compensation package. But the opportunity to establish a new North American business, build a commercial organization, or introduce a technology they believe has significant market potential may warrant a conversation.

An engineering leader may be attracted to the opportunity to influence product strategy or establish a new manufacturing capability. A general manager may value autonomy, direct involvement in business decisions, and the opportunity to build something more than a larger title at an established company.

These motivations are discovered through conversations built on trust and professional credibility. And trust is not something a recruiter acquires simply by accumulating LinkedIn connections.

We have always believed there is a substantial difference between having access to someone’s contact information and having established a professional relationship that allows for an honest, meaningful conversation.

A large network may create visibility, but it does not automatically establish expertise or provide insight into someone’s accomplishments, professional reputation, career motivations, or capabilities. Those insights develop through years of involvement in the industry, continuous learning, substantive conversations, and a reputation for conducting business with honesty and integrity.

When a search partner recommends a candidate, there should be a well-informed explanation of why that individual deserves consideration. The recommendation should reflect an understanding of what the candidate has accomplished, how that experience relates to the client’s objectives, what challenges the individual may encounter, and why the opportunity makes sense for both parties.

Just as importantly, the recruiter should be willing to identify concerns.

A candidate can be technically qualified and still be poorly suited for a particular organization. Someone accustomed to the resources and structure of a large multinational manufacturer may struggle in a smaller entrepreneurial business. A sales executive who has successfully managed established accounts may not enjoy the demands of developing an entirely new territory. An engineering leader experienced in managing large teams may have little interest in a position requiring substantial personal involvement in technical problem solving.

These considerations matter because of the consequences of an unsuccessful hire extend far beyond the recruiting fee.

A poor leadership decision can delay product development, disrupt customer relationships, affect employee retention, undermine manufacturing performance, and slow an organization’s ability to capitalize on market opportunities.

And in an industry where technical expertise is increasingly difficult to replace, those consequences can be substantial.

We also believe the search process itself should reflect the realities of today’s talent market.

Companies are often operating under considerable pressure to expand production, introduce products, establish new markets, or replace critical leadership. At the same time, they may have lengthy interview processes, inconsistent communication, unrealistic compensation expectations, or internal disagreements about the qualifications they actually need.

An experienced search partner should recognize those issues and address them early.

There are times when the most valuable contribution a recruiter makes is explaining why the original candidate profile needs to change, why the compensation structure is unlikely to attract the desired experience, or why the interview process is putting the company at risk of losing accomplished candidates.

Those discussions require an understanding of both the industry and the people working within it, along with the willingness to challenge a client when doing so is in the client’s best interest. That is what separates a true search partnership from a transactional recruiting arrangement.

Manufacturers are making substantial investments in production capacity, new technologies, geographic expansion, and product development. Electrical distributors are evaluating how to provide greater technical value to their customers. Utilities are modernizing infrastructure while managing growing demand and increasingly complex operating requirements. Automation companies are expanding their capabilities, renewable energy technologies are becoming more integrated with traditional electrical systems, and cybersecurity considerations are influencing decisions throughout critical infrastructure.

These developments are changing what companies need from their people.

Sales professionals are expected to understand applications that were outside their responsibilities only a few years ago. Engineering leaders must increasingly consider how hardware, software, communications, and cybersecurity influence product development. Operations executives are being asked to expand capacity while managing supply chain challenges, workforce limitations, and demanding delivery expectations.

Senior leadership must make decisions in markets where traditional competitive boundaries are becoming less reliable.

The ability to identify, evaluate, and recruit the right people for these responsibilities cannot be reduced to matching qualifications against a list of requirements.

This is why we believe organizations should be far more deliberate when evaluating the firms they engage for executive search.

Ask prospective recruiters to explain their understanding of your market. Find out how they distinguish between the various customer channels, product applications, and business models within your industry. Ask where they believe the relevant talent exists and why. Determine whether they understand the technical and commercial challenges associated with the position.

And perhaps most importantly, pay attention to the questions they ask you.

A recruiter who genuinely understands your industry should be able to move the conversation beyond the job description, recognize potential challenges, identify assumptions worth examining, and help define the capabilities most likely to produce a successful outcome.

If the conversation never progresses beyond titles, compensation, location, and years of experience, it is reasonable to question how much industry expertise is actually being brought to the assignment.

At Egret Consulting, we have dedicated our business exclusively to the electrical industry since 1999. That decision was intentional. We recognized that the markets we serve require an understanding that extends beyond general recruiting practices, and that companies benefit from working with professionals who understand their products, customers, competitors, and the people who make those businesses successful.

Our commitment to specialization has become even more relevant as the industry has grown increasingly complex.

It means keeping pace with new technologies, changing customer expectations, and the competitive pressures influencing our clients’ businesses. It means recognizing where experience translates between markets and where seemingly similar backgrounds represent substantially different capabilities.

Above all, it means understanding that the responsibility of executive search is not simply to introduce people. It is to help companies make informed hiring decisions that contribute to their long term success.

The electrical industry will continue to change. New technologies will emerge, traditional markets will become more interconnected, and companies will face growing pressure to attract people capable of leading through those developments.

The question is whether the firms responsible for identifying that talent have invested the same effort in understanding the industry they claim to serve.

Expertise is demonstrated through the depth of the questions asked, the quality of the evaluations conducted, the understanding brought to the client’s business, and ultimately, the results delivered.

Knowing how to find people who work in the electrical industry is not the same as understanding the electrical industry.

And when the success of your business depends on the people you hire, that difference matters.

The electrical industry has changed. The expectations placed on your executive search partner should have changed with it.