The Client

Our electric transmission utility client was subject to public regulation and serving multiple states nationwide, encountered an escalating workforce capacity challenge. With engineering, professional, and leadership vacancies exceeding 100 unfilled roles, the organization confronted potential delays to capital infrastructure programs, routine maintenance operations, and strategic grid enhancement efforts.

The Challenges

Despite strong internal HR and Talent Acquisition teams, the utility was unable to keep pace with demand for specialized utility and grid engineering talent.

• Many positions had remained open for over eight months.
• The client had already expanded their internal recruiting team but still lacked access to a national network of qualified electrical utility professionals.
• Leadership sought a scalable, compliant solution that could accelerate hiring while maintaining high quality standards and alignment with public-sector hiring protocols.

The Solution

After a competitive RFP process, Acara Solutions was selected as the utility’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partner to eliminate the backlog and build a long-term talent acquisition engine.

Program Design Highlights

• Dedicated RPO Team: Acara assembled a specialized recruiting team and on-site Program Manager with deep experience in energy, infrastructure, and engineering recruitment.
• Seamless System Integration: The team was fully integrated into the client’s Workday ATS and HRIS environment, ensuring compliance, reporting continuity, and consistent candidate experience.
• National Sourcing Strategy: Leveraging Acara’s proprietary talent networks and national outreach campaigns, recruiters identified hard-to-find electrical, transmission, and grid modernization experts across the U.S.
• Rapid Launch: The RPO program was implemented and operational within 30 days.

The Conclusion

The Acara RPO immediately delivered measurable impact:

Outcome & Long-Term Value

Within the first year, the partnership:

• Eliminated the backlog of critical engineering and leadership roles.
• Stabilized the utility’s project delivery capacity, enabling on-time completion of infrastructure upgrades.
• Demonstrated that an RPO model can outperform internal hiring expansion by combining scalable recruiting bandwidth, market intelligence, and specialized industry expertise.
• Positioned the utility for long-term success by transforming hiring from a reactive process to a strategic workforce capability.

Key Takeaway

When internal teams are at capacity, Acara’s RPO model delivers scalable recruiting horsepower, market reach, and process discipline—allowing organizations to fill critical roles faster and more efficiently while maintaining compliance and quality across the hiring lifecycle.