1 Review their portfolio

One of the best ways to gauge a candidate's experience with renewable energy technologies is to review their portfolio of projects, products, or publications. A portfolio can showcase their technical knowledge, creativity, problem-solving, and impact in the renewable energy sector. Look for evidence of their involvement in different stages of the project lifecycle, such as design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, or optimization. Also, pay attention to the scope, scale, and complexity of the projects, as well as the types of renewable energy technologies they have worked with, such as solar, wind, hydro, biomass, or geothermal.

2 Ask behavioral questions

Another way to evaluate a candidate's experience with renewable energy technologies is to ask behavioral questions that elicit specific examples of their past performance, achievements, and challenges. Behavioral questions can help you understand how a candidate thinks, acts, and adapts in different situations related to renewable energy technologies. For example, you can ask them to describe a time when they had to use a new or unfamiliar renewable energy technology, how they learned about it, and what results they achieved. Or you can ask them to tell you about a time when they faced a technical problem or a conflict with a stakeholder in a renewable energy project, how they resolved it, and what they learned from it.

3 Conduct a technical test

A third way to evaluate a candidate's experience with renewable energy technologies is to conduct a technical test that measures their knowledge, skills, and abilities in this domain. A technical test can be a written exam, a practical exercise, a simulation, or a case study that challenges the candidate to apply their expertise in renewable energy technologies to a realistic scenario. Depending on the role and level of the position, you can design the test to assess the candidate's proficiency in various aspects of renewable energy technologies, such as concepts, principles, methods, tools, standards, or best practices. You can also use the test to evaluate the candidate's communication, collaboration, and innovation skills in relation to renewable energy technologies.

4 Check their references

A fourth way to evaluate a candidate's experience with renewable energy technologies is to check their references and ask for feedback from their previous employers, clients, or colleagues. References can provide you with valuable insights into the candidate's performance, attitude, and potential in the renewable energy sector. You can ask the references to rate the candidate's skills and experience in renewable energy technologies, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, achievements and failures, and areas of improvement. You can also ask them to give you specific examples of how the candidate used renewable energy technologies in their previous roles, projects, or tasks.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?