Navigating Recruitment Challenges in the Battery Industry

The global battery industry is experiencing significant growth, but companies are encountering hiring challenges in battery manufacturing due to a limited supply of skilled professionals, making battery industry recruitment increasingly competitive. 

According to Research and Markets’ 2025 report, the global battery industry was valued at $144.3 billion in 2024, and is projected to reach $322.2 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 14.3%. 

There are a range of factors that have contributed to this growth, including an increasing demand for energy storage solutions, the electrification of transport, and technological advancements that improve the performance and safety of batteries. 

In this article, we will explore the specific challenges businesses in the battery sector face and how strategic battery talent acquisition can help your business drive growth and success. 

Recruitment Challenges in the Battery Industry 

As the demand for battery materials grows rapidly, so does the need for skilled talent capable of driving innovation and growth across all areas of the industry, making executive search for battery companies a key priority. The most prominent skills gaps across cell development, module, pack, and battery energy storage (BESS) include: 

According to a 2024 report by the Center of Automotive Research, companies in the industry expect a continued increase in hiring demand in the coming years, with businesses expecting up to 25% of their total hires to be employees with strong technical skills. However, industry growth is outpacing the availability of skilled talent, which is making competition fierce in battery recruitment and causing significant talent shortages that hinder innovation. 

Supply chain issues are also causing major challenges in the industry, with the increasing demand for electric vehicles and other battery-powered technologies causing raw material shortages and price volatility. Industry experts Benchmark Source estimate a 300,000 tLCE supply deficit by 2030, which is creating pressure to increase the production and processing of lithium. 

To address these concerns, which are also arising for the supply of nickel and cobalt, companies need to attract skilled mining engineers, metallurgists, and geologists, but talent shortages make this increasingly challenging. 

Solutions to Overcome Battery Recruitment Challenges 

Access a Wider Talent Pool 

Adopting a skills first approach to hiring is an effective strategy to tackle hiring challenges in battery manufacturing and widen your battery talent acquisition pipeline. By focusing on transferable skills, such as project management, process optimisation, and data analytics, you can widen your talent pool beyond candidates with direct battery experience. 

For example, a role in battery cell production requires a professional with strong expertise in quality control and process engineering, and this talent can often be found in industries like industrial automation or agriculture. Professionals from the renewable energy and technology sectors also have valuable skillsets that can be transferred to battery manufacturing. 

Providing opportunities for growth and career development within your company can help attract skilled candidates as it strengthens your battery industry recruitment strategy and positions your company as an industry leader. 

Invest in Upskilling and Training 

With talent shortages becoming increasingly significant, investing in upskilling and training is essential to bridge skills gaps and ensure business growth.  

With talent shortages becoming increasingly significant, investing in upskilling and training is essential to bridge skills gaps and maintain a competitive edge in battery industry recruitment. As technology becomes more advanced, roles such as battery production technicians and process engineers require greater technical expertise. 

Providing ongoing training opportunities allows your existing workforce to learn the specialised skills needed to keep up with innovations and advancements in battery technology, such as AI-driven quality monitoring and advanced materials processing. 

As well as improving operational efficiency, investing in employee development plays a crucial role in employee retention, with 94% of professionals saying they would stay with a company longer if it invested in their learning and development, according to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report. 

With the battery industry evolving rapidly, it’s important to view training as an ongoing process rather than a one-off initiative to ensure employees are always ready to meet future industry demands. 

Promote Diversity and Inclusion 

Prioritising diverse talent is crucial for driving innovation and meeting the growing demands of the battery industry. As the sector evolves, gaining diverse perspectives can help bring different ideas and opinions to the table. Research by McKinsey & Co shows that companies in the top 25% for executive gender diversity are 25% more likely to generate higher profits and 36% more likely to outperform their competitors. 

In the battery industry, where complex technologies and supply chain challenges require innovative solutions, a diverse workforce can accelerate the development of groundbreaking technologies and improve operational efficiency. To build a more diverse workforce, you should make sure your job descriptions use inclusive language and emphasise essential skills and values that will attract a wide range of applicants. 

Implementing unconscious bias training for hiring teams can also help create a fairer recruitment process, as it makes sure hiring decisions are made based on merit and potential, rather than personal preferences or opinions. 

Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits 

With the competition for talent so fierce in the battery industry, it’s crucial to offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain skilled talent. You should conduct salary benchmarking to understand what competitors are offering for similar roles and make sure your compensation packages are competitive. 

As well as a fair salary, professionals in the battery industry are increasingly looking for a comprehensive benefits package, with almost 80% of employees preferring additional benefits over a salary increase, according to Glassdoor. Examples of benefits you should offer include: 

Additionally, as battery production environments often require long hours, offering work-life balance initiatives, such as flexible schedules, hybrid work options, and generous holiday allowances can make a significant difference in retaining top talent. 

Tailoring benefits to meet the needs of specific roles is equally important. For example, battery engineers and technicians may value opportunities for professional development, such as certifications in emerging battery technologies, while project managers may be more motivated by performance-based incentives. 

Future Innovations in Battery Technology 

Although the current focus is on enhancing the performance, safety, and efficiency of battery technologies, it’s exciting to think about what’s still to come in the future of the industry. 

Paige Johnson, CEO and founder of Ten Nine Technologies, discussed what drives innovation in the battery industry on Conversations with CSG: 

“As scientists and startup companies around the world continue to push the boundaries of battery technology, we are laying the foundation for a future that we cannot yet see. Devices that will come after us will be enabled by what we’re doing today. Much of the conversation revolves around improving existing technologies; we want an EV that charges faster and goes further or a phone that lasts longer. But what’s truly exciting to me is the potential for devices we can’t yet predict, the innovations that will emerge simply because we have better batteries. That’s what motivates me and my team.” 

These breakthroughs will reshape innovations across a wide range of industries and pave the way for smarter, more sustainable solutions in the years to come. 

For more information on the success and innovations of Paige Johnson and Ten Nine Technologies, explore how they are making exciting advancements within the battery industry as they feature in our businesses of the future spotlight. 

Why Partner with an Executive Search Specialist? 

Partnering with an executive search specialist for battery companies who understands the complexities of battery technology and manufacturing can streamline the recruitment process and ensure you secure top-tier talent. The battery industry requires niche, specialised skills that can be hard to find, making battery technology leadership hiring a challenge. 

Partnering with a recruiter who has an extensive talent network can ensure access to the right expertise and skillsets. Some of this talent may not be actively seeking for jobs but open to new opportunities, in which case the recruiter can inform them of the vacancy and provide them with more information if they are interested in applying. 

Recruitment Specialists in Battery Manufacturing 

At CSG Talent, our expert battery materials team connects industry-leading companies with skilled talent capable of driving innovation and growth in this evolving sector. 

Contact CSG Talent to discover how we can support your hiring strategy and help you navigate the complexities of battery recruitment. 

For more expert insights from leading professionals in the battery industry, listen to the following episodes of Conversations with CSG: