Michael Budzowski
Recruiting for energy providers, hospitals, or manufacturers involved in dual-use technologies follows different rules than traditional hiring at small and medium-sized businesses: smaller talent pools, longer decision-making processes due to security and approval procedures, and higher confidentiality requirements during the sourcing phase. Those who ignore this lose candidates not because of salary, but because of the process.
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An environment with its own set of rules
Critical infrastructure, dual-use, and security-related industries differ from traditional SME recruiting in three ways that shape the entire process:
Smaller, specialized talent pools. People with experience in approval processes, regulations, or safety-related technology are rare and usually already employed elsewhere. Traditional job-advertisement-based recruiting often comes up empty here because the target group isn’t actively looking for work.
Longer and multi-step decision-making processes. Security checks, internal approvals, or regulatory requirements structurally extend the time-to-hire. This is not a process flaw, but rather part of the environment. However, it must be factored into the recruiting setup from the very beginning; otherwise, frustration will arise on both sides.
Confidentiality in Sourcing. Not every open position can be advertised publicly. Direct outreach and a discreet approach are often the rule here, not the exception.
Dual-Use: When Civil and Security Requirements Converge
A real-world example, anonymized: a manufacturer of specialty vehicles for civilian and government use. The company was looking to fill roles that balanced technical expertise with business management: recruiting, data analysis, and finance. The challenge lay not in the number of vacancies, but in the fact that candidates with the appropriate industry knowledge are rare and require a long lead time before making a decision. A process designed for quick commitments does not work here. A process that actively factors in lead times and stages communication accordingly, however, does.
Critical Sectors: Energy and Healthcare
The situation is similar for energy providers and large hospital operators—industries that, in a broader sense, fall under critical and supply-related sectors. Even if not every single company in these sectors formally falls under the KRITIS Regulation. Here, too, the details have been anonymized: At a hospital operator with multiple locations, the opening was for a specialist position in a very narrow field. For a company in the energy sector, the role was that of a technical operations manager, combining technical expertise with leadership responsibilities and a commitment to a specific location. In both cases, the central question was not “How do we quickly find a large number of applications?” but rather “How do we reach the few suitable candidates directly and guide them through a decision-making process that naturally varies in length?” In our case study, we use real project data to demonstrate just how varied these processes can actually be—ranging from a few weeks to several months for similarly specialized positions.
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Defense in particular: an even more niche market
Within the realm of critical infrastructure and dual-use technologies, the defense sector warrants special attention because several factors converge here that further narrow the talent pool.
From the Institute to the Organization. Many smaller and newer defense companies rely on institutes, colleges, and the academic community to meet their initial staffing needs. Founding teams and the first specialized employees often come from research and teaching backgrounds. This works well for the initial staff. However, once the company is set to grow into a larger organization with multiple teams and departments, this pool of talent is no longer sufficient. Building larger structures requires different recruiting strategies than the initial growth fueled by one’s own network.
In-person instead of hybrid. Because many roles are highly specialized, hybrid or fully remote work arrangements are often not an option. Those who must work on-site significantly limit the potential geographic reach. This further reduces the number of realistically attainable candidates, in addition to the already small pool of skilled workers.
Competition from the established industry giants. At the same time, the industry’s established giants are vying for these same—already scarce—talents. Smaller and growing defense companies are therefore competing not only with one another but also directly with much larger employers for the same skilled workers.
The transition from the automotive to the defense sector is not a sure thing. The much-discussed trend of talent flowing from the automotive industry to the defense sector is, in practice, not a panacea. People from corporate structures are often accustomed to a specific salary level of around 120,000 euros, a 35- to 38-hour workweek, and established corporate processes. After a long corporate career, they bring valuable technical expertise with them, but in the new, often smaller and more agile company setting, they also face real challenges—from corporate culture to work processes and procedures that function differently than in a conglomerate.
All in all, this means we’re operating in a highly competitive market where passive recruiting is largely futile. When choosing an external recruiting partner, it’s therefore worth taking a close look at who can solve these specific challenges—and how. No one can work magic here. A data-driven, proactive approach—from analysis through feasibility and effort assessments all the way to success—is the first and most realistic step.
What This Means for Recruiting Practices
Four conclusions that can be drawn from these projects:
- Sourcing must be discreet and direct. Proactively reaching out instead of waiting for applications, while exercising due care when filling sensitive positions.
- The process must accommodate these longer cycles rather than fighting them. This applies to the frequency of communication, managing expectations, and selecting the appropriate recruiting model.
- Consistency beats speed. In this context, having a dedicated point of contact who understands the subject matter and remains available throughout the entire project is more important than having a large pipeline of candidates.
- Feasibility before commitment. Especially in the defense sector, it’s worth conducting a thorough analysis and feasibility study before the actual search begins, rather than raising expectations that the tight market cannot meet.
How Kooku operates in this environment
Depending on staffing needs and project duration, we primarily rely on interim recruiting—predictable staffing with a dedicated point of contact over several months—when the role requires dedicated time of at least three days per week. For individual, clearly defined vacancies with a focus on active sourcing, Recruiting on Demand—the flexible capacity solution—is ideal for individual, clearly defined vacancies with an active-sourcing focus. For leadership positions above a certain salary level, Kooku X is also available as an executive search model.
We engage in professional dialogue on this topic at relevant trade shows, networking events, and conferences, as well as through the ecosystem surrounding the European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH). There, we meet companies that are facing precisely these recruiting challenges and contribute our project experience from critical infrastructure and dual-use environments.
Would you like to categorize your own job opening in a structured way? Our playbook uses four dimensions to help you determine which recruiting approach is right for your situation.
I look forward to an exchange on the topic
Michael Oliver Budzowski
Director Strategic Sales & Partnerships
Michael helps companies to make growth more predictable – with clear processes, measurable KPIs and a recruiting structure that takes the pressure off the team.
Book an appointment here on the right and find out in 20 minutes whether and how Kooku can support you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Recruiting in Critical Infrastructure
That depends heavily on the level of specialization, location requirements, and regulatory framework of the position in question. In our own projects in the healthcare and energy sectors, the search duration ranged from 27 days for a medical specialist position to 120 days for a technical operations manager position—both of which are realistic timeframes for similarly specialized roles in tight markets.
Because the relevant candidates rarely actively seek new opportunities and are usually already employed. Direct outreach through active sourcing reaches this target group much more reliably.
That depends on capacity requirements and duration. Interim Recruiting is suitable for ongoing support lasting several months; Recruiting on Demand is suitable for individual, clearly defined vacancies; and Kooku X is suitable for leadership positions.
Yes. Discreet direct contact is the rule rather than the exception in this context, and it is part of our standard procedure for such mandates.
In particular, the combination of civilian and security-related uses of the products, which places additional technical and, in some cases, regulatory demands on candidates, as well as often requiring a higher level of confidentiality throughout the process.
This is because several factors are at play: a small pool of skilled workers, a frequent requirement to work on-site rather than under hybrid models, direct competition from large, established employers in the industry, and a candidate market that barely responds to passive recruiting.
Not automatically. While technical expertise is often available, the salary levels, work schedules, and corporate structures typical of the automotive industry do not always fit the smaller, more agile environment of many defense companies. The transition requires realistic management of expectations on both sides.
