Why pre-screen electrical power engineers before the technical panel
A load flow or fault study will produce confident numbers from a model whose impedances were entered five years ago and whose network has changed since. The result looks the same whether the model is right or wrong. Engineers worth hiring compare study results against measured behaviour and have found a discrepancy. A short screen asks about one, which separates analysis experience from software experience.
What actually matters when screening Electrical Power Engineer candidates
- 01
Technical depth
Probe command of power system fundamentals behind the code: per-unit conversion, symmetrical components, Newton-Raphson load flow, short-circuit calculation, EMT versus phasor domain, and IEEE 1547 or grid code limits.
- 02
Work that shipped
Ask what power software they shipped: PSS/E or PSCAD automation, OpenDSS or GridLAB-D models, DERMS, SCADA/ADMS integration, CIM or IEC 61850 interfaces, with users and release scale.
- 03
Diagnosis under uncertainty
Test how they chased a wrong answer: non-convergent load flow, numerical instability in EMT timestep, mismatched transformer tap model, or field data contradicting simulated fault current.
- 04
Working across the org
Look for work with utility planning engineers, protection teams, and regulators: translating study requests into features, supporting interconnection studies, handling validation sign-off and QA of model libraries.
Pre-screening questions to ask Electrical Power Engineer candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Designs that were built
3 questions01Can you describe your experience in power systems analysis and design?
Listen forStudies they performed with their own conclusions, and designs that were built and energised.
Study work only, or designs that never left the drawing stage.
02Have you designed or worked on power control systems?
Listen forProtection and control schemes they specified, with settings calculated rather than inherited.
Settings copied from a similar installation, or protection grading never calculated.
03Can you describe your experience with distribution and transmission systems?
Listen forVoltage levels and system types they have worked at, with the operational constraints understood.
Experience described without voltage levels, or no exposure to operating constraints.
Models validated
3 questions04How familiar are you with simulation tools for design and analysis?
Listen forModels built and validated by them, with results sanity-checked by hand before being relied on.
Results accepted from the software, or no hand calculation ever used as a check.
05Are you familiar with electrical design software, and which have you used?
Listen forTools used for real deliverables, with an understanding of the assumptions each makes.
Software listed with no deliverable produced, or default assumptions never questioned.
06What programming or scripting do you use in your engineering work?
Listen forScripting used to automate repetitive studies, or to process measurement data from the network.
All analysis done by hand in spreadsheets, or no automation of repeated work.
Safety instinctive
3 questions07Do you have experience troubleshooting and maintaining electrical control systems?
Listen forFaults diagnosed on live plant with a methodical approach and safe isolation throughout.
Troubleshooting by substitution, or isolation treated as an obstacle.
08How do you ensure safety when working on electrical systems?
Listen forIsolation, proving dead and permit systems all described as routine and entirely non-negotiable.
Safety answered generally, or shortcuts described as acceptable under time pressure.
09Can you describe a challenging project and how you overcame the difficulties?
Listen forA genuine technical difficulty, with the engineering reasoning that eventually resolved it.
Challenges described as programme or client issues, with no technical content.
Standards in practice
3 questions10Are you familiar with the standards and regulations for power systems?
Listen forSpecific standards named for their jurisdiction, applied in designs rather than referenced.
Standards named with no application, or requirements not known for the region.
11Can you describe your experience with renewable generation and its integration?
Listen forConnection studies performed, with the protection implications of inverter-based generation properly understood.
Renewables treated as conventional generation, or fault contribution differences not known.
12Do you have project management experience in electrical engineering?
Listen forDelivery responsibility that includes the interfaces with contractors and the commissioning stage itself.
Design work handed over at issue, or no involvement through commissioning.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Technical depth
35%5Explains solver convergence issues and unbalanced three-phase modelling fluently, tying each equation to how it was implemented in production code.
Work that shipped
30%5Names specific released modules, utilities or clients using them, and quantifies runtime, model size, or study throughput gains delivered.
Diagnosis under uncertainty
20%5Walks through isolating the defect against hand calculations or measured PMU/relay data, then states the root cause and validation evidence.
Working across the org
15%5Cites concrete cases of turning planning engineers' study needs into specifications, and defends model assumptions to protection or regulatory reviewers.
A study produces confident numbers from a model whose network changed years ago. A one-way video screen asks when one disagreed with reality.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async. Enough to establish designs that were built, test their validation practice, and check safety and standards knowledge.
How much should software proficiency count?
Less than judgement. The packages are learnable; knowing whether a result is plausible, and what to check when it is not, is what distinguishes an engineer from an operator.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
A study that disagreed with the real system. Engineers who validate have one and can explain what was wrong in the model. Anyone who has never checked is trusting the software.
How do I judge their safety practice?
Ask how they ensure safety working on electrical systems. Sound answers cover isolation, proving dead and permits as routine. Anything vague here is disqualifying for site work.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
