Celtic Renewables

Our Client

Celtic Renewables, a rapidly expanding cleantech company headquartered in Edinburgh, is at the forefront of sustainable innovation. The company’s technology converts low-value by-products, residues and wastes into high-value green chemicals and other commercial and environmentally valuable commodities. Following the construction of their state-of-the-art commercial processing plant in Grangemouth, the company is focused on expanding into new markets on a global basis. As they embarked on a journey of strategic growth, they recognised the need to strengthen their HR function and conduct a substantial recruitment drive. Celtic Renewables turned to AAB People, a trusted HR outsourcing partner, for their expertise in facilitating this transformation, highlighting the invaluable role played by the HR team.

Our Challenge

Celtic Renewables was at a pivotal stage in its growth, and it needed to strengthen its HR capability and scale its workforce significantly. This task came with a host of challenges, including the need for structured HR processes, competitive compensation schemes, and the recruitment of 15 critical roles. Jim Purves, Head of Corporate Operations at Celtic Renewables, recognised the need for an external strategic partner to fill a critical gap in internal resources and expertise and help navigate these challenges.

Our Solution

The team joined forces with Celtic Renewables to lead this transformative journey. Their multifaceted role included:

1. Creating Rewards and Recognition Schemes: the team collaborated with Celtic Renewables to establish reward and recognition programmes that would motivate and retain top talent while aligning with the company’s sustainability goals.

2. Salary Benchmarking: To remain competitive in the job market, they conducted a comprehensive salary benchmarking analysis, ensuring that Celtic Renewables’ compensation packages were attractive to potential hires and competitive to retain existing talent.

3. Performance and Development Process: they supported the implementation of a robust performance and development process, encouraging employee growth, career progression and company-wide effort towards achieving Celtic Renewables’ strategic goals. In doing so, they collaborated closely with the CEO and senior managers to facilitate the setting of clear, measurable, and achievable goals and SMART objectives aligned with the company’s strategic objectives.

4. Contracts and Documentation: Streamlining HR processes, they ensured that employment contracts and documentation met legal requirements and aligned with Celtic Renewables’ values.

5. Recruitment: The most important aspect of this contract was recruitment. They played a critical role in sourcing, interviewing, and hiring 15 professionals, including a Head of People, lab technicians, and engineers.

6. Onsite presence: they worked onsite with Celtic Renewables, building strong relationships with line managers and employees, working closely with the team to overcome challenges as they arose.

‘’Our partnership with AAB People, has been transformative. As we embarked on a journey of strategic growth, their expertise and dedication were instrumental in establishing robust HR processes and recruiting a motivated team of professionals. The  commitment to aligning our HR initiatives with our company’s sustainability mission was impressive. With their support, we’re now in a strong position to grow sustainably and make a lasting impact in the cleantech industry.”

Jim Purves, Head of Corporate Operations, Celtic Renewables

Our Impact

Celtic Renewables’ collaboration with AAB, exemplifies how strategic HR outsourcing can empower a company’s growth. This partnership not only addressed immediate HR needs but also set the foundation for long-term success, ensuring that Celtic Renewables remains at the forefront of sustainable innovation for years to come.