NDT Global

Renae Duncan

Renae Duncan is a Maxwell-certified leadership team member with over two decades of industry experience. Being in managerial roles for more than 16 years, she is committed to adding value to individual’s lives and making a substantial impact in the realm of leadership. Duncan’s comprehensive suite of leadership content, strategies, and tools equip her to effectively cater to a wide array of market needs.

In an interview with Manage HR, Renae Duncan delves into the intricacies of the recruitment landscape and talks about how technology and succession planning can contribute to engaging the right talent in the market.

What are some of the challenges that you see impacting the industry?

One of the major challenges that businesses are facing today is employee engagement. It is crucial to ensure that employees are not only satisfied in their current roles but also being developed for future opportunities. Turnover remains a persistent concern for companies, making it essential to provide avenues for growth, consistent development, and timely promotions to address these challenges. Open communication between teams, managers, and employees plays a pivotal role in overcoming these issues.

What technological trends do you observe in the market today?

One of the prevailing trends involves leveraging technology for recruitment. This includes our talent acquisition system utilized for recruiting in the market. Organizations are focused on utilizing technology to streamline and optimize their recruitment processes while ensuring that the systems used are designed to be inclusive to attract a diverse talent pool.

Could you walk us through a recent project you've been involved in and share the strategies that led it to success?

In our organization, we refer to ourselves as ’people in culture’ rather than ‘human resources.’ We are currently working on a project focused on increasing the training hours available to our employees, essentially transforming the organization into a learning-oriented one. The challenge was to identify suitable training hours, given that employees are already occupied with heavy workloads. As our business expands, finding time becomes more challenging. We are exploring options like microlearning and on-demand resources to minimize time away from work while enabling continuous learning.

Central to this initiative, we are placing a strong emphasis on identifying skill gaps and growth opportunities that have emerged from our comprehensive succession planning process. We are ensuring actionable plans are in place for employees to focus on aspects they need for their growth. This aligns with our overall business strategy, emphasizing learning opportunities that employees can proactively engage in rather than perceiving it as a chore. The key is to create an environment where employees choose to participate in additional learning, fostering both personal and organizational growth.

“We are ensuring actionable plans are in place for employees to focus on aspects they need for their growth. This aligns with our overall business strategy, emphasizing learning opportunities that employees can proactively engage in rather than perceiving it as a chore.”

How do you envision the future of this industry?

The future of human resources is expected to focus on supporting employees’ mental well-being, their capacity, and the bandwidth they possess. This holds immense significance within our organization, ensuring that we are not pulling people in too many directions. We aim to help our employees strike a balance between their personal and professional lives, where they have ample time for their families and aren't overly disconnected from their personal lives. Considering that a substantial number of our staff work in the field, maintaining a steady pool of available talent is crucial while we continue to recruit and onboard new employees.

It's important for us to have an equilibrium between the capabilities of our employees, their operational capacity, and the process of knowing the right time to bring in additional staff. Presently, we have successfully mapped out our projects, the number of hours required, and the optimal workforce for each project. When we find that we are overworking our people, it serves as an indicator to initiate recruitment efforts to bring in new talent. This challenge has been quite significant for us in recent years, especially as many companies are downsizing. Despite the pandemic, we have managed to defy the trend and expand our operations.

What would be your sage advice for the budding professionals in the field?

Being flexible is key in the current landscape. Often, tasks will arise that are not strictly in your job description, yet they provide valuable chances for growth. Maintain a hunger for learning, exhibit ambition, and stay open and adaptable to opportunities that can enrich your skill set. Approach your career with an open mind and always take ownership of your development. Initiate conversations with your managers about your interests, and get the support that you need to push your career forward. By proactively seeking opportunities that align with your passion, you'll pave the way for career advancement.