“If the work you’re doing is meaningful, and you can do it with empathy and genuine care, that will go a long way.” – Nerida Rooney, Head of Employer Brand and Strategic Resourcing at Kier Group

As part of our commitment to support candidates in developing fulfilling careers, we’ve invited HR leaders from a wide variety of organisations to share their insights on building a career, the challenges they face and what advice they would share with those hoping to follow in their footsteps.

This week, we had a great conversation with Nerida Rooney, head of employer brand and strategic resourcing at Kier Group, where she highlighted the value of empathy and authenticity in talent acquisition and HR.

A born and raised Australian, Nerida has carried her passion for diversity and inclusion throughout her 19-year career in HR, both down under and in the UK. Her experience is impressive and spans a range of industries, including education, charity and FMCG before her current role within the construction industry. 

With her goal to inspire the next generation to fulfil their potential, Nerida joined the Resourcing Leaders 100 (RL 100), Europe’s leading peer network for strategic resourcing leaders.  

Can you tell us about your first HR role?

Absolutely, so as someone of indigenous heritage in Australia, I was able to secure an indigenous traineeship in the HR department at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales once I’d left secondary school.

Like many entry roles, my main responsibilities were administrative to start with. 

From the outset, what I loved to do was speaking to candidates, and on many occasions being able to offer them a job.  

Being a part of such a personal moment in someone’s life really highlighted to me what I wanted from my career. I wanted to interact with people from all walks of life and make that positive impact through job opportunities.

This first role came with so many learning opportunities. The biggest coming from a mistake I made early on. I lived every recruiter’s worst nightmare and offered the job to the wrong candidate! None of us realised this until their first day, and while I felt terrible at the time, they actually turned out to be the best person for the job.

Thankfully I’ve never made that mistake since, but it taught me the importance of attention to detail and taking the time to really get to know a candidate. It’s a story I often bring up when my team comes to me with their mistakes; we are human and I work hard to build a culture of openness and transparency. 

What came next in your HR career?

So, I found myself ready for a new challenge, and I’d decided to move to the UK, but whilst I waited for my visa to process, I had a short stint in agency work.

I loved the people but didn’t like the sales-focussed approach to recruitment an agency brings. It’s important to me to ensure the candidate is getting what they need and that the company’s values match, which is so critically important..

I’ve been in the UK for 14 years now and my career has developed and evolved and at Kier, I am leading a brilliant team and I absolutely love watching them grow in their careers. 

What challenges are you currently facing in your career?

A big one for me is the ‘war on talent’. We know – according to the latest forecast trends – we’ll need about 225,000 additional people to join the construction industry before 2027 which is an immense task!

It isn’t feasible to get those numbers through emerging talent alone, especially as roles like quantity surveying and engineering are not one’s students typically think of. We must find ways to get people to pursue a career in the industry which can be a challenge when competing with more traditional roles like medicine, law or teaching which they have a familiarity with. 

At Kier we have implemented programmes to support various groups in gaining meaningful employment and help with the skills shortage e.g Making Ground (prison engagement and employment programme), Refuaid (employment support for those displaced due to the conflict) and Armed Forces (employment for those who have served in the military) in addition to our work with 10,000 Black Interns and STEM Returners. 

We have also recently updated our Family Friendly policies increasing the offering for both maternity and paternity and support for those through the menopause and baby loss during any gestation period so the support is there when our employees need it. From my perspective of attracting and recruiting talent, I have seen first-hand how much candidates value these policies and our approach, but also the difference they have made to people. 

Finding new people isn’t the only challenge though. It’s important we focus on keeping hold of the people we’ve got too. There always needs to be a focus on career development and succession planning which helps us provide long-term employment, benefiting employees and helping the business grow too. 

But these are all tied together with the challenge of managing different mindsets of different generations. People are working longer, and new generations are entering the workforce so how do you target such a wide range of people in an authentic way?

What advice would you give to those planning to pursue an HR career?

There are a few key things I focus on when it comes to advice.

One, leave a legacy. If the work you are doing is meaningful, and you can do it with empathy and genuine care about the people you support, that will go a long way. 

Two, inspire the next generation. Personally, I want young girls to know there’s absolutely a place for them here in construction. There’s that stereotype of a manual and muddy workforce but that’s not the case; there’s plenty of roles that will have you nowhere near a hard hat! But if that sort of role is of interest to them, how are we ensuring they are welcomed with open arms?

Three, ask questions. If you’re just starting your career there are no silly questions because we are all learning! The questions that really make me think even now are often from those who are new to the industry and bring new ways of looking at something.

Four, take advantage of every development opportunity. Find mentors, one in the industry and one out. In my case, I have a fabulous mentor that I work with and he’s helped me have a more global viewpoint. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is the only way you will grow and through being bold and putting your best foot forward, you will inspire the next person to do the same.

If you are interested in having a confidential conversation about your career or would like support in growing your team, please get in touch today.