Duke Smart Staffing Solutions

BY JAMES CARELESS

These are challenging times for the marine defence industry in Canada. It is difficult to find good help these days, from precision factory technicians with specialized skills to knowledgeable C–suite executives who know how to keep customers happy.

            This is where Duke Smart Staffing Solutions of Burlington, Ontario can help. For over two decades, this 100% woman owned-and-operated company has been finding highly skilled professionals for the defence and oil & gas industries. Its ability to successfully fill positions in Canada’s marine defence industry has led to Duke being accredited as a preferred supplier to Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

“The defence industry is currently contending with the challenges posed by an aging workforce,” said Sonia Logue, Duke’s President & CEO. “These issues not only affect operational efficiency, but also have broader implications for safety, resource management, and national security.”

FIVE BIG PROBLEMS

These days, Canada’s defence industry is coping with five human resources issues. They are security and background checks dictated by government regulations, skills shortage in key areas, talent retention, issues related to an aging workforce and attracting/utilizing diverse talent.

Kasey Beggs is Duke’s Business Development Recruitment Manager. She explained to CDR how Duke is helping the Canadian defence industry deal with them all.

SPEEDING UP SECURITY &
BACKGROUND CHECKS

The complexity associated with security and background checks within government employment regulations can delay prospective new hires from starting work for two-three months or more. At a time when the Canadian defence industry is under pressure to fulfill contracts fast, these kinds of delays can really slow down the delivery process.

            “This is why Duke Smart Staffing Solutions has our own ASCO/DO on staff,” said Beggs. “This person has the knowledge and contacts to move people through the system properly and efficiently. It can still take a little bit of time for the higher-level security checks, but because we have him on staff, we are able to do all the paperwork. So, there is less time spent waiting for documents to be mailed or to come back.”

MITIGATING SKILLS SHORTAGE

Whether the need is for ship designers, aircraft maintenance engineers, or software developers with military-specific experience, there are definite skills shortages in key areas of Canada’s defence industry.

Now, like all competent human resources companies, Duke is diligent in finding skilled talent that is available when needed. But this company is going one step further, by collaborating closely with schools and colleges to steer students into these fields and support them during their education.

            A case in point: “We have a close relationship with the Marine Institute in Newfoundland,” Beggs said. “We offer a bursary with them, and we do co-op placements with them. As well, we’ve also upskilled candidates so that they can fit into the shipbuilding industry, which is what our clients need.”

ADDRESSING THE AGING WORKFORCE

As the Baby Boomers age out of the workforce, there is a knowledge and skills gap growing among the remaining employees who remain. This is why Duke can provide its clients with teams that combine older highly skilled workers with younger less knowledgeable workers.

On such teams, “there’s always someone there who’s able to mentor the younger, more junior individuals and build up their knowledge base as they’re getting working experience,” said Beggs. “This ensures the skills are passed along before the Baby Boomers retire, so that the client isn’t faced with the knowledge gap.”

RETAINING TALENT

At the end of the day, no matter how much they may like their career, people work to earn a living. As a result, the amount of money they are paid matters to them dearly — especially right now when costs just keep going up.

             This is a reality that Duke Smart Staffing Solution keeps in mind for every position it fills on behalf of its clients. “To retain talent, you have to ensure the people are being paid rates that are competitive with what everyone else is paying in the industry,” Beggs said. “This is why Duke is constantly doing research to stay on top of current market trends are, across a full range of positions. Given how hard it is to find the right people in today’s specialized defence industry, we want our clients to be competitive employers, so that they can retain the talent we have helped them find.”

             When those projects come to an end, Duke then helps these released candidates to find new work. This keeps this talent within the Duke fold, and available for their client’s future projects. “We have contract employees who stay with us for years on end because they have faith that we’re going to continue to provide opportunities for them, and we do make them our priority,” she said.

ATTRACTING DIVERSE TALENT

The larger a pool of talent, the more choice of qualified candidates for customers. This is why Duke does its best to attract the widest range of skilled people across all genders, ethnicities, and orientations. It is the common sense approach to providing clients with the employees they need to succeed.

            “In the defence industry, women and underrepresented groups are still a small percentage of the workforce, especially in engineering and combat roles,” said Beggs. “Now obviously we are very conscious of not having any sort of bias or discrimination when we are hiring people: We base it on their skills, not on their gender, race, etc. We also tap into a lot of international talent from abroad as well as talent that has recently immigrated to Canada. Whoever they are, our focus is on getting the best people possible for our clients.”

            Bottom line: The Canadian defence industry has people problems. Duke Smart Staffing Solutions knows how to solve them!

James Careless is CDR’s Ottawa Bureau Chief