Q: Hi Joy; Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. For starters, could you tell us about yourself?
A: Sure thing; it’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve been in the HR field for more than twenty years and have worked at large, medium and small organizations mainly in their technology divisions. I’d say my expertise lies in talent acquisition, leadership development, change management, organizational design and employee relations. Prior to Realtime Robotics, I was the Global Head of Talent Acquisition for Teradyne, and had worked at Symbotic, a subsidiary of C&S Wholesale Grocers, which got me into the industrial automation and logistics space. I’ve helped companies like Liberty Mutual learn how to attract IT talent and rapidly expand their organization.
Q: Why was Realtime Robotics a good fit for you?
A: When I learned more about the company I thought it had a very cool technology. Robotics is an exciting and growing industry, with smart people involved in it. It piqued my interest and I felt there was a real opportunity to help the company grow at a critical time in its history. In addition, on a personal side, there was an opportunity for me to expand my role from solely talent acquisition and utilize my full HR-related skill set.
Q: So, what do you do every day at Realtime Robotics?
A: At Realtime, I’m responsible for a full range of “people operations,” as I like to call it. I manage the process of hiring and onboarding new talent, establish ongoing employee development processes, manage benefit/payroll vendors and more. At this stage of the company’s growth and development, it’s critical for me to manage the scaling of the company to meet the opportunity in front of it.
Q: What do you like best about your job?
A: The best part of my job is getting to know everyone at Realtime Robotics and building one-on-one relationships with them. In addition, as I mentioned before, I enjoy having a variety of responsibilities each day that enable me to use different aspects of my skill set. It truly makes every day different and exciting for me.
Q: How do you spend your free time outside of work?
A: Outside of work I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my fur babies. I’m also a big fan of home renovation and do-it-yourself projects; there’s nothing more satisfying than being able to complete and live in a project you undertook yourself. I also like to travel, and love when I have a chance to be active outside through cycling or boating.
Q: Do you have a hobby?
A: Well, I don’t know if I’d call it a hobby, but I am a coach at Lead The Way, which is a club field hockey organization based in RI, MA and CT. As a former player, I have a deep love for the sport and this gives me the opportunity to teach the game to a new generation of players every year. Field hockey is really a passion of mine, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to share my passion with others.
Q: What got you into the robotics field?
A: I first worked at a company by the name of Casepick Systems (now called Symbotic) as its HR Manager more than ten years ago, which was my initial gateway into the world of robotics and related industries. To be completely honest, I have always enjoyed working at technology companies – the nerdier the better!
Q: What excites you about Realtime Robotics?
A: Put simply, everything about the company excites me! I love the startup culture we’ve established and continue to evolve as we grow and expand. I love the people that work here and the intelligence they have about robotics; just being around that is exciting. The company has created a strong environment that enables innovation to happen, which makes it a fun place to be.
Q: Are there any lessons or advice from your career that you'd like to share? What was the best piece of advice you ever received?
A: The best piece of advice I’ve received in my career – which I try and pass along to everyone I can – is that you need to venture outside of your comfort zone. You should embrace the opportunity to do so when it presents itself, and take steps to make it happen if the opportunity to do so isn’t evident. The moments when you’re outside your comfort zone are the moments that you will grow the most.
