#175 - Melissa Hanna: Building the Rental Industry’s Next Generation of Leaders

The equipment rental industry has no shortage of demand, capital or equipment. Increasingly, the greatest constraint on growth is people.In this episode, Michael is joined by Melissa Hanna, Vice President of Talent Management at United Rentals, to discuss how rental businesses can attract, develop and retain the workforce needed to support the industry’s continued growth.Melissa reflects on her career across Hertz, Herc Rentals and United Rentals, sharing how mentors, advocates and hands-on experience shaped her approach to leadership and talent development. She explains why workforce development cannot be treated as a temporary challenge or simply an HR responsibility—it must be embedded into the broader business strategy.The conversation explores the importance of introducing young people to rental careers earlier, hiring for curiosity and adaptability rather than relying solely on résumés, and creating visible career paths for employees across operations, sales, driving and technical roles.Melissa also discusses United Rentals’ approach to development through the 70-20-10 model, where 70% of learning comes from on-the-job experience, 20% from mentoring and relationships, and 10% from formal training.They also examine the role of culture in employee retention, the importance of strong onboarding, how smaller rental businesses can develop people without large training budgets, and how companies can preserve culture during acquisitions.Melissa’s message is clear: the rental industry offers almost limitless career opportunities for people who are willing to learn, adapt, work hard and invest in relationships.This episode is essential listening for rental leaders, HR professionals and anyone focused on building the next generation of talent within the industry.