Kurt Webster spent the first 15 years of his career in sales and retail operational roles beginning in Canada and then in the United States. In the late 1990’s Kurt moved into Training and Recruitment roles for the East Coast of the US, and then into an HR Manager role for ICI Paint Stores East of the Mississippi. In 2008 Kurt was transferred to Toronto to take on the newly created role of HR Director for ICI Paints Canada. In his 9 years in that role Kurt lead the building and development of the entire HR function for ICI Paints Canada, a network of over 250 paint stores from Victoria, British Columbia to St. John’s, Newfoundland. During this time Kurt also completed his BSB – RM (Retail Management) from The University of Phoenix, and MHRM from York University in Toronto. In 2017 Kurt took the opportunity to move to HR Director role for RR Donnelley Canada, and in 2019, HR Director for Scepter Canada – supporting operations in both Canada and the United States. As of the spring of 2022, Kurt is the Director of Recruitment & Workforce Planning for MaineGeneral Health, in Waterville, Maine.
While things were different pre-pandemic, in a lot of ways they are not. What worked before, still works now. Having a strong company brand, a robust process and an understanding that interviews works both ways is critical in attracting talent that fits with the organization and its goals. Kurt Webster, Director of Recruitment & Workforce Planning at MaineGeneral Health will share why employer branding and company culture is key in attracting and retaining the best talent pool with focus on: