From Coffee Chats to Career Wins: Simon Hurd’s Connector Impact

As a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at RBC, Simon Hurd has clearly found his niche, both in his career and as a volunteer.

“I feel I have the best job in the bank,” says Simon. “I love meeting new people, I love connecting, I love seeing people start in a role they’ve been aspiring to, and then watch as their career flourishes. To see that progression and know I had a small part to play gives me a sense of pride.”

With his welcoming personality, Simon was a good fit for Halifax Partnership’s Connector Program, a role that he has held since 2012. He says he has in-depth meetings with seven or eight Connectees per year, and even more casual conversations and chats with people as a direct result of the partnership.

Halifax Partnership’s Connector Program helps newcomers and young professionals expand their network — often a difficult task for anyone without local work experience because they are starting over in a new country or are at the beginning of their career.

Often, these connections start from Halifax Partnership reaching out to Simon to help with a Connectee who wants to learn more about the banking industry, he explains.

“Then the ball's in my court—I connect with a Zoom meeting, telephone call or a coffee chat, and from there, I introduce them to people from my network so they can continue having conversations and building their network. Many times, I’m able to refer them to someone within my organization.”

These connections can be win-win situations for the recruiter and the Connectee. “I always try to have two lenses when I’m meeting new people,” says Simon. “If somebody ends up with a job out of it, that's a win. I use it as both a recruiting tool and as a networking tool.”

After being a Connector for more than a decade, Simon’s network has grown, and some of his Connectees use their own expanded networks to send referrals to him.

“I’ve had Connectees who a couple of years later email to say they would like to introduce a friend. It’s nice to get those referrals and opportunities,” he says.

Recognizing the challenge of building a network in a new city and country, Simon, as a recruiter, has been able to help newcomers secure their first job in Canada.

“I have met people who have incredible resumes from overseas, and they're just looking for that chance,” he says, adding that exploring someone’s full range of interests and capacity can help them land a role that is beneficial for the person and their new organization.

“I once met someone in the legal profession, but in talking to them discovered they were interested in the financial world. It turns out we had some opportunities in our anti-money laundering group, a non-traditional banking role. That’s just one win of many.”

In recent years the influx of newcomers, some from war-affected regions, has been an opportunity to offer a friendly face to people fleeing their homelands, explained Simon. “Helping people get a fresh start and a new life and knowing what they're going through with loved ones back home, I can't even imagine it,” he said.

Throughout his career in recruitment, Simon has seen significant changes in the employment landscape in Halifax. “A lot of people were interested in technical fields, and that was a difficult conversation to have,” he says. “Now we have this wonderful centre that has so many tech roles and so many opportunities, and they’re growing like crazy—and we’re not the only employer in this position. Halifax has a tech hub, so there's lots more opportunity now than there was even 10 years ago.”

When asked why he continues to participate enthusiastically after years with the Connector Program, Simon says he finds it rewarding to meet people, help them expand their networks, and see them achieve their goals. “To help people along the way in their journey, it's powerful.”