Reaching Our Billion Plus Goals: Courtney Mast
posted on Saturday, March 3, 2018
“When we can work together as a team and look at things from a bigger perspective, taking all thoughts and ideas and put them together, we are able to help drive results for the company on a higher level than if we just look at things on our own,” said Courtney Mast, Human Resource Specialist at the Iowa Falls Office.
At a recent company meeting, Mast was one of eight employees to share how they set important goals, held themselves accountable to reaching those goals and ultimately, how they played an integral part in helping the company reach a goal of producing more than a billion pounds of pork.
As a relatively new employee, Mast had only been on the Iowa Select team for six months when we started our #BillionPlus journey. Now a year and half into her role, Mast learned (and accomplished!) a lot in the last year.
“In my role I get to work with a lot of different people because I primarily focus on staffing,” said Mast. “Over the last year we have grown a lot and were able to welcome many new employees to our company. Keeping our farms fully staffed is a huge responsibility and has a direct impact on production numbers. It’s rewarding to know I was on the team that helped accomplish our staffing goals.”
When she started the year, improving communication and teamwork were some of Mast’s goals, but the most important goal was on a more personal level: she wanted to build relationships with co-workers in different departments throughout the company.
“From maintenance and transportation to production and office-based teams, I collaborate with every department in some way, shape or form,” explained Mast. “Taking the time to build relationships and grow trust with managers and supervisors on those teams has been really beneficial. Not only has it been fun getting to know everyone, but it’s also allowed me to better understand and support their staffing needs.”
“It’s been fun to watch Courtney grow both personally and professionally in the past year,” said Kerry Sweeney, Director of Human Resources. “Not only has she strengthened her relationships with our entire HR team, but she’s gone above and beyond to get to know our production management and support department teams, as well.
“Courtney is definitely a selfless leader,” continued Sweeney. “She puts the company’s needs above her own and wants nothing but the best for those around her. This past year she has been tasked with learning a lot of new processes and taken on a tremendous amount of new responsibilities. Her organization, attention to detail and go-getter work ethic have made the transition seamless and I am so proud of how far she’s come.”
In addition to staffing and recruitment, Mast helps organize employee orientations, training, compliance, record-keeping and is influential in supporting farms on a daily basis. While she’s got a variety of day-to-day positions that keep her plenty busy, she understands that the best way to succeed is to keep an open mind and be prepared for whatever may come through her door.
“This past year has been a tremendous year for growth, not just for the company, but also me on a personal level,” continued Mast. “It’s important that we continue pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone, taking on more responsibility when possible and continue building relationships with peers. Because the only way we are going to reach our goals is by supporting one another and working together as a team.”
Subscribe to our newsletter: Get fresh articles delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe