Carolyn D. Ross Email and Phone Number

Providing human resources consulting, fractional and interim HR leadership services to small and medium-sized businesses.

HR Consulting & Interim Leadership services, including employee relations and investigations; HR audits/assessments; legal and regulatory compliance; performance management; training, management coaching and development; talent acquisition and onboarding; employee engagement, culture and retention; total rewards - compensation, benefits, employee recognition, etc.; and HR process improvement and HRIS implementation.

Leadership of all aspects of human resources management and strategy, including talent acquisition, training and organizational development, compensation, benefits, employee relations, HRIS (Workday), volunteer and student services and occupational health services.• Member of the seven-person executive leadership team and managed 12-member HR team, four-person Volunteer & Student Services team, and 14-member Occupational Health Services team. • Oversaw all aspects of human resources, including talent acquisition, retention and engagement, total rewards, employee relations, learning and organizational development, HRIS, and HR process improvement.• Planned and executed successful talent acquisition strategies, resulting in doubling rate of hiring during extraordinarily competitive post-pandemic labor market.• Designed and implemented first organization-wide, full-scale employee engagement survey. • Established new total rewards and learning and development functions, hired new leadership for each area, and designed and executed strategies within each.• Directed implementation of Workday HRIS, coming in on time and under budget and ensuring effective integration with finance and purchasing/supply chain modules, payroll system, and other third-party vendor systems. • Managed the Volunteer & Student Services department, which oversees as many as 900 volunteers and student interns, contributing more than 37,000 volunteer hours annually. • Oversaw Occupational Health Services in providing healthcare, pre-employment testing and physicals, and vaccinations for employees of Sturdy and over 400 outside companies, seeing approximately 2,000 patients per month and generating approximately $175,000 in monthly revenue. • Administered HR operating budget of over $2 million, benefits budget of $25.2 million, Volunteer Services budget of $212,500, and Occupational Health budget of over $1 million.

Led all aspects of human resources management, including talent acquisition, employee and labor relations, benefits, compensation, rewards and recognition, training and development, strategic workforce planning, DE&I, and employee retention and engagement. • Redesigned, staffed, and trained expanded HR team, revising existing positions and adding roles to better accomplish value-added and strategic needs of the college. • Cultivated more collaborative relationships with college leadership, faculty, staff, outside counsel, external vendors, and internal and external union leadership. • Partnered with the college President and leadership to transform the employment culture across the college.

Provide leadership in developing and executing human resources strategy to support Riverside's business plan and strategic direction in areas that included talent acquisition, employee engagement, training and development, organizational development, change management, employee relations, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, employee rewards and recognition, benefits and compensation.• Member of the four-person Executive Team and 25-member Leadership Team, managing 20 human resources professionals and administering a budget of $1.84 million.• Overhauled HR function, including orientation and onboarding, employee relations, performance management, training and development, employee engagement, eLearning/communications, compensation, benefits, and rewards and recognition; consulted on prospective merger and acquisition activities; established first ever DE&I program. • Redesigned and improved the talent acquisition and talent management team and processes, resulting in Riverside being rated among the lowest in the industry for vacancies, as well as increased retention and decreased turnover. • Oversight of Human Resource Information System (HRIS)/Human Capital Management (HCM) selection and implementation.• Participated in development of overall corporate strategy; managed union-prevention efforts; assisted with contract review and negotiations.

• Fast-tracked for expansion of responsibilities within initial six months of employment. • Led highly motivated four-member Employee Relations and Training team and administered $1.5M budget. • Directed corporate-wide international employee relations and performance management programs, driving consistency and greater compliance with laws, regulations, policies and standards. • Optimized organizational performance through customized coaching, learning and development, conflict resolution and team-building solutions. • Responsible for learning and development across the company. Obtained and administered $249,500 Workforce Training Fund grant, launching over 20 staff and leadership development courses to be introduced over 20 months. • Successfully planned and executed numerous large-scale corporate events.

Provided HR leadership to 328-bed hospital in three hospital health system. Provided strategic planning, consultation, project implementation and creative problem resolution to leadership throughout the larger health system. • Managed eight-member generalist department in the delivery of human resources services and programs to the 2,500 employees. • Designed and delivered various employee and leadership training, development and coaching programs. • Continuously improved organizational performance through system-wide strategic projects and initiatives. • Directed talent management efforts, resulting in a 54% reduction in average vacancies and 46% reduction in turnover rate over five fiscal years.• Operationalized changes based on reporting and analysis of key human resources metrics, including six-page quarterly employment data report and fifteen-page annual report.• Oversaw the delivery of benefits, compensation and HRIS programs in a shared services model. • Led various quality improvement and LEAN/Six Sigma initiatives, resulting in improved customer service, greater HR process efficiencies, and reducing duration of leaves of absence.

Served in a volunteer capacity on the Personnel Plan Review Committee from 2002 to 2004 and Town Administrator Screening Committee from 2002 to 2003.

• Quickly promoted to higher, more strategic level of leadership. • Created organization-wide employee relations, corrective action, learning and development, diversity, and performance management programs.• Operated at the executive level to resolve issues, reduce risk, and implement and manage change. • Directed corporate Training Department and administered $280,000 training budget.• Reviewed contracts and leases and advised executive leadership regarding regulatory and compliance matters.

Operated successful business, mediated legal issues in over 100 cases, and provided consultation and training programs on mediation, hiring/firing, coaching and a variety of other topics to numerous organizations.

Provided Human Resources generalist support for 500+ employees in Client Services business units.

Represented and counseled clients in small business, estate planning, family law, employment law, personal injury, contract, and bankruptcy matters; acted as the firm's jury selection advisor/expert for criminal defense cases.