I am the Senior Strategist and Vice President of the HR practice for a fully-remote workforce throughout the US and Canada. At present, we maintain a 96% staff retention rate, and a happiness rating 8.5 of 10.Here's what I have done and do in this role: Business Operations Development and Succession Planning Develop and guide staffing / retention strategies, with a focus on DEIB.Champion and lead initiatives to foster a culture of inclusivity, equity, and diversity, resulting in increased employee engagement and a more representative workforce.Built and continue to guide compensation strategy, with a focus on equity.Serve as an employee advocate and a coach to the leadership team.Provide managers support and guidance on employee relations issues and employee disciplinary mattersArchitect company growth and subsequent career-pathing strategies.Assist managers in developing programs to enhance morale and productivity, and address other work-life issues.Manage and recommend improvements on employee benefits and tenure gifting.Monitor HR metrics (e.g. turnover rates and cost-per-hire).Assist in the development and coordination of continuing education for the organization based on needs.Manage a team of full-time and contract HR and recruiting practitioners.Bridge management and employee relations by addressing demands, grievances, or other issues.Nurture a positive working environment.Oversee the talent strategy for the agency, including recruitment, vetting, and selection process. Ensure legal compliance from a state, provincial, and national perspective in the US and Canada.

Oversaw employee needs locally and remotely via brick-and-mortar and multi-location distributed companies (US, Canada, and international)Worked strategically with CEOs, COOs, and Senior Leadership Teams, identifying & aligning HR objectives with organizational goalsAutonomously implemented, administered, and directed: - Full lifecycle recruiting- Building strategies surrounding talent recruitment & retention - Managing a new employee orientation program - Coordinating terminations, conducting exit interviews, and providing feedback to management with suggestions for appropriate improvements - Managing the data migration and management of HR management systems (HRIS) - Developing programs to enhance staff morale and productivity - Maintaining employee files, ensuring the accuracy of employee records - Coordinating employee benefit enrollments & changes, answering questions as needed - Strategy & coordination surrounding performance management & correction, including reviews, PIPs, & corrective actionsCreated strategies, drafts, written communications, & talking points specific to: - Corporate communications & presentations - Company announcements - Employee relations issues - Corrective actions - Risk management - Company policies & contractsCoached leadership teams & the people they manageProvided investigation support & guidance on employee relations issues & disciplinary matters, working with legal counsel as needed, & ensuring that practices are appropriate, achievable, & non-discriminatory / -retaliatoryCLIENTS: - Asana Creative Strategy- BGSD Strategies- Bluetext- Break Something- BYT Media- Chaia Restaurant Group- Concerted Action- Friendly Design Co.- GC2B- Jackson River- Kalamuna- Kanopi Studios- IMP Productions- North & Main Strategy- School to School Intl.

Oversaw and managed Human Resources needs for employees within AKQA's DC and Atlanta officesPartnered with corporate and senior leadership on the high-level strategy for a variety of HR programs and functions, including onboarding and career-pathingIdentified the Human Capital impact of business decisionsProvided guidance, coaching, and resolution regarding employee performance and relations issuesLed the formulation of personnel policies and proceduresEnsured all company communications, policies, and procedures were in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment-related regulations, including EEO, FMLA, OSHA, ADA, and ADEAManaged foreign employee Visa sponsorship process and issues with AKQA Legal Counsel for current and incoming employeesPartnered with CFO regarding compensation analysis, compiling data as neededWorked alongside corporate Payroll and Benefits departments to review, message, and manage new hire/promotion/salary increase/termination processesFacilitated professional development programs for current employees and assisted with the execution of individual development plansRecommended and implemented procedures to improve the overall efficiency of HR best practices

Served as a local HR partner within MXM’s DC office, and a national HR partner to MXM’s CA, DC, and NY employees in support of MXM’s Social Media practice- Managed regional operational and employee relations issues unique to specific state lawAttracted and acquired best-in-class talent, ensuring all were assimilated, on-boarded, and supported throughout the employment lifecycleLed local efforts surrounding organizational shifts, compensation planning, talent planning, and trainingManaged and improved performance via coaching and employee relations strategies in partnership with National Human Resources team and company leadershipDeveloped and executed employee PIPs, terminations (voluntary and involuntary), and all related interviews and documentationGuided leadership and management in the compliance and adherence to local, state, and federal employment lawsImproved operational performance, career development, and employee morale agency-wide through the implementation of various employee incentive and recognition programsTroubleshot and resolved large-scale technical and personnel issues alongside the Meredith Corporation’s Corporate HQ Operations department

Autonomously established a respected Human Resources Department and all associated procedures and practices from the ground-up Collaborated with Principals to develop and evangelize corporate policies and guiding principlesStructured Human Resources goals, objectives, and policies to successfully drive hiring and retention strategyServed as a trusted, knowledgeable coach and resource to Principals, Department Heads, Managers, and a rapidly-growing employee baseImproved company best practices and compliance by writing, implementing, training, and administering:- Personnel policies and procedures- Full lifecycle recruiting standard operating procedures and process workflows- Employee handbook- Personnel forms- Employee PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) process- Termination strategies and proceduresFocused on improvements to company culture, resulting in an employee retention rate well above industry standardSuccessfully improved candidate quality and speed of hire by managing all phases of recruiting and onboarding for multiple consecutive job openingsRecommended, implemented, and managed HRIS (Human Resources Information System), resulting in expertly organized and centralized company human resources data

Proven record of establishing and maintaining strong, profitable relationships with external clientsSuccess filling a high volume of simultaneous niche creative and technical talent requestsAttention to client-specific skills and culture fit resulted in placements with a high overall employee retention rate

Worked directly with principal to develop and implement policies, procedures and solutions to increase efficiency in time management and reporting, project and account management, and team collaboration. Managed 10-20 revolving projects, spearheading scheduling, budgeting and communications while resolving resourcing, editing, and timeline-related issues.Solely managed large project and campaign budgets up to $250,000.Established, maintained and expanded strong relationships with a diverse set of nonprofit, government, and commercial clients such as National Association of Broadcasters, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and National Retail Federation.Successfully defined requirements, print and interactive communication and user experience strategies, and web design projects to support clients’ short- and long-term business goals. Led teams of project managers, strategists, designers, and programmers from discovery through completion, with strong eye toward delighting clients and end-users.

Worked to help promote and evangelize the farm and it's direct-to-consumer offerings.