Sonya Barham is a Talent Leader who builds bridges among business strategy, talent development, talent acquisition, and human resources to prepare people for their next internal role.“I loved the opportunity to hire talent in my Learning and Development role. I was able to hire 121 represented employees while also designing, developing and rolling out a Leadership Development Program for 85 line-leaders,” Sonya said. Sonya’s philosophy on talent management: “I’m convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not strategies,” —Lawrence Bossidy.Critical to bringing in new talent is onboarding. Sonya revamped and launched an onboarding program for 72 exempt employees, including senior leadership, marketing, sales, customer service, and engineering staffs, achieving a 98% retention rate.“I had the pleasure of being onboarded by Sonya. The process she implemented was concise and efficient,” said one manager.Another factor in employee retention and engagement is ongoing career development. Sonya achieved a 12% reduction in turnover by creating succession planning and career development programs for 15 area managers and 56 exempt employees.To net results, Sonya collaborates with leaders, assesses needs, conducts research, and brings in the talent required to execute the project, including subject matter experts as well as key stakeholders in the organization. This ensures employees win while advancing the organization’s strategy. “She is very effective in working with all levels of any organization using management tools, training methodology and experience to help them succeed,” said one trainer.For a Talent Pro who focuses on people and improvement, connect with Sonya at: sbarham5@gmail.com.Specialties: Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, Soft Skills, and Interpersonal Skills Training, Onboarding, Team Building, Content Development, Leadership Development.