Katharine Wright
Plymouth,MN
Summary
Dynamic and innovative HR professional with over 8 years of experience leading transformative projects and driving significant improvements. Expert in strategic planning, workforce optimization, and policy development. Consistently enhance employee retention and satisfaction through collaboration and innovation. Adept at fostering strong relationships, mentoring team members, and implementing efficient processes to achieve organizational goals. Committed to continuous improvement with cross-functional collaboration and delivering exceptional results in a fast-paced environment. Conscientious and compassionate with a drive for helping employers recruit, develop, and retain qualified candidates. Skilled at partnering with management teams to build employee-centric cultures that promote positive morale and optimize productivity. Motivating and positive with excellent interpersonal, coaching, and communication skills.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Human Resources Manager
J&E Companies
02.2023 - Current
- Focus on developing and driving collaborative relationships with facility leaders and members of the executive leadership team to ensure business objectives align with operational goals
- Spearheaded innovative projects, driving measurable results and fostering team collaboration
- Developed creative solutions to complex challenges
- Led HR operations, enhancing employee retention through strategic policy implementation.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Assisted with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.
- Passionate about learning and committed to continual improvement.
- Organized and detail-oriented with a strong work ethic.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Adaptable and proficient in learning new concepts quickly and efficiently.
- Learned and adapted quickly to new technology and software applications.
- Proved successful working within tight deadlines and a fast-paced environment.
Human Resources Business Partner
Foss Swim School
06.2022 - 02.2023
- Implemented strategic HR initiatives, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
- Collaborated with leadership to align HR practices with business objectives, ensuring seamless integration of people strategies across departments
- Analyzed workforce data to identify trends, providing actionable insights.
- Coached managers on effective employee relations strategies to address workplace conflicts proactively.
- Managed complex employee relations issues to promote a healthy workplace culture.
- Conducted employee surveys and interviews to evaluate employee engagement and job satisfaction levels.
- Identified HR training needs and conducted training for employees and leadership while recommending approaches to effect continual improvements in business objectives, productivity, and within company to reach business goals.
- Ensured legal compliance in all HR practices, preventing potential lawsuits and fines.
- Partnered with senior leaders on organizational development initiatives for continued growth.
- Resolved understaffing issues, disputes, employee terminations, and disciplinary procedures.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop integrated solutions for business challenges.
- Collaborated with leadership to assess and improve policies across board.
- Investigated and liaised with legal department to respond to complaints of harassment, discrimination, employee grievances, and other sensitive issues and prepared position statements for EEOC.
- Facilitated effective communication between management and staff, fostering a positive work environment.
- Conducted exit interviews with employees leaving company to gauge areas of success and opportunities for improvement.
- Enhanced employee engagement by implementing innovative HR programs and initiatives.
- Implemented cost-saving measures within the HR department, optimizing budget utilization.
- Established succession planning processes to ensure leadership continuity within the company.
- Integrated talent management process to include detailed analysis of potential talent gaps and development of career plans to identify and retain current talent and attract outside talent to business.
- Actively monitored industry trends and best practices to maintain cutting-edge HR strategies.
- Discovered and resolved complex employee issues that affected management and business decisions.
- Distributed employee engagement surveys to identify areas of improvement.
- Liaised between multiple business divisions to improve communications.
- Instructed senior leaders on appropriate employee corrective steps.
- Structured compensation and benefits according to market conditions and budget demands.
Director of HR and Operations
Press Gold Group
07.2015 - 06.2022
- Led strategic HR initiatives and operational excellence, fostering a culture of innovation and driving organizational growth
- Streamlined HR processes, optimized operations, and implemented data-driven strategies, improving efficiency and substantial cost savings.
- Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
- Established a culture of continuous improvement by fostering open communication channels and empowering employees to voice their ideas.
- Cultivated a positive work environment that fostered employee engagement, increased retention rates, and boosted overall team morale.
- Strengthened internal controls by reviewing existing policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Monitored office workflow and administrative processes to keep operations running smoothly.
- Facilitated cross-functional collaboration for improved decision-making processes within the organization.
- Formed strategic partnerships and connected with potential clients to drive business development.
- Proactively identified potential risks and implemented mitigation strategies to minimize negative impacts on projects or business operations.
- Secured key partnerships that contributed to the company''s overall growth strategy and market reach.
- Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills.
- Tracked employee attendance and punctuality, addressing repeat problems quickly to prevent long-term habits.
- Reduced budgetary expenditures by effectively negotiating contracts for more advantageous terms.
- Monitored daily cash discrepancies, inventory shrinkage and drive-off.
Senior Training Store Manager
Caribou Coffee
05.2008 - 06.2015
- Fostered a positive work environment, mentoring staff and promoting teamwork
- Implemented training programs to enhance employee skills and improve customer service standards.
- Developed a positive work environment through effective communication and team-building activities, resulting in increased employee satisfaction.
- Improved employee retention by implementing comprehensive training programs and robust performance management systems.
- Managed inventory effectively, ensuring optimal stock levels and minimizing losses due to shrinkage or obsolescence.
- Promoted from Assistant Store Manager to Training Store Manager due to demonstrated leadership skills, dedication to continuous improvement, and outstanding job performance.
- Enhanced customer experience by delivering exceptional service levels, addressing concerns promptly, and resolving issues effectively.
- Mentored junior staff members by providing valuable guidance on career growth opportunities within the organization.
- Streamlined store operations by identifying areas for improvement and implementing efficient processes, contributing to higher sales and productivity levels.
- Oversaw, trained, and encouraged store personnel, promoting culture of efficiency and performance.
- Drove and maintained solid operational processes, inventory management and inventory rationalization
- Evaluated success of training programs and recommended improvements to upper management to enhance effectiveness.
- Built a high-performing team through targeted recruitment efforts and ongoing professional development opportunities for staff members.
- Maintained strict adherence to company policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations while upholding brand standards at all times.
- Conducted regular store audits to ensure compliance with company standards, identifying areas requiring corrective action and implementing necessary changes effectively.
- Collaborated with district managers on initiatives aimed at driving overall regional success through improvements in individual store KPIs.
- Oversaw daily cash handling procedures accurately while maintaining security measures against theft or fraud.
- Scheduled employees for shifts, taking into account customer traffic and employee strengths.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Recruited, hired, and trained initial personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions for new organization.
- Observed each employee's individual strengths and initiated mentoring program to improve areas of weakness.
- Supervised creation of exciting merchandise displays to catch attention of store customers.
Education
Bachelors of Science - Human Resources and Organizational Leadership
Rasmussen University- Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN12.2019
Skills
- Employee Advocacy
- Conflict Resolution
- Retention Strategies
- Strategic Planning
- Employee Engagement
- Succession Planning
- Legal Compliance
- Communication
- Coaching/Mentoring
- Compliance Management
- Policy Development
- Project Management
- Performance Management
- Organizational Development
- Employment Law
- Operational Collaboration
- Isolved
- ADP Workforce Now
- Paylocity
- UKG
- Workday
- Office 365 Suite
- Infor
- Asana
- Slack
- Wrike
- HR policies and procedures
- Employee Relations
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Training and mentoring
- Compensation and benefits
- Corrective Action Planning
- Recruitment and hiring
- Payroll Administration
- Employee Handbook Development
- Policy Enforcement
- Leadership Development
- HR analytics
- Human Resources Department Processes
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Budget Administration
- Onboarding and Orientation
Certification
- SHRM- SCP Certified, Society of Human Resource Management
- Employment Law Certified, St. Cloud University, St. Cloud, MN
Timeline
Human Resources Manager
J&E Companies
02.2023 - Current
Human Resources Business Partner
Foss Swim School
06.2022 - 02.2023
Director of HR and Operations
Press Gold Group
07.2015 - 06.2022
Senior Training Store Manager
Caribou Coffee
05.2008 - 06.2015
Bachelors of Science - Human Resources and Organizational Leadership
Rasmussen University- Minnesota
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