Annemarie Heims
West Dundee,IL
Summary
Organized and service-oriented Recruiter with in-depth knowledge of Skilled Trades, Retail and Beauty Teams and over 20 years of progressive experience in personnel hiring. Outstanding in identifying areas in need of improvement and developing action plans thereafter. Works well with all levels of staff and management to meet routine and complex human resources needs. Talent in employee relations, recruitment and onboarding developed over 20+ years as successful General Manager. Highly professional, organized and enterprising team player.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Recruiter
Aldi Inc.
04.2022 - Current
- Enhanced candidate pipeline by utilizing various sourcing strategies, including LinkedIn and job postings.
- Conducted thorough candidate screenings, resulting in higher quality interviews and placements.
- Emphasized job benefits and perks to applicants to improve organization's attractiveness.
- Conducted phone screens to assess applicants relevant knowledge, skills, experience and aptitudes.
- Conducted onboarding of new hires to expedite acclimatization process.
- Fostered positive candidate experiences through transparent communication throughout the recruiting process.
- Developed strong relationships with hiring managers to better understand their needs and successfully fill vacancies in a timely manner.
Professional Recruiter for Skilled Trades and Engineering
Express Employment Professionals
08.2019 - 04.2022
- Managed recruitment by posting positions, sourcing, interviewing, and extending offers
- Interviewed job applications, obtaining information on training, work history, and job skills
- Engaged candidates to quickly determine skills and motivation
- Scheduled and oversaw skill, psychological, intelligence, and drug tests for prospective and current employees
- Conducted exit interviews and completed necessary termination paperwork
- Identified effective recruiting strategies to deliver qualified candidates for hiring consideration
- Met with new hires to conduct orientation and on-boarding sessions
- Screened and pre-interviewed candidates referred for hiring consideration
- Maintained productive, diverse candidate pipeline to meet present and future recruitment needs
- Scheduled interviews with management teams
- Administered employee benefit plans
- Addressed employee relation issues, including harassment allegations and work complaints
- Compiled and analyzed data and reported on recruiting metrics
- Organized background checks and drug screening processes
- Successfully completed and implemented Menensha sales training
- Average gross margin $8.54 vs a company average of $5.42
- Successfully placed 18 Direct Hires in 2020 vs a goal of 12 while meeting contractor monthly goals each month.
General Manager
JCPenney
02.2007 - 08.2019
- General Manager for 2 stores and Assistant Manger for 1 store
- Employee Engagement Survey score 93% (85% prior score) followed by a 98% the next year, in the top 10 of all stores in the company
- Achieved retention and hiring goals each year
- Achieved profit numbers monthly and yearly
- Held associates accountable for meeting established operational guidelines, brand standards, customer service expectations, and company policies
- Managed performance of team members by conducting performance appraisals and recommending promotions
- Exemplified Servant leadership and maintained company standards and protocols
- Recognized for excellence in building and motivating management and hourly teams
- Mentored 9 entry-level associates to achieve leadership positions within the district
- Recognized as the Warrior Store Manager of the Year in 2017 based on customer satisfaction results and team work within the district
- Supported back office procedures, including hiring and employment processes
- Reversed poor performing store by revising systems, processes, training programs, and personnel
- Drove shrink results through compliance with all guidelines involving safety, loss prevention, and cash-handling procedures
- Advanced store sales position, restructuring departments and modeling customer service techniques to employees.
Assistant Store Manager
Kohl's Department Store
08.1998 - 02.2007
- Promoted from an Area Supervisor to an Assistant Store manager in 18 months
- Store Trainer for new store opening in Lake Zurich, training over 200 associates in an 8 week period
- Opened the Algonquin store as the Assistant Store Manager of Operations
- Held all 3 Assistant Store Manager roles, Soft lines, Hard lines and Operations across 6 different stores
- Recommended and implemented procedural changes to enhance services rendered to customers
- Monitored and adjusted staff schedules based on business requirements
- Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty by building an atmosphere focused on positive, memorable experiences
- Held associates accountable for meeting established operational guidelines, brand standards, customer service expectations, and company policies
- Set forward-thinking policies to meet business needs and boost team success
- Managed business operations, from the back of house to front of house.
Senior Merchandise Assistant
JCPenney
08.1993 - 08.1998
- Defined, designed, and implemented creative visual merchandising strategies
- Created appealing, eye-catching visual displays to lead customers through entire store
- Researched lifecycle, customer demographics, and design trends
- Worked with the Senior Merchandise Manager to understand program intent and implement effective strategies
- Changed displays to promote new product launches and reflect seasonal themes
- Maintained and dressed mannequins to promote clothing and accessories
- Updated the signage to reflect new prices and grab the customer's attention
- Assembled new displays and products for regular promotions and special events
- Consulted with store managers, associates and other staff to determine the optimal placement of products and displays
- Followed master plans when resetting displays and creating new exhibits to showcase specific items.
Education
Associate of Arts - Merchandise Management
Illinois Institute of Art
General Education -
College of DuPage
High School Diploma -
Glenbard East High School
Skills
- Customer focused
- Full-cycle recruitment
- Talent acquisition
- Candidate sourcing & interviews
- Decision making
- Performance evaluation
- Process improvement
- Human resources support
- Sort and vet applicants
- Coordinate recruitment strategies
- Manage employee relations
- Conduct orientations and training
- Boolean Search Techniques
- Recruitment Process Improvement
Certification
Certified Diversity Recruiter
Timeline
Senior Recruiter
Aldi Inc.
04.2022 - Current
Professional Recruiter for Skilled Trades and Engineering
Express Employment Professionals
08.2019 - 04.2022
General Manager
JCPenney
02.2007 - 08.2019
Assistant Store Manager
Kohl's Department Store
08.1998 - 02.2007
Senior Merchandise Assistant
JCPenney
08.1993 - 08.1998
Associate of Arts - Merchandise Management
Illinois Institute of Art
General Education -
College of DuPage
High School Diploma -
Glenbard East High School