Carmen Zayas

Company Overview: Nonprofit organization dedicated to ending youth homelessness through workforce development, housing, and counseling.

Partner with fellow executives to advance organizational strategy and ensure people initiatives directly support mission-driven outcomes.

Lead cultural transformation and leadership development efforts that strengthen the organization’s ability to deliver critical services to vulnerable youth.

Architect a people strategy across talent acquisition, development, and retention to build a high-performing, values-driven workforce.

Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices, embedding them throughout the employee lifecycle to foster trust and engagement.

Introduce people analytics and metrics dashboards that drive evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Company Overview: US Tax Consultancy in Energy Field
• Reinforced and elevated the company culture and people philosophy by liaising with the other executives to create and champion enterprise-wide initiatives that contributed to the company's market competitiveness and staff's high performance.
• Designed the organization's first People Strategy, a strategy informed by business needs and culture – focused on purpose, engagement, and personalized employee experience. Roadmap to align people initiatives.
• Created and implemented a leadership development program for our Managers and Sr. Managers. Resulted in greater efficiency and effectiveness of our managers.
• Deployed Employee Engagement survey analyzed results, which informed leadership action plans. Introduced Coaching as a key part of managerial success.
• Compiled a Development Matrix that delineated technical, people, and leadership skills needed at every consultant level, as well as resources that addressed those needs.

• Company Overview: International, multi-office, mid-sized cyber breach response technology company.
• Designed organization's first People Strategy, which led to increased employee engagement and increased retention.
• Championed agile talent acquisition programs that resulted in recruitment of top performers in highly competitive tech industry.
• Deployed Gallup Employee Engagement survey & other feedback tools that increased data-driven decisions. Created metrics dashboard to keep BOD abreast of people initiatives/strategies/outcomes.
• Overhauled compensation/performance review process to recognize and reward high-impact top performers. Results included increased staff performance, equity, inclusion, and retention.
• Successfully led organization-wide transition effort from office to remote status while increasing employee engagement, retention, and continued productivity.
• Refined benefits administration to be more accountable and improved open enrollment processes that increased employee knowledge/better utilization of benefits offered.

• Company Overview: Fast-paced data breach response / digital ID protection tech company
• Selected based on stellar reputation to direct all HR strategies for 150-200 employee fast-paced data breach response / digital ID protection tech company headquartered in downtown Austin and branch in Oslo, Norway
• Demonstrated profound expertise when providing guidance and strategies to improve HR processes regarding Talent Acquisition, Benefits, Employee Development, Leadership Training, Employee Relations, and succession planning
• Successfully led organization-wide transition effort from office to remote status, while increasing employee engagement, retention, and continued productivity
• Drove successful corporate culture transformation: Coached Leaders on performance management, stay interviews, interview techniques, and employee relations
• Refined benefits administration to be more accountable and improved open enrollment processes that increased employee knowledge/better usage of benefits offered

• Company Overview: Multi-branch commercial landscape company, $36M revenues, 400+ employees
• Collaborated with executive leadership to align human resources strategy with overall business objectives, driving improved organizational performance. Increased retention by 10%.
• Provided guidance and leadership to the HR team on payroll, talent acquisition, employee relations, employee engagement, benefits, and workforce analytics
• Vetted HRIS vendors and led the implementation of a new HRIS system
• Built HR governance capability to ensure that the HR function is in 100% compliance.
• Played an instrumental role in opening the Dallas branch.
• Utilized excellent contract negotiation skills to achieve an ACA-compliant healthcare plan that saved $60k
• Managed complex labor relations issues. Successfully negotiated the DOL penalty from $26k down to $0
• Significantly lowered TWC percentage (lowest rate possible).

• Company Overview: Central Texas social entrepreneur non-profit organization, multiple retail stores. $73M in revenues, 1,400+ employees.
• Led and directed the activities of ~15 HR, benefits, talent acquisition, and talent development professionals and allocated responsibilities for 25 in-store trainers. Significant impact on all aspects of organization and staff performance.
• Conceived and executed an award-winning Leadership Development Program and OD initiatives that reduced attrition by 15% and increased internal promotions by 70%.
• Led compensation strategies with the Board of Directors. Established strong relationships internally and within the community.
• Formed strong multi-departmental partnerships to tackle all HR-related concerns and drive organizational goals.
• Introduced new Internship Program that added an extra ~3,000 hours of service to the organization while developing better leaders in our community
• Advocated for and defended all EEOC, NLRB, OFCCP, OSHA, and TWC claims, achieving a 95%-100% win rate
• Valued as a key contributor on various committees such as the Executive team, Strategic Planning, Board of Directors Executive Committee, Baldridge Quality Team, IT Steering Committee, and the Lead Change Management Dream Team.

• Company Overview: National Business unit within an International service company. HR leader over four states (TX, OK, CO, AZ) and 1500+ employees
• Coached and led former owners of businesses competing with one another in Central Texas into a cohesive team that exceeded revenue, customer satisfaction, and employee growth numbers
• Liaison between division and corporate headquarters on all people-related activities. Successfully implemented people initiatives throughout the region/division.
• As a divisional leader, played a significant role in people initiatives and employee development that led to the Region surpassing budgetary, retention, customer service, and safety goals.
• Valued member of three national best practices committees– Recruitment, Benefits, and H2B Visas that developed best practices implemented nationally.