Kara Lindsey
Pleasant Hill,IA
Summary
Professional Talent Acquisition Partner with strong focus on team collaboration and achieving results. Adept at sourcing and recruiting top talent, managing full-cycle recruitment processes, and building strong relationships with stakeholders. Reliable and adaptable, with keen insights into evolving hiring needs and trends. Skilled in candidate assessment, strategic planning, and fostering inclusive work environments. Passionate about hiring top talent and leadership roles for an organization.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Talent Acquisition Partner
Principal Financial Group
05.2024 - Current
- Collaborated with hiring managers to define role requirements and streamline recruitment processes.
- Conducted in-depth interviews and assessments to evaluate candidate fit and alignment with organizational culture.
- Lead full-cycle recruitment for accounting, finance, marketing and a variety of other positions enterprise-wide including some leadership roles.
- Partner with HRBPs and Compensation teams to develop competitive offers and talent strategies
- Provide strategic consultation to leaders on talent acquisition, market trends, and succession planning
- Source and assess diverse candidate pools using data-driven insights
- Optimized job descriptions with keyword-rich content to improve visibility on job boards and attract relevant applicants.
- Partnered with external search firms when needed to augment internal resources and secure hard-to-find talent quickly.
- Trained hiring managers on best practices in interviewing and selection techniques, increasing overall effectiveness of recruitment efforts.
- Manage offer negotiations and compensation packages to secure top talent
- Foster positive candidate experience to enhance engagement and cultural alignment
Talent Acquisition Manager
EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
09.2023 - 05.2024
- Maintained applicant tracking system database records.
- Consulted with hiring managers to further understand business requirements and inform pipeline development.
- Kept abreast of industry best practices related to talent acquisition.
- Advised senior leadership on staffing strategies for current and future organizational needs.
- Analyzed trends in hiring processes and made recommendations for improvement.
- Designed and executed talent acquisition strategies to enhance organization visibility in key recruiting markets.
- Collaborated with hiring managers to determine staffing needs and job requirements.
- Encouraged internal employee growth by focusing on talent within organization.
- Performed data analysis of metrics related to recruitment efforts.
- Negotiated contract terms with third-party vendors providing recruitment services.
- Participated in diversity initiatives within the organization.
- Ensured compliance with all applicable laws pertaining to employment practices.
- Conducted employee performance reviews and implemented corrective actions to increase productivity.
- Handled employee discipline and termination to address policy infractions.
- Developed and implemented innovative recruiting processes to attract top-tier candidates effectively.
- Collaborated with department heads to understand specific hiring needs and create tailored job descriptions.
- Developed and implemented innovative recruitment campaigns utilizing social media platforms and industry networks.
- Led talent acquisition strategies to attract top-tier candidates across multiple departments.
Talent Acquisition Manager
RSM US LLP
08.2018 - 09.2023
- Built robust pipeline and diverse pool of candidates to meet current or future hiring needs.
- Hired in all lines of business for the firm in audit, tax and consulting
- Managed 3 employees while holding a requisition load of over 100 requisitions
- Enterprise Employee Network Group Leader for Interfaith for 2 plus years
- Helped a sourcing team to gather market intel and increase sourcing/recruiting strategies
- Top of the recruiting matrix for all 8 years
- Managed 10 plus people being the National Leader for the Interfaith Employee Network Group
- Hired 80-150 people yearly for 8 years
- Analyzed hiring and retention trends to inform organizational talent priorities.
- Conducted interviews, reference checks, background investigations, and other pre-employment activities.
- Encouraged internal employee growth by focusing on talent within organization.
- Collaborated with hiring managers to determine staffing needs and job requirements.
- Identified talent management priorities and goals and collaborated closely with human resource personnel.
- Ensured compliance with all applicable laws pertaining to employment practices.
- Negotiated between talent and various agencies for contractual arrangements.
- Controlled a budget while overseeing execution of strategic plan, business procedures and operational processes.
- Advised senior leadership on staffing strategies for current and future organizational needs.
- Consulted with hiring managers to further understand business requirements and inform pipeline development.
- Developed job postings to attract qualified talent.
- Created strategies for sourcing passive candidates through research and networking activities.
- Participated in diversity initiatives within the organization.
- Researched industry trends to inform compensation and performance strategies.
- Created staff teams based on employee strengths and made adjustments to promote overall productivity.
- Utilized applicant tracking systems to manage candidate pipelines efficiently while maintaining accurate records of all applicants.
- Sourced, screened and interviewed potential candidates using various methods such as job postings, referrals, recruiting databases.
- Monitored the effectiveness of recruiting efforts by tracking metrics such as time-to-fill rate, cost per hire.
- Evaluated applicants' skills and qualifications against job requirements.
- Managed full-cycle recruitment for diverse roles, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and best practices.
- Mentored junior recruiters, fostering skill development and promoting best practices in talent sourcing.
Senior Talent Acquisition Associate
RSM US LLP
12.2014 - 08.2018
- Sourcing, screening, tracking, and recommending qualified candidates
- Sourcing passive candidates through networking, cold calling, complex internet searches and research
- Executing sourcing strategies that produce a diverse slate of candidates - Developing extensive pipeline candidate pools to fill current and potential needs
- Communicating with candidates/new hires (phone and email) throughout entire hiring and orientation process
- Provided guidance to hiring managers throughout the entire recruitment process.
- Attended career fairs and job expos to promote employer brand and attract top talent.
- Advised management on effective strategies for attracting diverse talent pools.
- Developed and maintained relationships with hiring managers to ensure recruitment needs were met.
- Streamlined candidate sourcing process to enhance talent pipeline efficiency.
- Collaborated with hiring managers to define role requirements and create targeted job descriptions.
Recruiting Specialist/Recruiting Consultant
Nationwide
05.2012 - 12.2014
- Maintained strong relationships with clients by providing excellent customer service.
- Volume recruiting for sales and retention
- Hired over 300 people in sales and retention
- Displayed strong telephone etiquette, effectively handling difficult calls.
- Identified needs of customers promptly and efficiently.
- Maintained positive working relationship with fellow staff and management.
- Set specific goals for projects to measure progress and evaluate end results.
- Worked with current clients to assess needs and develop improvement plans.
- Conducted initial phone screens with potential candidates to determine qualifications.
- Identified qualified candidates through sourcing techniques such as job boards, social media, and internal databases.
- Scheduled interviews between hiring managers and applicants.
- Managed candidate communication throughout the recruiting process via email or phone calls.
- Participated in career fairs to network with potential candidates.
Senior Recruitment Workforce Specialist
CDS Global
04.2008 - 04.2012
- Recruit and employ (including job postings, interviewing at the exempt/nonexempt level
- Develops and maintains effective working relationships with placement agencies
- Conducts employment related training to managers and supervisors
- Works on projects as needed which may include some employee relations; job evaluations
- Salary negotiations, job description reviews/updates, attending career fairs, department meetings.
- Conducted job interviews to assess prospective candidates' qualifications and abilities.
- Organized career fairs and open house events to attract potential applicants.
- Developed recruitment strategies, including sourcing methods, advertisement campaigns, referral programs and other initiatives.
- Established strong partnerships with key stakeholders across the organization.
- Collaborated with management teams to identify staffing needs and develop job descriptions.
- Provided guidance on compensation packages that are competitive within the industry.
- Screened resumes, conducted phone screens and scheduled in-person interviews.
- Monitored hiring progress against established goals and objectives throughout the year.
- Maintained accurate records of all recruiting activities in Applicant Tracking System.
- Coached hiring managers on the recruitment process and best practices.
- Conducted exit interviews for departing employees to gain insights into improvement areas.
- Participated in job fairs, campus visits and other events to build a pipeline of qualified candidates.
- Assisted with onboarding new hires by providing orientation information and training materials.
Recruiting Supervisor
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
02.2001 - 04.2008
- Recruits for highly specialized positions, including an emphasis on leadership positions
- Retention of approximately 117 full-time employees
- Top 5% in company for hires per recruiter
- Top recruiter at University of Iowa in 2004
- Utilize and develop skills of interviewing, mock interviewing, classroom presentations, career fairs, strategy and coordination, delivered organizational formal presentations
- Oversee entire recruitment process for 51 rental branches across the states of Iowa/Illinois
- Partners with recruiting leadership and senior management to support strategic business
- Creates recruiting pipeline of specialized candidates, including a diverse pool, for their areas of recruiting
- Provides training and develops interview guides and other services for those involved in staffing
- Plans recruiting strategies to address workforce-planning needs for business units in partnership with HR
- Establishes procedures and methods for recruiting by studying the effect of market trends and conditions
- Coordinates recruiting process from sourcing to interviewing through offer stage
- Prepares and implements recruiting plans within budgetary guidelines
- Leads and participates in special projects and task teams at the direction of leadership
- Resolved client issues by delivering excellent customer service and maintaining positive attitude.
- Managed the full cycle recruitment process from sourcing through onboarding of new employees.
- Organized training sessions for staff members on effective recruiting methods.
- Provided support during the offer negotiation process between applicants and hiring managers.
- Developed and implemented new recruiting strategies to attract talent.
- Analyzed applicant resumes against job requirements prior to scheduling an interview.
- Conducted phone interviews and face-to-face interviews with potential candidates.
- Advised management on strategies for improving recruitment efforts across the organization.
- Created reports on recruitment activities and metrics such as time-to-fill, cost per hire, source effectiveness.
- Ensured compliance with all federal, state and local regulations related to human resources activities.
- Maintained accurate records of employee referrals, recruitment sources, applicant tracking information and other pertinent data.
- Assisted in the development of job postings and job descriptions for open positions.
- Scheduled or conducted new employee orientations.
Management Trainee
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
05.1998 - 02.2001
- Attend national training meetings several times throughout each year
- Train branch managers, area managers and Group Rental Managers on interviewing
- Developed female focus group in Des Moines to help promotion and percentage of female hires
- Helped with exit interviews, employee opinion surveys and other HR projects
- Achieved company promotional goals at 8 months and 15 months
- Oversaw rental branch management including a sales and maintenance staff, all aspects of the business
- Achieved manager recognition for top 10% of company from 3 pillars.
- Resolved customer issues efficiently to build loyalty.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism/ Mass Communications
Simpson College
Indianola, IA05.1998
Skills
- Recruitment
- Building Partnerships
- Talent Management
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Executive Recruiting
- Improving Organizational Standards
- Staff Management
- Employee Referral Programs
- Relationship Building
- Recruitment and Hiring
- Recruiting and Interviewing
- Problem-Solving
- Performance Optimization
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Employee Development
- Management Support
- Social Media Recruiting
- Candidate Sourcing
- Recruitment process improvement
- Candidate relationship management
- Recruitment metrics analysis
- Boolean search techniques
- Strategic sourcing
- Behavioral interviewing
- Social media recruiting
- Campus recruitment
- Offer negotiation
- Candidate sourcing
Timeline
Talent Acquisition Partner
Principal Financial Group
05.2024 - Current
Talent Acquisition Manager
EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
09.2023 - 05.2024
Talent Acquisition Manager
RSM US LLP
08.2018 - 09.2023
Senior Talent Acquisition Associate
RSM US LLP
12.2014 - 08.2018
Recruiting Specialist/Recruiting Consultant
Nationwide
05.2012 - 12.2014
Senior Recruitment Workforce Specialist
CDS Global
04.2008 - 04.2012
Recruiting Supervisor
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
02.2001 - 04.2008
Management Trainee
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
05.1998 - 02.2001
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism/ Mass Communications
Simpson College
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