Passionate about learning and development, with a strong focus on fostering workplace motivation, enhancing organizational culture, and driving employee engagement Enthusiastic about transformational and servant leadership and its impact on empowering teams, building trust, and achieving organizational success
MARIAH DESPYNE
Moreno Valley,CA
Summary
Dynamic and results-driven Human Resources professional with over three years of progressive experience in manufacturing and industrial environments. Currently excelling as a Human Resources Partner at GAF, with a proven track record of managing diverse HR functions, including employee relations, compliance, training, talent acquisition, and HRIS management. Adept at building strong relationships with employees and leadership teams to create an inclusive, engaging, and high-performing workplace culture.
Highly skilled in leveraging technology, such as Workday HRIS and ADP Workforce Now, to streamline HR operations, enhance data accuracy, and optimize workforce management processes. Demonstrates exceptional problem-solving abilities and a proactive approach to addressing workplace challenges, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance with federal and state labor laws.
A dedicated professional with a strong foundation in industrial-organizational psychology, passionate about fostering organizational growth through innovative HR strategies and employee development initiatives. Recognized for exceptional communication, time management, and a collaborative leadership style that drives employee engagement and operational success.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
HR Partner
GAF Building Materials
03.2022 - Current
- Participate in daily operations meetings to stay informed on departmental tasks, challenges, and objectives, ensuring HR initiatives align with operational priorities.
- Provide critical HR updates, including staffing levels, attendance trends, compliance reminders, and policy changes, to support informed decision-making across departments.
- Serve as a liaison between HR and other departments, fostering collaboration and addressing workforce-related concerns in real-time.
- Partner with resolving understaffing issues, employee terminations, and disciplinary procedures.
- Investigated and liaised with legal department to respond to complaints of harassment, discrimination, employee grievances, and other sensitive issues and.
- Collaborated with leadership to assess and improve policies across board.
- Maintained confidential nature of employee and company proprietary and privileged information used or observed in course of performing job duties.
- 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.
- Spearhead employee relations efforts, conducting workplace investigations, coaching managers, and resolving employee concerns while ensuring adherence to federal and state employment laws.
- Oversee the integrity and functionality of HRIS systems (Workday), including data accuracy, troubleshooting, and process improvements.
- Lead training and development sessions for management on e-Time systems, compliance policies, and performance management.
- Drive employee engagement through the planning and execution of team-building events, recognition programs, and engagement surveys, fostering a collaborative environment.
- Manage leave of absence cases, coordinating with third-party administrators to ensure compliance with FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, and other regulations.
- Assist in talent acquisition efforts, supporting recruitment activities, onboarding, and workforce planning for hourly and salaried positions.
- Partner with HR team and other Leadership to develop and deliver special events and company branding for employees.
- Champion process improvement initiatives, developing written procedures and enhancing communication channels to ensure clarity and consistency in HR practices.
- Support developing initiative for comprehensive process for new hires and reviewed new hire productivity, optimizing onboarding effectiveness.
- Enhanced team workflows and employee job satisfaction by coordinating communication between managers and employees.
- Support the implementation for forward-thinking initiatives to improve employee engagement such as FORCE and the Buddy Program.
- Worked with managers to achieve compliance with organizational policies, providing clarifying information and recommending necessary changes.
- Worked with Corporate HR Leaders to distribute employee engagement surveys to identify areas of improvement, and provide feedback to Senior Leadership to highlight calls to action.
- Utilized compliance tools, corrective actions and identification of deficiencies to mitigate audit risks.
- Collaborate with the Talent Acquisition (TA) team to plan and execute large-scale hiring events, such as Powerdays, ensuring seamless coordination and successful candidate engagement.
- Coordinate and schedule meetings with operations leadership to discuss workforce planning, address HR-related concerns, and align on organizational priorities. Actively solicit their feedback on needs or concerns to ensure HR strategies and initiatives are tailored to best support their teams and operational goals.
HR Coordinator - Contingent
GAF Building Materials
01.2020 - 03.2022
- Open enrollment in benefits
- Organize EHS training for all employees
- Partner with staffing agencies and oversee all temp labor
- Respond to employee inquiries on ADP/e-Time administration; re-set passwords as needed
- Follow and implement all safety policies including Covid-19 policies
- Maintained human resources information system and kept employee files up to date and accurate.
- Supported human resources staff with new hire orientations and monthly departmental meetings.
- Evaluated timecards for accuracy on regular and overtime hours.
- Reviewed human resources paperwork for accuracy and completeness.
- Supported HR functions with emphasis on record keeping, data entry, and general HR tasks.
- Compiled and monitored data for employee records and personnel documents to support accurate recordkeeping.
- Conducted new employee onboarding and provided ongoing orientation training.
- Supported employee relations, cultivating retention with welcoming and inclusive work culture.
- Handled employee inquiries and complaints regarding policy and benefits issues.
- Worked with managers to achieve compliance with organizational policies, providing clarifying information and recommending necessary changes.
- Maintained current knowledge of industry regulations and legislation to amend policies and promote compliance.
- Enhanced team workflows and employee job satisfaction by coordinating communication between managers and employees.
- Instructed senior leaders on appropriate employee corrective steps.
- Updated training processes by reviewing existing documentation, leveraging feedback from associates and working with legal and compliance teams.
- Distributed employee engagement surveys to identify areas of improvement.
- Utilized compliance tools, corrective actions and identification of deficiencies to mitigate audit risks.
HR Intern
Southwire
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Maintained relationships with personnel using strong collaboration and teamwork skills.
- Ensured compliance with wage and hour laws through accurate review and correction of timecard discrepancies.
- Scheduled transportation and distribution trucks for material pickup and delivery, ensuring smooth logistics operations.
- Ordered office supplies through Amazon and managed procurement processes via SAP and ProcureIt systems.
- Provided exceptional customer service by addressing general inquiries and assisting employees with benefits, payroll, and attendance questions.
- Coordinated interviews for internal candidates, collaborating with hiring managers to streamline the recruitment process.
- Enhanced employee engagement by organizing recognition programs and team-building events such as Employee of the Month/Year celebrations.
- Filed paperwork, sorted, and delivered mail and maintained office organization.
- Developed strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Updated and maintained employee records to respond quickly to requests for information.
- Recorded employee complaints and helped resolve conflicts to address issues quickly and promote healthy work environments.
- Developed and monitored employee recognition programs.
- Maintained accurate records of safety behavior observation sheets, ensuring compliance with safety protocols and supporting a safe work environment.
Clerk Typist
McMurtrey Aquatic Center
01.2017 - 08.2018
- Provided administrative and customer support to registered participants in swim lessons and other aquatic programs
- Organized and prioritized proofreading, spell checking, document filing and data entry.
- Designed documents, brochures and contract bids in Adobe InDesign.
- Typed official correspondence and reports from handwritten notes and other information sources.
- Answered and routed incoming calls and took messages when personnel were unavailable.
- Reviewed records, paperwork, and orders for errors and resolved issues with minimal direction.
Education
Ph.D. - Leadership Studies
California Baptist University
Riverside, CA05-2027
Master of Science - INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
California Baptist University
Riverside, CA04-2020
Bachelor of Science - BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - HUMAN RESOURCES
California State University, Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA05-2018
Skills
- Microsoft Office 365/GSuite
- ADP Workforce Now
- SuccessFactors HRIS
- SAP/ProcureIt
- Interview techniques
- Employee surveys
- Organizational development
- Payroll management
- Diversity and inclusion
- Reviewing compliance
- Optimizing performance
- Improving employee engagement
- Policy implementation
- Work culture enhancement
- Internal communications
- Legal compliance
- Integrating policies
- Workforce planning
- Labor law compliance
- Recruitment strategies
- Grievance handling
- Administrative Support
- Coordination and Planning
- Ordering/Procurement
- Workday HRIS
- Time management
- Fast Learner
- Communication
Accomplishments
Professional Development:
- Courageous Conversations
- Unlocking the Art of Accountability
- DISC Birds
- Frontline Operator Leadership
- FORCE Wave 1 & 2
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Business Acumen
- The Presentation Advantage
- Personal Branding: Increasing Your Credibility and Influence
- Skillful 1:1 Meetings
Teamwork & Collaboration:
- Collaborated with team of 4 in the development of Consulting Project.
- Achieved staffing and job placement for 12-2 and 24/7 schedule by completing interviews and partnering with operations team with accuracy and efficiency.
Affiliations
- SHRM Student Member-2024: Active student member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), engaging in professional development opportunities, networking, and staying informed on the latest trends and best practices in the HR field.
- Black In HR Member-2024: Member of Black In HR, engaging in a supportive community focused on professional development, networking, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the HR field. Actively participate in live webinars covering various HR topics to enhance knowledge and stay current on industry trends.
- Active participant in LinkedIn Learning, engaging in professional development courses to enhance skills and knowledge in areas such as leadership, communication, workplace motivation, and employee engagement.
Interests
Timeline
HR Partner
GAF Building Materials
03.2022 - Current
HR Coordinator - Contingent
GAF Building Materials
01.2020 - 03.2022
HR Intern
Southwire
01.2019 - 01.2020
Clerk Typist
McMurtrey Aquatic Center
01.2017 - 08.2018
Ph.D. - Leadership Studies
California Baptist University
Master of Science - INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
California Baptist University
Bachelor of Science - BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - HUMAN RESOURCES
California State University, Bakersfield
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