Nicole Balakos, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

• Worked cross-functionally with SAMHSA and other federal agencies to incorporate external perspectives into program development and policy-making, strengthening stakeholder engagement.
• Spearheaded crisis management strategies to address issues swiftly.
• Collaborated with human resources to support employee management and organizational planning.
• Organized and led stakeholder sessions for consensus on strategic plans.
• Facilitated communication with external executives, intergovernmental partners, and key stakeholders to align messaging priorities.
• Facilitated and sustained relationships on national, regional, and local scales to boost bidirectional communication.

Key Achievements:

• Served as Employee Engagement Ambassador for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, concentrating on enhancing engagement scores, increasing the score by 23%.
• Enhanced partner-principal interactions by raising the count of virtual coffee hours from two in 2021 to more than ten during the years 2022-2023.

• Serviced the OPHA stakeholders, which include local public health departments, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), hospitals, clinical professionals, nonprofit community associations, and professional associations of who staff public health.
• Established brand awareness for PHPS through strategic networking and conference participation. Conducted outreach campaigns to assess client needs and tailor staffing solutions. Promoted services by engaging with industry professionals and potential clients at events. Leveraged social media platforms to enhance visibility and attract potential clients.
• Administered PHPS data concerning onboarding, assignments, skills, and availability to guarantee appropriate matching of clients and consultants for assignment effectiveness.

Key Achievement:

• Elevated contracts for 2021/2022 exceeding 200% growth compared to 2020 contracts for PHPS services and secured five new county health department contract clients in first quarter of 2022.

• Managed grants for $240 million Covid-19 CDC funds and supplemental funding programs. Acted as liaison with contracting and procurement to facilitate project activities. Reported on performance measures to ensure accountability and transparency of funding utilization.
• Acted as liaison for internal and external stakeholders, overseeing project development, budgeting, and auditing/evaluating project impact and performance concerning Covid19 federal funds and vaccine programs for Ohio.
• Collaborated with community organizations, health departments, and governmental partners to enhance vaccine distribution.
  Developed a Learning Community of Practice with stakeholders to share best practices in grant funding utilization.
  Partnered with internal and external entities to promote effective vaccine distribution strategies across HHS Region 5.

Key Achievement:

• Aligned prior spending with CDC reporting to incorporate reconciliation and variance analysis of budget changes, bridge funding, and requests for budget adjustments driven by political and programmatic spending shifts. Through collaboration and budget revisions, I reduced the number of active grants to be managed by half.

• Researched industry trends in order to develop innovative solutions that would enable the company's growth.
• Facilitated leadership training to develop new leaders from within, drive change and effectively oversee special projects.

Key Achievements:

• Engaged with ownership and leadership teams to establish direct deposit options for contractors and vendors.
  Implemented base insurance benefits for employees while enhancing contractor offerings.
  Developed onboarding processes that improved staff integration experiences.
  Researched internal compensation, leading to the creation of equitable pay bands and bonuses.
  Formulated a comprehensive recruiting strategy that included hiring practices and standardized interviews.
  Conducted stay interviews as part of talent retention initiatives, improving employee satisfaction.
  Established clear progressive discipline guidelines to facilitate effective communication.
  Managed various ad hoc projects aimed at enhancing organizational effectiveness.

• Managed agency operations encompassing public information officer responsibilities; supervised and enhanced new website development; directed accreditation, performance management, and quality improvement initiatives; facilitated strategic planning processes; oversaw human resources management and workforce development; conducted financial planning and analysis; strengthened community relations; enforced public health laws and regulations; pursued national accreditation efforts.
• Expanded social media audience from fewer than 600 to over 6,300 followers within 14 months. Organized and moderated two televised Town Hall meetings addressing Covid-19 updates. Executed local media outreach, resulting in over 25 times increase in interviews from prior year. Delivered daily social media updates to enhance community engagement on health education topics.
• Collaborated with long-term care facilities, schools, and government agencies to educate on Covid-19 prevention.
  Achieved fewer than 10 cases in long-term care facilities through targeted educational initiatives. Established multiple task forces to engage stakeholder groups in ongoing health education. Facilitated discussions regarding Ohio Department of Health orders to ensure compliance and understanding.

Key Achievement:

• Achieved unanimous 5-0 resolution from Board of Health for exemplary management and handling of pandemic at August 18, 2020, meeting

• Serviced markets with 24 District Managers and approximately 400 retail locations.
  Provided strategic support to three Vice Presidents of Operations for multi-unit district execution. Focused on HR advocacy, including recruiting, staffing, and selection initiatives. Developed and implemented management training programs to enhance leadership skills. Promoted inclusion and diversity through targeted team member relations strategies. Executed performance management processes to drive employee engagement and productivity. Formulated HR policies and strategies aligned with organizational goals. Supported compliance efforts and communication regarding compensation and benefits
• Collaborated with subject matter experts including legal, recruiting, and leave of absence to deliver services to over 4,000 Team Members and address HR needs, decreasing pending leave cases and enhancing proactive HR communication with stores.
• Designed and implemented daily employee relations operations for stores while coaching General Managers and District Managers on front level supervision skills to reduce risk and enhance satisfaction survey empowerment scores without legal challenges to any employment decisions.
• Conducted comprehensive investigations and resolved employee relations issues, including store reports and EthicsPoint hotline, employee engagement, and oversight of informal reports.
• Facilitated professional development and feedback to cultivate internal leadership through succession planning.
  Established an internal talent pool for vacancies, reducing regional managerial hiring time.

Key Achievement:

• Executed rollout of two major change management systems for WorkDay in HRIS and Recruiting, and MyDay for scheduling, labor management, and store operations.

• Directed full life cycle of recruiting and talent development for 2,700 FTE base encompassing direct care individuals, clinical staff, fiscal, operations, administrative, management, and provided personal recruitment of executive personnel.
• Collaborated with state leaders to assess managerial talent and identify development needs. Established succession pipelines and performance improvement plans as needed.
  Utilized LinkedIn, Indeed, and employee referrals for recruiting active and passive candidates. Trained recruiters on sourcing passive candidates to enhance acceptance rates. Reduced time to fill positions through strategic recruitment initiatives.
  Managed lifecycle of hard-to-fill and executive-level roles to ensure successful placements.

Key Achievements:

• Implemented TextRecruit software platform for recruiting teams, enhancing candidate response rates from 30% with email/phone to 70% through TextRecruit deployment
• Designed and executed launch of E-Offer for recruitment team, significantly shortening candidate offer process and onboarding timeline. Conducted training on HRIS Taleo, interview protocols, background verification, and recruiting analytics. Reduced time to post job openings by 30% and time to acceptance by 24% through effective staff development. Created detailed recruiting reports to support strategic hiring initiatives.

• Led the HR function of a multi-state team overseeing strategic HR operations, alongside direct reports managing tactical HR activities for approximately 1,800 to 2,400 FTE employees.
• Developed and implemented statewide structured interview process and rubric for reorganization and future hires.
  Trained operating personnel in behavioral interview techniques and rating systems.
  Educated front line managers on effective hiring practices to ensure successful candidate selection.
• Directed an internal audit initiative in WV resulting from an HR employee relations investigation, identifying patterns of waste and lack of controls, saving 30% of spending in those categories.
• Developed and implemented statewide employee relations practices to standardize responses across operating groups.
  Investigated all high-level EthicsPoint hotline complaints to ensure compliance and resolution. Conducted trend analysis of lower-level calls to identify systemic issues and enhance response strategies.
  Performed random reviews of reports to maintain oversight and improve reporting accuracy.

Key Achievement:

• Provided extensive HR project management support for legal matters, including EEOC cases and age discrimination claims.
  Streamlined ADA accommodation requests and processed unemployment and workers compensation claims, reducing overall processing time. Achieved month-over-month increases in hiring and vacancy goals through strategic planning. Chaired state safety committee, implementing major process improvements to enhance workplace safety. Led annual state salary survey for provider associations, ensuring competitive compensation evaluations.
  Facilitated communication strategies and team support during acquisitions and divestitures, promoting seamless transitions.