Sarah Blake
Los Angeles,CA
Summary
Motivated and compassionate Senior People Leader with extensive experience in employee life cycles, talent acquisition, performance management, learning and development, compliance, and elevating company culture. Passionate about cultivating diverse and inclusive work environments that support employee well-being. Excellent verbal and written communicator, highly organized with strong interpersonal skills.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior People + Culture Manager
Optimist, Inc
07.2021 - Current
- Support employee life cycles by facilitating extensive onboarding and training, scheduling consistent check-ins, conducting and documenting exit interviews.
- Manage talent acquisition process by creating job descriptions, screening resumes,, screening candidates, coordinating interviews with hiring managers, etc.
- Handle verbal and written offer letters for 45+ new hires including negotiations, preparing background checks, and collecting signatures for NDAs.
- Process payroll for 50+ Non-Exempt and Exempt employees, staying on top of submission deadlines and making changes as needed.
- Provide benefit education and support, coordinate open enrollment, and consistently audit company benefit packages to stay competitive and progressive.
- Foster a safe and positive work environment for employees by maintaining compliance with federal and state regulations.
- Facilitate terminations and offboarding as needed.
People + Culture Manager
Youth To The People
03.2019 - 02.2021
- Developed and implemented company culture initiatives such as All Team Retreats, Employee Resource Groups, happy hours, creative birthday and anniversary celebrations, etc.
- Organized DE&I workshops and trainings, collaborating with partners such as, Say Space, TransCanWork, and Jopwell.
- Managed employee relations by mediating conflict-resolution conversations, documenting formal HR complaints and conducting investigations as needed.
- Planned and executed sexual harassment trainings, bi-annual performance management check-ins, learning and development plans for over 60+ employees.
- Handled company-wide communications and HR-related updates, including written and verbal announcements.
Office Manager
Youth To The People
05.2018 - 03.2019
- Received SHRM HR Training and Certification in 2019, and promoted to People + Culture Manager in less than 12 months.
- Helped build the HR-function from the ground-up, growing the YTTP team from 10 to 60+ employees in less than 2 years.
- Creative initiatives to elevate employee experience including Unlimited PTO, WFH days, Amazing Race, 'Birthday Buddies', etc.
- Developed and maintained seating charts, in-office dog policies and schedules, booking conference rooms, distributing parking passes, and more.
- Fostered positive relationships with key office contacts snack vendors, plumbers, electricians, etc.
Office Manager
Clique Media Group
06.2017 - 05.2018
- Supported 200+ employees by staying on top of office supplies inventory, snacks, mail systems, office cleanings, and more.
- Organized and executed company events such as holiday parties, monthly fireside chats, and weekly lunches.
- Managed office monthly budget of $20,000 by making cost efficient choices, filing receipts, and submitting expense reports.
- Served as the main point of contact for all in-office events, handling all communications and answering employee inquiries.
- Helped the People + Culture team in recruiting efforts, attending career fairs, and ordering merch for over 200+ employees.
Advertising Sales Assistant
Meredith Corporation
08.2016 - 06.2017
- Assisted four Advertising Sales Directors in managing Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart Living magazines by staying up-to-date on readership statistics / tabbing relevant editorial for client mailings.
- Submitted manager’s expense reports, answered phones, made travel arrangements and created digital sales presentations for over 30 client meetings.
- Mastered MediaRadar and Salesforce to pull Market Share and Missed Business reports in order to keep prospect opportunities current, while archiving outdated information as needed.
Education
Journalism / Advertising + Public Relations -
University of Arkansas
05.2015
Skills
- HR Legal Compliance
- Compensation and Benefits
- Training and Development
- Recruitment and Hiring
- Applicant Tracking Systems
- HRIS Applications
- Managing Employee Relations
- Onboarding New Employees
- Termination Procedures
- Payroll Preparation
Timeline
Senior People + Culture Manager
Optimist, Inc
07.2021 - Current
People + Culture Manager
Youth To The People
03.2019 - 02.2021
Office Manager
Youth To The People
05.2018 - 03.2019
Office Manager
Clique Media Group
06.2017 - 05.2018
Advertising Sales Assistant
Meredith Corporation
08.2016 - 06.2017
Journalism / Advertising + Public Relations -
University of Arkansas
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