Sherry Gray
Bixby,OK
Summary
Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong work ethic, adaptability, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Benefits Specialist
GATEWAY FIRST BANK
JENKS, OK
11.2021 - 01.2024
- Benefits administration for employee lifecycle
- Primary contact for benefits vendors; collaborate research issues for problem resolution
- Maintain employee benefits files and corresponding payroll files
- Provide excellent customer to employees for anything benefits related
- Conduct benefit plan audits and prepare associated reports
- Create benefits cost analysis to be reviewed by the Board
- Communicate benefit information to employees through new employee orientation, annual renewal presentations and daily/weekly/monthly email communication
- Review and ensure compliance with Federal and State laws as it pertains to employee benefits
- Manage the reconciliation of health plan monthly eligibility reports and billing with vendors
- Assist with data entry into ADP HRIS system
- Handle all unemployment claims, hearings, verifications of employment, parental leave, FLMA, Worker's Comp and tuition reimbursements
- Manage new hire surveys and exit interviews.
- Assisted with audits by preparing accounts and providing information.
- Explained the impact of life events such as marriage or divorce on benefits enrollment status.
- Processed benefit enrollment forms, changes, and terminations.
- Coordinated open enrollment activities including meetings and communication campaigns.
- Researched and resolved employee inquiries regarding benefits programs.
- Developed training materials to educate staff on benefit plans available to them.
- Processed invoices from vendors providing services related to benefit administration.
- Conducted new hire orientations to explain benefits packages.
- Cultivated relationships with vendors to secure competitive pricing for services provided.
- Maintained records of employee participation in various benefits programs.
- Administered employee insurance, pension and savings plans, working with insurance brokers and plan carriers.
- Communicated effectively via email, phone and face-to-face with plan participants to resolve issues pertaining to health and welfare benefits.
- Oversaw enrollment of new employees and company-wide yearly enrollment period.
Recruitment Specialist
Gateway First Bank
Jenks, OK
01.2019 - 10.2021
- Partner with HR and Hiring Managers across all business lines to identify key Corporate and Retail recruiting needs
- Utilize effective recruitment techniques to attract highly qualified candidates
- Conduct phone and in-person interviews with candidates
- Assess strength of qualifications against job requirements and recommend qualified candidates to hiring managers.
- April 2019, I recruited and filled 97 open positions. In the mortgage industry, this was a very active time.
Recruitment Coordinator
Gateway First Bank
Jenks, Oklahoma
05.2015 - 12.2018
- Identify and develop a pipeline of qualified candidates by establishing relationships with Placement Agencies Colleges, Universities, and Technical Schools
- Schedule and attend job fairs
- Keep abreast of evolving mortgage industry trends, recruiting strategies and best practices, sourcing streams and adjust tactics accordingly to ensure hiring objectives are met successfully
- Maintain and manage the entire recruitment life cycle
- Due to the complexity of compensation plans, created a process flow for a database application that would provide a more standardized approach creating more defined parameters for hiring managers
- Maintain candidate submittal, tracking and hiring statistics to prepare regular reports to be used against key performance metrics
- Work with IT for database application development to meet organizational needs
- Project Manager over CompSpot (internal compensation application) development
- CompSpot enhanced HR and Payroll functions and contain all compensation plans for Retail employees
- Process background checks, create offer letters, conduct new hire orientations with knowledge of benefits.
HR Representative
Gateway First Bank
Jenks, OK
05.2015 - 06.2017
- Assisted with outreach and recruitment activities to acquire qualified talent.
- Advised management on organizing, preparing or implementing recruiting or retention programs.
- Assisted with recruitment initiatives by interviewing and talent sourcing.
- Researched best practices for recruiting strategies to ensure a qualified applicant pool.
- Identified opportunities to improve HR programs and proposed solutions to increase efficiencies.
- Maintained human resources records by processing applications and resumes.
- Provide PTO coverage to HR Generalist and Benefits Administrator to include various aspects of the new hire onboarding and benefit process.
Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher
LEGACY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
BROKEN ARROW, OK
08.2010 - 05.2015
2nd Grade Teacher
SUMMIT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
BROKEN ARROW, OK
08.2009 - 08.2010
4-Year-Old Teacher Aide
BROKEN ARROW PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BROKEN ARROW, OK
08.2008 - 08.2009
HR Coordinator/Assistant HR Director
Union Public Schools
Tulsa, Oklahoma
10.2000 - 10.2003
- Responsible for disciplinary investigations up to and including terminations of Support Employees involving Affirmative Action and EEOC to promote equitable workplace
- Backed up Director with Certified Employee discipline issues and terminations
- Supported Human Resources Director and administration by performing research and providing input on policies and procedures
- Represented human resource at personnel-related hearings, investigations and meetings and provided information to assist legal defense for EEOC employment claims and lawsuits
- Participated at strategic and operational level projects to develop and strengthen human resources services, relationships and mission
- Highly skilled in troubleshooting and resolved problems in areas of administration training, communication, and conflict management
- Advised management on proper ways to address employee related issues following Human Resource and Union laws and guidelines
- Maintained current knowledge of industry regulations and legislation to amend policies and promote compliance
- Wrote policies and procedures for contract negotiations with Certified and Support Unions. Educated employees on company policy and kept employee handbook current
- Responsible for job descriptions, reviews and salary increases
- Recruited top talent to maximize profitability
- Processed pre-employment background checks
- Supported employee relations, cultivating retention with welcoming an inclusive work culture
- Developed and administered internal surveys to evaluate employee satisfaction
- Explained employee compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, and promotion opportunities
- Reviewed human resources paperwork for accuracy and completeness
- Managed HR staff and oversaw completion of tasks and initiatives
Employment Specialist
St. John Health System
Tulsa, Oklahoma
07.1997 - 10.1999
- Recruit for Allied Health positions for the hospital and medical positions for the physician offices
- Placement of job ads, recruitment functions and job fairs
- Contact with temporary agencies to place employees in vacant positions
- Review resumes and applications for job placement opportunities.
Human Resources Specialist
St. John's Health System
Tulsa, OK
1997 - 1999
- Facilitate new employee orientation and conduct employee satisfaction survey
- Maintain open position list and postings, termination files and employee files
- Ensured timely and accurate completion of job descriptions, performance evaluations and training/orientation
- Responsible for benefit administration including Medical, Dental, and 401K, Life Insurance, Short Term Disability and Worker’s Compensation
- Manage employees for open enrollment and monthly eligibility
- Employee relations to ensure compliance with all HR and related laws and company policies and procedures
- Provide statistical information to CEO, management team and governing body
- Complete all other human resources functions such as terminations, status changes, compensation, position control and job classification for each employee and cost center.
Education
B.S. Human Resources & Family Science -
University of Nebraska
Skills
- Microsoft Office/Word/Excel
- ADP HRIS System
- PowerPoint
- CompSpot
- XDocs
- ZipRecruiter
- Indeed
- Employee Relations
- Policy Interpretation
- ADP Workforce Now
- Human Resources Management
- New employee enrollment
- Documentation and reporting
- Relationship building
- Written and oral communication
- Data Entry
- Multitasking Abilities
- Active Listening
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- MS Office
Affiliations
- TAHRA
- SHRM
Characteristics
- Reliable
- Problem Solver
- Collaborative
- Team Player
- Resourceful
- Ethical
- Dedicated
- Adaptable
Accomplishments
- Beginning in 2021, 2022, and 2023 I submitted our Open Enrollment campaign for the HR Stevie Award. Each year our team won the Bronze Award.
CompSpot
- In 2017, I saw the need for improvement in our compensation plans for our Retail Division. I envisioned a program process that would set parameters, simplify the process, and put in place an approval process that resulted in a professional compensation plan. I was the project manager over the project working with the CHRO, RVPs, Legal, Payroll, Learning and Development and IT team members to build the program and to educate Managers on how to use it. To date, this program is still being used.
References
References available upon request.
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Quote
If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.
Steve Jobs
Timeline
Benefits Specialist
GATEWAY FIRST BANK
11.2021 - 01.2024
Recruitment Specialist
Gateway First Bank
01.2019 - 10.2021
Recruitment Coordinator
Gateway First Bank
05.2015 - 12.2018
HR Representative
Gateway First Bank
05.2015 - 06.2017
Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher
LEGACY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
08.2010 - 05.2015
2nd Grade Teacher
SUMMIT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
08.2009 - 08.2010
4-Year-Old Teacher Aide
BROKEN ARROW PUBLIC SCHOOLS
08.2008 - 08.2009
HR Coordinator/Assistant HR Director
Union Public Schools
10.2000 - 10.2003
Employment Specialist
St. John Health System
07.1997 - 10.1999
Human Resources Specialist
St. John's Health System
1997 - 1999
B.S. Human Resources & Family Science -
University of Nebraska