Connie Huber, PHR, SHRM-CP

Experience

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  Cobos Group

  Jun 1994 - Sept 2001

  HR Consultant

  As a Recruiter, Generalist, and HR Manager, I provided contractual support to a diverse group of companies, including Starbucks, BF Goodrich, and PrecorUSA. I placed high-quality candidates into professional, technical, and administrative positions in a wide array of company cultures.

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  OfficeMax

  Jan 2002 - May 2008

  During this time, I progressed to provide HR leadership to district managers and store teams across the Arizona and Southern California region, comprised 80 stores and ~2,000 employees. I consulted with upper management on key HR issues, created strategies to align HR activities with corporate objectives, and spearheaded efforts to improve the culture as an advocate and champion. Of course, I ensured compliance with all regulations, including OSHA, EEO, FLSA, and AAP.Top Highlights: ☀ Managed the highest volume of employee issues for the Western territory, handling 200 cases in 2006. Established partnerships within 2 extremely challenging markets. ☀ Created and presented training program on corrective action that improved performance management throughout the territory; counseled and advised managers to address/resolve issues as needed. ☀ Developed and delivered series of HR training sessions on such topics as performance management, direct recruiting, change management, team building, succession planning, and benefits plan changes. ☀ Introduced workforce planning processes and talent development strategies for bench strength to drive business growth with market partners, creating availability of talent as openings occurred. ☀ Planned and executed highly successful territory meeting/carnival for new company directives. Show less Upon promotion to this HR Generalist role, I provided HR expertise and support to district managers and store teams for 3 districts, consisting of 6 states, 50 stores, and ~1,200 employees. During this time, I formulated strategies in areas such as employee relations, compensation, talent management and retention, staff development, and succession planning. As a Territory Recruiter, I contributed to all aspects of recruiting for the entire 10-state Western territory. This included sourcing, pre-screening, facilitating interviews, and evaluating candidates. Highlights included recruiting an initial district management team of 12 for operations and leading recruitment efforts for ~40 to 50 open positions.Top Highlights: ☀ Reduced number of harassment cases 50% by developing training module for managers in all markets. Coached managers on appropriate behavior and followed up to ensure compliance. ☀ Designed and delivered numerous HR training programs; developed creative strategy for presenting “dry” HR 101 program that fully engaged store managers. ☀ Compiled all salary information for the team, obtained industry salary information, and included policies on salary increases, allowing district managers the opportunity to make informed, consistent salary decisions. ☀ Implemented creative sourcing avenues, including numerous job fairs, to achieve successful fill rate for leadership/ management candidates across all store levels. ☀ Recruited initial District Manager team of 12 for operations and led recruitment initiatives for ~40-50 open positions as Territory Recruiter. Show less

  • Territory HR Generalist III

    Sept 2005 - May 2008

  • Territory HR Generalist III & Territory Recruiter

    Jan 2002 - Sept 2005
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  Pacific Dental Services

  Feb 2009 - Jul 2010

  Regional Senior HR Generalist

  I was hired for this newly created role to provide HR support to management teams across 28 dental practices in Phoenix and Tucson (total of 250 employees). During my stay, I consulted directly with C-Suite leaders on various HR issues including employee relations, talent management, employee retention, staff development, and succession planning. Because of my role, it was valuable for me to form dual partnerships to deliver top value to both management and employees. Top Highlights: ❱ Lowered turnover from company’s worst (+77%) to its best (20.3%) in only 18 months. ❱ Achieved dismissal on 100% of EEOC filings. ❱ Played a key role in Arizona region winning “2009 Region of the Year” award. ❱ Delivered training programs on employment law, recruiting, leadership, corrective action, and performance management, leading to improved understanding in all areas. ❱ Spearheaded development of succession plan by providing team with appropriate criteria for plan and candidates. Developed selection tool that fairly assessed individuals deserving of promotion. ❱ Facilitated change in regional culture, making significant strides towards Regional VP’s goal of transforming AZ region into an “employer of choice.” Show less

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  Career Development Sabbatical

  Jan 2011 - Jan 2012

  Advanced Strategic HR Practices Student

  In 2011, I took a hiatus to pursue and obtained my Certification in Advanced Strategic HR Practices through Cornell University. During this intensive 5-month global program, I completed courses in HR Leadership, Aligning HR Strategy w/ Organizational Strategy, Diversity & Inclusion for Bottom Line Performance, Building a Talent Management Culture, Measuring HR’s Impact (HR Metrics), Employee Engagement, and Managing Global Employment Issues/Work Practices.

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  Forum Consulting Services

  Aug 2012 - Aug 2014

  HR Consultant

  Hired to collaborate on 2 nationwide projects protected by confidentiality agreements for our client, NRT (largest national residential real estate brokerage). During the projects, I reported directly to client’s VP of HR while interacting with the team of 20+ in a virtual environment, handling large volumes of sensitive work, and building consultative relationships.Project Consultant on NRT Materials Review: Met client expectations and achieved high satisfaction levels by reviewing and updating complex documents virtually in a SharePoint environment. Project Consultant on NRT Real Estate Agent/Broker Audit: Independently conducted detailed audit of +200 HR files for Arizona area under NRT umbrella.Despite the challenging environments, I was able to drive both projects to smooth completion ahead of schedule. What I enjoyed most was earning the trust and cooperation from protective business owners reluctant to share and modify materials/documents. They trusted me with their documents and that helped us get the project done faster. Top Highlights: ❱ Edited and formulated sound recommendations for regulatory compliance and risk reduction. ❱ Supported complex process changes in collaboration with legal partners and business owners. ❱ Contributed to the auditing and archiving of 45K documents, initiating the setup of restricted access to network shared drive form all locales. ❱ Demonstrated versatility and high attention to detail working for project leaders with constantly changing priorities and end results. Show less

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  Career Connectors

  Jan 2015 - now

  Career Transition Support Specialist

  CAREER CONNECTORS | Career Transition BloggerVolunteer blogger that recaps all of the amazing information that's presented at each of Career Connectors' large events(150-200). The meetings are established to support individuals in transition, and I blog to ensure they can take home the most important information to get hired. I filter through statistics and speaker content to reinforce mutual hiring success drivers between recruiters and candidates. Advise struggling job seekers to leverage appropriate resources and career-focused assessment tests.DRESS FOR SUCCESS | Suiting Program VolunteerSelected for mobile consulting unit based on relatability with diverse, adult and late-teen participants. Volunteer assisting women entering/returning to the workforce with the selection of suitable attire for job interviews, as a member of the mobile unit visiting local unemployment offices. I also equip recipients with developement tools, guidance and support during job search process. Show less