Human Resources Performance Management

SONJA M. KEHNT

951-***-**** ~ *.*.*****@*****.***

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonjakehnt

Profile

With a wealth of over 23 years of diverse “people” experience, I bring a unique blend of tactical, operational, and strategic expertise in high-pressure environments. I hold certification as a DEI leader, and my passion lies in initiatives that revolve around talent attraction, engagement, culture cultivation, inclusivity, professional development, mentorship, data insights, and retention.

Simpson Thacher 2021 - 2023

Manager, Human Resources

Managed and drove all "People" initiatives within the Century City office of a leading global law firm($79M). This comprehensive role entails various responsibilities, including but not limited to overseeing the full employee life cycle (attraction to offboarding) for the office. Oversee all aspects of the full employee life cycle for both staff and attorneys within the office, including tasks such as all employee relations issues and investigations, talent acquisition, Summer Associate programming, employee onboarding and offboarding, staff performance evaluations, leaves of absence (LOA), processing vacation requests, performance management, talent development, and attorney workforce planning. Skillfully manage the budget for all HR-related initiatives and programs. Utilize data analysis to identify key performance metrics, enabling the assessment of trends, driving organizational change, and measuring progress towards objectives. Pioneered a data-centric approach to enhance HR by developing practical scorecards and metrics for process optimization. In essence, this role served as a vital bridge between the firm's leadership and its workforce.

Frequent university guest speaker. USC (First Generation Professionals), Biola University (Career Services) and Concordia University (Career Services)

SHRM member. PIHRA member

Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC) 2019 - 2021

Talent Acquisition Manager

Tour of Duty Human Resources (Employee Relations Coordinator)

Conduct impartial and confidential investigations into employee complaints, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, misconduct, and policy violations. Interview employees, witnesses, and relevant parties to gather information and evidence, ensuring a fair and objective process. Analyze findings, review documentation, and make informed recommendations for corrective actions or resolutions. Develop investigation reports, detailing the findings, conclusions, and recommended actions for management and stakeholders. Collaborate with Senior HR partners to ensure investigations align with legal requirements and company policies. Provide guidance and recommendations to management on appropriate disciplinary actions, employee coaching, or other interventions. Stay up to date with employment laws, regulations, and industry best practices to ensure compliance and inform investigation procedures.

Drove recruitment process, which encompassed various critical activities such as liaising with hiring managers, collaborating on business workforce planning, offering recommendations, crafting job descriptions, candidate screenings, coordinating interviews, and representing the firm's brand throughout the candidate journey, from offer negotiation to successful onboarding for a national line of business. Possessed insights into the strategy consulting marketplace, PwC brand strategy, and global recruiting dynamics. Proficient in data interpretation, I collaborated with key stakeholders to identify actionable insights, facilitating continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making to enhance the quality of hires. My ability to establish and leverage internal stakeholder relationships positively impacted our overall people experience, fostering collaboration and cohesion within the organization.

JP Morgan Chase 2015 - 2019

Senior Talent Acquisition Partner - Specialty Sales

As the Team Lead for the Specialty Sales recruitment team, I led a team of 12 recruiters and support staff, specializing in Mortgage, Wealth Management, Credit and Auto divisions. Functioning as a trusted business advisor, I provided invaluable competitive intelligence, actively contributed to building brand awareness, and fostered stakeholder engagement on a national scale. Crafted innovative and effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) sourcing strategies, with a particular focus on cultivating diverse candidate slates for open positions. My efforts also included establishing and nurturing relationships with diversity organizations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Consistently delivered weekly reporting and distributed data analysis that revolved around recruitment activity metrics and conversion ratios, providing valuable insights for decision-making. Through collaboration with internal business lines, fostered a mutually beneficial partnership, enhancing cohesion within the organization and delivering added value to our business objectives. Led national workstream projects, overseeing training initiatives, mentoring junior recruiters, and conducting upskill workshops for peers to elevate the overall recruitment capabilities of the team. As a member of the SWAT team, I was entrusted to tackle challenging and critical recruitment assignments, particularly those related to hard-to-fill positions and national expansion efforts as required.

EDUCATION

PHR Certification: In Progress, expected completion Jan 2024

TruppHR.Com: In Progress, Workplace Investigations Certification, expected completion Jan 2024

TrainUP.Com: Best Practices to Conduct Workplace Investigations, Completion August 2023

Morris Interactive – Leadership Essentials, 8 weeks, Completion: May 2022

DISC Facilitation & Assessment, Completion: June 2023

University of South Florida, Muma College of Business – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace Certification Program: Completion - May 2021

HCI Talent Acquisition Strategy Certification : Completion 2013

UCLA Extension: ABA Corporate Law Paralegal Certification: Completion 2001

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