Human Resource Director

Gretchen M. Thompson, Director of Human Resources

Indianapolis, 46214, United States, 907-***-****, *****************@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-thompson-163b8a263

SUMMARY Dynamic Human Resources Manager with over 25 years of experience in diverse HR

roles. Proven expertise in organizational development and team leadership, particularly in the service industry. Achievements include successful implementation of employee benefits and engagement initiatives and streamlined HR processes that enhanced company performance. Committed to leveraging comprehensive HR strategies to foster a collaborative and high-performing workplace and ready to contribute in a Director of Human Resources role.

WORK EXPERIENCE

2021 – 2025 Business and HR Manager, Alaska Brain Center, LLC Wasilla, AK, USA

Spearheaded strategic HR initiatives to foster a high-performance culture within the organization: conflict resolution, team building and performance management

Implemented employee engagement programs, enhancing workforce satisfaction and reducing turnover rates: evaluated and recommended employee benefit programs; provided personal employee benefit introductory sessions and assisted with form completion and Q & A sessions for employee family members.

Overhauled recruitment processes and streamline talent acquisition and improve candidate quality: recruiting and onboarding of professionals and line employees

Authored the Employee Handbook and many employee policies, providing training and ongoing support for employees and supervisors

2019 – 2021 Human Resource Manager and Project Manager: Employee Labor Services,

ESS Support Services Worldwide Anchorage, AK, USA

Championed performance management systems to evaluate employee

effectiveness and align with organizational goals: implemented a coaching program to improve employee satisfaction and retention; conflict resolution training for new employees

Developed training programs to upskill employees, resulting in a more versatile workforce; led employee discussions to plan job progression and assess team needs

Conducted comprehensive market analyses to ensure competitive compensation structures; evaluated benefit package proposals and made recommendations to employees at open enrollment

Managed worker compensation and FMLA for Alaska and Antarctica employees, including an on-ice rescue and evacuation of a critically injured employee

Drove project delivery with a focus on efficiency, achieving all timelines for labor- related services projects

Evaluated service delivery processes to identify improvement areas, enhancing

operational efficiencies

2017 – 2019 Office and Human Resource Manager, Affinity Alaska Wasilla, AK, USA

Recruiting and hiring new agents, including post-offer discussions of benefits and other employee support programs

Instituted office management protocols that streamlined daily operations and improved productivity and employee satisfaction

Facilitated onboarding processes for new hires, ensuring compliance with company policies and enhancing employee retention

Provided training on 401(k) and other investment products

2015 – 2017 Human Resource Manager, Big Lake Country Club Wasilla, AK, USA

Revamped HR policies and procedures to align with best practices, significantly

improving organizational compliance

Assessed workforce needs and spearheaded recruitment efforts that increased client

services staff

Provided onboarding services, along with an individual explanation of benefit programs and enrollment assistance as needed

Supported team building and employee appreciation efforts to improve morale and cohesiveness; provided supervisor training and support as needed

2011 – 2014 Office and Human Resource Manager, PowerSource Telecom, Inc. Wasilla, AK, USA

Decreased recruiting to hire time and increased employee retention to an average of greater than 36 months

Engineered a comprehensive onboarding program that reduced training time for new

staff by 20%

Evaluated and recommended employee benefits programs to owner, providing detailed explanations of union vs. non-union retirement and health insurance benefits

Scrutinized employee performance metrics to identify trends and recommend strategic adjustments

2007 - 2008 Senior Human Resource Director, Ahtna Technical Services, Inc. Anchorage, AK USA

Grew personnel from 150 to 1200 in response to won contracts, including 675 union personnel at 3 large job sites in 3 different states

Trained and managed HR department, including new clerks and seasoned generalists

Defined and codified HR policies and procedures for all 14 job sites in 8 states

Successfully defended against union court challenges to HR policies and actions

2006 - 2007 Administrative and Human Resource Manager, Alaska Women’s Health Center

(contract position) Anchorage, AK USA

Authored the first training manual for the office staff, including front desk, back office, billing and medical support positions, reducing training time and increasing efficiency by 15%

Produced the first written reports of the state of the organization’s staffing and projected needs to management and owners; developed the action plans and led the initiative to fully staff the organization

2005 - 2006 Human Resource Manager, Securitas USA Anchorage, AK USA

Recruited/hired/onboarded and managed 350 armed and unarmed officers for various contracts around Alaska

2004 - 2005 Human Resource Director, Geneva Woods Pharmacy, Inc. Anchorage, AK USA

Recruited 5 pharmacists to Alaska during a year with no graduating classes nationally

Authored the company’s first Employee Handbook, updated the HR Policies and Procedures Manual, and presented the first Harassment Avoidance classes in response to an incident.

Led the effort to document all policies and procedures in advance of JCAHO certification visit

2001 - 2004 Human Resource Administrator, Alaska Communications Systems Anchorage, AK USA

Led investigations for both represented and non-represented employees, presented findings and recommendations to union and corporate leaders

Created and delivered trainings to compromised work groups to rebuild and improve team function and product output

Revamped all represented and non-represented position descriptions to include ADA compliance and current duties, and mapped job progression for all positions

Worked with a select team to create, install and train emergency call dispatchers on an integrated Enhanced 911 (E-911) software system for the 34 agencies across the State of Alaska.

EDUCATION

University of La Verne La Verne, CA, USA Master of Science, Business Organizational Management

(Emphasis in Human Resources)

Alaska Pacific University Anchorage, AK, USA Bachelor of Arts, Human Resource Development

(Emphasis in Training and Development)

CONSULTING EXPERIENCE

2000 – Present Human Resources Consultant, Thompson Consulting Wasilla, AK, USA

Advised numerous clients on HR best practices, resulting in enhanced organizational structures and workforce efficiency; established HR procedures and policies

Formulated tailored HR strategies that support business objectives across diverse industries

Provided expert guidance to new government contractors on SCA contracting and other government-specific record-keeping for departments such as ICE, DHHS and DARPA

Utilized experience in insurance industry and Registered Representative designation to advise business owners on employee benefits programs, including SCA and Davis-Bacon benefits and payroll administration

SKILLS HR Personnel Planning and Recruiting Onboarding

Training Design and Development Compensation and Benefits Management

Investigations Change Management

Contract Management Data Analysis

Analyticial writing Personnel and Labor Law Compliance

Communication Team Development

Conflict Resolution Team Development Client Relationship Management Problem Solving

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