People Operations & Talent Strategy Leader HR & Culture

Jenny Hooker-Drewery *********@*****.*** • 662-***-****

LinkedIn • New Albany, MS

People Operations & Talent Strategy Leader HR Generalist Culture Advocate

Innovative leader of talent acquisition and employee experience.

Professional Summary

Dynamic and people-first HR professional with over 10 years of experience in human resources, talent acquisition, employee engagement, and operations. Skilled in managing and streamlining end-to-end HR processes, including recruiting, onboarding, benefits administration, employee relations, and performance management. A strategic partner known for fostering inclusive workplace cultures, delivering operational excellence, and supporting leadership across all levels. Experienced in high-growth, fast-paced environments including manufacturing, consulting, and service-based organizations.

Core Competencies

Talent Acquisition & Hiring Strategy

HR Operations & HR Consulting

Benefits Administration

Performance Management Systems Leadership Development

Onboarding & Offboarding

Employee Engagement & Retention

HR Compliance & Policy Development Payroll & Compensation

Candidate Experience

Labor Law & Compliance

Health, Safety & Wellbeing

Career Achievements

• Built and led a multi-location recruiting model, boosting hiring by 20% and reducing time-to-fill by 80%.

• Consulted with 40+ organizations during and pre-COVID-era instability, guiding restructuring of people ops.

• Saved clients up to 40% in hiring costs by revamping sourcing strategies, messaging, and onboarding systems.

• Increased associate growth and profitability across multiple business units while scaling internal HR support.

Work Experience

Transcend Consulting LLC - Strategic People Partner and Managing Principal

Remote 2020 – Present

• Delivered full-spectrum HR support to small businesses and startups, including talent acquisition, onboarding, benefits, and people operations.

• Partnered with founders and department leaders to assess hiring needs, streamline recruitment pipelines, and enhance candidate experience.

• Reduced time-to-hire by 80% and cut recruitment costs by 40% through optimized sourcing and branded communication strategies.

• Implemented employee engagement programs and team development plans, leading to a 30% improvement in employee sentiment scores.

• Led onboarding/offboarding process improvements, ensuring compliance with HR policies and positive employee transitions.

• Supported compensation benchmarking and administered team performance reviews and feedback systems.

Ashley Furniture Industries— Recruiting Manager

Mississippi & Washington State 2019 - 2020

• Managed talent acquisition for three Mississippi plants and a Washington distribution center; oversaw HR operations for over 3,000 employees.

• Collaborated with hiring managers to plan workforce needs, improve interview processes, and reduce vacancy rates.

• Enhanced onboarding and performance systems to increase retention and drive organizational alignment.

• Contributed to policy updates and led compliance with EEOC regulations across multiple states.

EmployBridge, LLC — Recruiting Branch Manager

Mississippi Market 2014 – 2019

• Directed day-to-day HR operations for 4 on-site manufacturing clients and 2 branch offices, supporting 900+ employees.

• Led full employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, payroll coordination, benefits tracking, and offboarding procedures.

• Developed retention strategies and training programs resulting in a 20% decrease in turnover.

• Streamlined branch HR systems and reduced accounts receivable by 32%.

• Recognized in the President’s Club Award and Top 10 ranking in YOY profitability and associate growth.

Additional Experience

Operations Manager ASM, TJX Companies, Inc., Columbus and Tupelo, MS (2013 – 2014)

Store Manager Co-Manager, Body Shop of America, Tupelo, MS (2007 – 2013)

Personnel Manager/Recruiter, Snelling Staffing, Tupelo, MS (2006 – 2007)

Education & Certifications

BBA, Management — Mississippi State University

Diversity in the Workplace Certification — University of South Florida

Professional Affiliations

Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Association for Talent Development (ATD)

International Society of Female Professionals (ISFP)

Technical Skills

MS Office Suite, G Suite, ADP Payroll, SAP Fieldglass, HRIS, Kronos, Trello, Slack, ATS (multiple), CRM, Boolean Search, OpenAI Tools

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