tara richards

* Provide employment, classification and compensation support to Administration and Finance, University Advancement and Executive divisions in the areas of job postings, applicant review and screening, contingent employee appointments, employment offers and changes in employment status * Assist in ongoing training, support and recommendation of updates for Taleo Talent Acquisition software * Work with Employment, Classification and Compensation Manager on expanding the use of automation and technology to increase efficiency of the tools and processes * Support divisions on reorganizations and reclassifications * Work with the Operations Unit to ensure smooth onboarding process for new hires * Serve as a Project Lead on initiatives related to employment, classification and compensation * Represented Towson University at the inaugural CUPA-HR Day On The Hill; meeting with Members of Congress and their staff to advocate on behalf of higher education

* Partnered with Senior Leadership in the Operations/Services Business Unit to provide consultative HR Support across three sites * Assessed organizational needs and identified areas for leadership improvement to optimize operational performance including senior leadership coaching, succession planning and organizational structure * Understood broad organizational/business unit strategies and aligned human resource strategy and programs to achieve the business goals, including alignment of staffing, development, and compensation programs * Managed and addressed complex Employee Relations issues in a multi-state Financial Services environment including business strategy consultation, harassment and discrimination, LOA, performance management, succession planning, ADA, risk reduction and general HR * Responsible for ensuring that an efficient, effective and proactive selection process was provided to business leaders so that they have the required resources to meet business plans

* Acted as a consultant for partners and managers by providing firm guidelines and information in the performance management process * Supported partners and directors during the salary review process * Provided advice and counsel on work/life and diversity issues; ensuring compliance with firm policies and appropriate local, state and federal laws within approved guidelines * Advised managers and employees in resolving employee relations issues * Integrated title structure with benchmarking data and communicated changes to the accounting and administrative professionals throughout the area * Facilitated focus groups to assess the effectiveness of benchmarking data and career pathways

* Assisted employees with understanding their benefits package * Updated changes in employee profiles in the Peoplesoft database * Established and maintained friendly, cooperative relationships with facility/agency benefits contacts, HR Specialists, HR management and outside vendor contacts * Resolved outstanding claims and generated COBRA offers * Conducted new employee orientations and open enrollment seminars

* Assisted Recruitment Specialist in setting up networks of mental health care providers * Reviewed applications of new providers, screened backgrounds for acceptance into the provider panel and maintained relations with existing providers in the network * Input data into the CMG Provider Networks database and ran reports with provider information

* Provided strategic HR consultation to the Senior Leadership for Prometric Global Operations * Addressed and resolved complex employee relations issues in local and remote work environments * Served as a member of the Global Retention Team to analyze trends and recommend/implement changes to practices and policies to improve employee retention * Responsible for building a community for a remote employee population of over 400 employees that provides high stakes evaluation proctoring in 9 States * Partnered with Legal team to mitigate risk in complicated issues; including medical leave, ADA accommodation requests, investigations and terminations