Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Kelli Gessner

Antelope

Summary

Seasoned HR leader adept at driving organizational growth and productivity through continuous process improvement, utilizing modern technologies, selecting and growing top talent, and establishing effective policies for a customer-focused workforce.

Overview

19
19
years of professional experience

Work History

HR Manager

Caltrans
05.2023 - Current
  • Manage end-to-end HR operations for the Caltrans IT Division statewide, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
  • Develop, standardize, and improve internal recruitment procedures reducing time-to-hire by 50%.
  • Provide consultation to management on sensitive matters including employee relations and performance issues.
  • Project Lead for new recruitment tracking mechanism expecting to decrease errors by 95%.
  • Increase mandated training completion rate to 90%.
  • Manage workload and support the professional development of 7 HR Analysts.
  • Increase customer satisfaction by decreasing SLA response time by 24 hours.
  • Provide guidance to senior management on confidential staffing strategies including reorgs and position eliminations.

HR Director

California Professional Firefighters
02.2022 - 10.2022
  • Established HR policies and procedures to improve the services of the HR and Payroll departments.
  • Created employee value proposition tying company mission and goals into customized onboarding and professional development programs.
  • Standardized Leaves-of-Absence policies and procedures.
  • Maintained employee records ensuring compliance with State and Federal regulations.
  • Managed RFP for new compensation, performance, and learning management system.

Senior HR Director

Institute on Aging
01.2019 - 01.2022
  • Developed policies and procedures to improve the services and programmatic activities of HR department.
  • Championed diversity initiatives, fostering an inclusive environment embracing differences in perspectives.
  • Directed a team of 10 professionals across 7 HR functions including Recruitment, Compliance, Payroll, Benefits, Compensation, Performance, and LOA/WC.
  • Fiscally responsible for creating, maintaining, and managing a $3.2 million department budget.
  • Lead implementation of enterprise-wide $1.2 million HRIS increasing internal efficiencies.
  • Developed and executed successful recruitment strategies, attracting top talent within the industry.
  • Implemented case resolution ticketing system, decreasing response times by 50%.
  • Collaborated with cross functional department leaders to implement critical position management practices.
  • Provided consultation to executive management on confidential matters including reorgs and performance issues.

HR Operations Manager

Stanford Children's Hospital
11.2015 - 01.2019
  • Managed a team of 10 first-point-of-contact professionals providing support for the Benefits, Onboarding, Employee Recognition, LOA, and Employee Lifecycle functions.
  • Ensured quality customer service was provided to 4500+ hospital staff.
  • Developed requirements, tested, and trained HR team on new case management system increasing transparency and efficiency.
  • Established measurable HR operations metrics by identifying KPIs, including first response and time-to-close.
  • Improved employee records maintenance procedures reducing prep time for State-led audits from 96 to 24 hours.
  • Memorialized complex analytical procedures into SOPs ensuring consistency.
  • Collaborated with cross functional departments to upgrade HRIS and supported change management initiatives through proactive communication and the development of MSS user guides.

HR Business Partner

UC Berkeley
11.2010 - 11.2015
  • Developed policies and procedures to improve the quality of campus shared services and effective performance of academic programs.
  • Served as a liaison between employees and management teams, addressing concerns, answering questions, and providing guidance on policies/procedures when needed.
  • Worked closely with various academic regulatory offices to ensure appointment contracts and work authorizations were proactively processed for academic and staff positions each semester.
  • Reviewed application materials and conducted compensation analysis utilizing UC's Total Compensation System (TCS), making recommendations for salary range placement to department leaders.
  • Participated in semester staff planning by collaborating with Research Analysts to verify department budgets and position funding.

HR Generalist

Aisin Manufacturing
01.2006 - 10.2010
  • Ensured compliance with labor laws, reducing legal risks through regular policy reviews and updates.
  • Reviewed and screened applicant resumes to identify qualified candidates.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to achieve organizational objectives through strategic HR planning.
  • Prepared detailed reports on key HR metrics for senior leadership''s review, facilitating informed decision-making related to human resources operations strategy adjustments.
  • Managed benefits administration, ensuring accurate enrollment and timely processing of claims.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Business - HR Management

San Jose State University
San Jose, CA
05-2003

Skills

  • Organizational Development
  • Strategic Planning
  • HR Technology
  • Employment Law
  • Position Management
  • Benefits Administration
  • Payroll Management
  • Talent Management
  • Onboarding Programs
  • Internal Communications

Timeline

HR Manager

Caltrans
05.2023 - Current

HR Director

California Professional Firefighters
02.2022 - 10.2022

Senior HR Director

Institute on Aging
01.2019 - 01.2022

HR Operations Manager

Stanford Children's Hospital
11.2015 - 01.2019

HR Business Partner

UC Berkeley
11.2010 - 11.2015

HR Generalist

Aisin Manufacturing
01.2006 - 10.2010

Bachelor of Science - Business - HR Management

San Jose State University

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Kelli Gessner