Employee Experience Team Lead - Insurance

Tompkins is seeking an Employee Experience Team Lead to support the HR functions tailored to the unique needs for their insurance agency and wealth management business unit.

The position will be responsible for designing, implementing, and managing strategies and programs that foster a positive and engaging work environment for all employees. This role plays a pivotal part in shaping the overall Employee Experience throughout their journey with the company, promoting employee development, engagement and organizational growth. These individuals collaborate closely with leadership and HR teams to implement solutions to ensure that the company's values and culture are reflected in every aspect of the Employee Experience.

Flexible Location: This position is located at our office in Batavia, New York. Tompkins also maintains administrative offices in Ithaca, New York. This position can be based at either location and will have a flexible, hybrid schedule.

• Strategic HR Planning:
  • Collaborate with business leaders to understand their department’s goals and objectives. Translate business needs into HR strategies and action plans to support organization growth and foster a high-performance culture.
  • Lead workforce planning discussions with business leaders, forecast future talent needs. Collaborate with centralized Talent Acquisition and Employee Experience Services team to develop strategies to meet future workforce needs.
  • Support the business through periods of organizational change, collaborating with relevant stakeholders to provide expertise in change management strategies and approaches for mitigating resistance to change to ensure a successful transition.
  • Monitor relevant metrics to measure the effectiveness of HR strategies and initiatives. Prepare reports and presentations for leadership highlighting progress and areas of improvement.
• Employee Experience Strategy:
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive Employee Experience strategy aligned with the organization’s mission, vision and values.
  • Continuously seek feedback from employees across all levels of the organization, use insights to identify trends and areas for improvement to refine and enhance the strategy.
  • Oversee Employee Experience by mapping the employee journey, identifying key touchpoints, evaluating impacts and seeking opportunities to enhance the Employee Experience at each stage.
  • Take ownership of complex matters involving employees, conduct thorough investigations and ensure outcomes that balance what is in the best interest of the company and the employee. Escalates highly complex matters to the HR Operations Manager or HR Director.
• Employee Engagement & Retention:
  • Collaborate with the HR team and members of senior leadership to design retention strategies and succession plans for key roles within the organization.
  • Stay abreast of industry trends, best practices and advancements, integrate relevant insights and innovations into the team and/or company’s strategies.
  • Collaborate with business leaders to develop and implement initiatives to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction.
  • Review feedback from surveys and other feedback mechanisms to gauge employee sentiment and identify areas of success along with improvement opportunities.
  • Ensure management is held accountable for the execution of performance management processes that meet standards of excellence including goal setting, performance evaluations, performance improvement plans and employee development.
  • Encourage employee involvement, recognition, and appreciation to foster an environment that values team work and collaboration.
• Succession Planning & Talent Development:
  • Coach and mentor leaders to ensure continuous learning and development. Promote and empower employees at all levels to embrace a culture of life-long learning.
  • Work closely with senior management to identify high potential talent, establish succession plans that support future needs and work closely with learning and development to establish career advancement frameworks to ensure a strong talent pipeline.
  • Work closely with the learning and development team to identify training needs and skill gaps and ensure programs are in place for employees at all levels of the organization that focus on enhancing skills and competencies.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:
  • Promote a positive and inclusive organizational culture that aligns with the company’s values.
  • Drive initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the organization.
  • Foster a culture of respect, equity and appreciation for all employees.
  • Ensure consistent application of HR policies and procedures throughout the business, while also considering unique department and individual needs.
  • Commit to ensuring equity in compensation, access to resources, training and opportunities for all employees.
  • Team Oversight:
  • Directly oversee the outcomes and contributions of a team of individuals.
  • Holds team members accountable to meeting standards of excellence in performing their responsibilities and supporting the company’s mission, vision and values.
  • Invests in coaching and developing team members to reach their full potential, achieve their goals and advance in the profession.
• HR Management:
  • Ensure compliance with employment laws, regulations, and company policies.
  • Attend leadership team meetings, board meetings and other relevant company sponsored meetings to stay abreast of the business goals and objectives, report on HR initiatives and relevant metrics/topics.
  • While recognizing the job description covers the essential duties of the role, there will be additional responsibilities assigned as the needs present themselves including special projects and ad-hoc assignments that meet the unique needs of our ever-changing business.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Psychology, Business Administration or in a related field.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience Required.
• Proven experience in the various disciplines of Human Resources including compensation, employee relations, diversity and inclusion, performance management, employment law and organizational development.
• Excellent communication, collaboration and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities to address complex HR and business challenges.
• Strong project management skills to oversee and implement multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Ability to interpret data and employee feedback to drive informed decision making.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with various stakeholders, including members of the HR team, direct reports, department leaders and company leadership.
• Demonstrated creativity and resourcefulness in finding solutions to enhance Employee Experience.
• Empathy and a genuine interest in understanding and addressing employee needs and concerns.
• Proven ability to lead and influence others regardless of reporting relationship or without direct authority.
• Ability to travel throughout the Company’s footprint; occasional overnight travel may be required.

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k) Match
• Profit Sharing
• Paid Time Off
• 11 Holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Free Parking throughout Tompkins Community Bank
• Employee Referrals