Your Alaska, California & US HR Consultant: Meet Melissa Elerick

Let me introduce myself as your HR Consultant

Sometimes when I get excited I miss a step. When I was building this website and started the blogs I neglected to introduce myself so I'm taking a break to introduce myself to you. It seems that my last blog post on storytelling hit some sweet spots so I figured I'd tell you my story. This is how I got into aviation, how I got into HR and why I love helping people and hearing THEIR stories.

Melissa Elerick, Human Resources Consultant

How I stumbled into Aviation Administration

I started working for an Alaskan helicopter company 20 years ago as an Administrative Assistant. I like to tell the story of a message I took for the owner where I wrote "arrow" instead of "aero" for the company name- that's how green I was to aviation (IYKYK). That changed quickly as I soaked up information, frequently being called "Radar O'Reilly" by the owner as I developed a quick sense on what needed to be done and the processes involved. We were primarily a seasonal business working the model of feast or famine. The goal was growth, as it usually is, and we were doing a great job slowly, adding more employees, helicopters and contracts. We had new, fun, projects like shipping helicopters to the Pacific to eradicate rats on remote islands.

The company grew sustainably in the first 10 years, moving from a seasonal operation to incorporating year round work. Because of that growth, the business was purchased by private equity (PE) in 2016 and in true PE fashion, the value creation started quickly with changes to the structure of the operations of the business. The main office moved out of town with growth capital used to purchase the assets from another helicopter operation, the leadership changed and the structure became more fluid as everyone found their footing.

How I stumbled into Human Resources

Shortly after the acquisition, as part of the restructuring, we had a strategy meeting in 2018. That meeting included a discussion about creating a Human Resources Manger position as we had passed the 50 employee threshold and were looking at additional federal requirements we needed to keep up with. I was offered the position because I was already doing most of the HR administration items already. I accepted the position as a way to protect the employee group from the changes that were happening. I wanted to be an insulator for them, someone that they already knew that could help navigate the changes. I think that I did that very successfully in my tenure at the company.

After taking the position, I received my SHRM-Certified Professional certification from the Society of Human Resources Management in 2019. I moved into a more strategic position in the company, taking the Director of Human Resources role as our employee count continued to exponentially increase. During that time, I assisted in creating competitive pay scales for departments that were experiencing significant turnover, a medical plan agreement with our broker to create residential rates for employees which reduced cost across for employees and employer by 22%, structured an onboarding process to create consistent training for new employees, spearheaded a full implementation of a new HR system which provided 75% more automation at a 33% cost savings annually.

My experience with the helicopter company was a time of tremendous personal growth. I can't speak highly enough of the people I encountered, both employees and customers, the places I visited (or saw in photos), and the knowledge I acquired about Alaska, aviation, and human resources. As that chapter of my life concluded, I've begun a new journey where I am the storyteller of my own narrative.

How I Assist Companies as an HR Contractor

With two decades of experience in HR and aviation, I've entered a new phase in my career. I've leveraged the knowledge I've accumulated over the years and broadened it. Consulting has turned into my passion. Who would have guessed I'd find so much satisfaction in crafting an Employee Handbook, leading workplace investigations, or developing an FLMA policy and flowchart? My excitement comes from the impact I have in supporting others; I have an irresistible drive to help. Having been a solo HR department, I understand the pressure of being the only person responsible for a long list of tasks. While I work with companies of all sizes and HR departments, assisting the HR department of one or the accountant doing all the HR functions has always been my favorite.

Currently, my clients are spread across the United States and are in various industries. While I'm based in the Last Frontier (Alaska), I have a few clients in California which has it's own set of rules which are more restrictive than the federal guidelines. Because of this I'm working towards obtaining my SHRM California HR Law Specialty certification, which I should have this week!

If you find your business in a period of growth, congratulations- let's audit your systems so that they grow with you. If you are a business in California let's check your policies for alignment with the State guidelines and avoid reactive, expensive, PAGA claims. If you are in Alaska and still don't have your sick leave policies active, let's work together to make sure you are in compliance.

Reach out to me at hello@evergreenak.com. As I've written on my website- talk is cheap (free) with me. If you just need advice, I'm more than happy to assist- I've told you my story so you can tell me yours.