Jennifer Carstens

About Jennifer Carstens

Dedicated HR Professional with a wealth of experience and a passion for fostering a culture of care and belonging. Specializing in insurance and retirement benefits, FMLA, absence management, and workers\' compensation, I am committed to educating employees about their benefits and fostering an environment that values diversity and embraces inclusivity. Known for my strong organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and the ability to build and nurture relationships, I thrive in creating efficient processes and leveraging technology to enhance HR operations. Trusted by employees, I bring adaptability and a drive for continuous improvement to the workplace.

Experience

1. Benefits Manager

   Fox Valley Technical College

   Dec 2023 — Present · Appleton, WI, US

   Lead the full lifecycle of Open Enrollment each year, including Workday system configuration, employee communications, and educational resource development. While benefit renewal decisions are made collaboratively with Executive Leadership and vendors, I manage the OE process and oversee an employee. We create engaging materials like benefits guides, decision tools, email content, and eLearning modules to ensure clarity and reduce confusion. My approach blends compliance with creativity, making benefits approachable, easy to understand, and aligned with our organizational culture.Co-led the development and rollout of a modernized Paid Time Off (PTO) policy in partnership with HR leadership and systems teams. Contributed strategic insights around borrowing and accrual structures, supported by industry benchmarking. Championed the psychological and cultural dimensions of change—anticipating employee perceptions, surfacing potential resistance, and designing communications that prioritized wellbeing, clarity, and trust.

Education

• Fox Valley Technical College

  AAS, Human Resources

  2001 — 2003

Skills

• Hiring
• Time Management
• Process Improvement
• Interviews
• Microsoft Office
• Hris Implementation
• Hris
• Talent Management
• Leadership
• Performance Management
• Employee Benefits
• Customer Satisfaction
• Inventory Management
• Coaching
• Management
• Employee Engagement
• Recruiting
• Microsoft Excel
• Human Resources