Karen Cortez

About Karen Cortez

Human Resources Professional with 7+ years of experience supporting Talent Acquisition, employee relations, benefits, and onboarding in dynamic, multi-site environments across the US and Canada. Proven ability to manage FMLA/ADA/STD/LTD leave cases, navigate Canadian leave regulations, support multiple company acquisitions, and advise leadership on policy, performance, and compliance. Skilled in Workday, ServiceNow, PowerBI, and Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP) to streamline HR processes and reporting. Based in Richardson, TX, and passionate about driving employee engagement and operational excellence in fast-paced, growing organizations.

Experience

1. Senior Human Resources Generalist

   BearCom

   Dec 2023 — Present

   Provide Human Resource support to leaders across sales, operations, and technical teams (approx. 850 employees), coaching managers on performance, engagement, and team effectiveness. • Lead complex employee relations cases, including investigations, corrective actions, accommodations, and performance improvement plans, ensuring fair and compliant outcomes.• Administer FMLA, ADA, STD/LTD, and personal leaves across the US and Canada while advising managers on return-to-work, work restrictions, and organizational impact.• Partner with COEs (Benefits, Payroll, Compliance, Legal) to resolve escalated issues, drive consistency, and enhance employee experience.• Support involuntary terminations by preparing documentation, advising managers, and ensuring adherence to company policy and employment laws. • Own HR data reporting and audits, using Excel to analyze trends, support compliance reviews, and provide insights that inform leadership decision making. • Prepare OCIP/CCIP compliance reporting, certified payrolls for prevailing wage and employee payroll questions• Supported multiple acquisitions by onboarding transition employees, assisting with state tax setup and compliance audits, and partnering with HR COE’s to align people processes during integration.

Education

• Texas Woman's University

  Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Human Resources Management

  2015

• Texas Woman's University

  Master's degree, Business Administration

  2017