Ryan Kephart

About Ryan Kephart

My passion is helping companies to improve their performance through optimizing People and HR Strategy. Benefits of following my assessment and implementation plans lead to happier and higher performing employees which in turn helps employee retention, talent attraction, productivity, efficiency, company culture and overall morale all why saving the company thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars from direct turnover costs, lost productivity and further burnout/employee turnover. MBAPHR CertificationActive Secret ClearanceSpecialties:* Global and Domestic HR and Business Program Management* HR Business Development Support* HR Business Partner support for C-Suite, corporate personnel, COE\'s and Field positions* Culture Development* Strategic Management and Leadership Coaching, Consulting and Support* Working in lean environments and creating dynamic solutions for complex problems* Aligning Leadership and employee visions for less turnover and more productivity* Job Family Architecture* Employee Relations and Investigations* Compensation, Benefits, Talent Management and Talent Acquisition Management and Support* Partner with Talent Acquisition and department leadership to optimally strategize staffing needs* Utilize data, analytics, metrics and KPI\'s to ensure creative and logical solutions to complex issues.* Budget Management/Cost Control measures* Employee Training/Development* Public Speaking* Logistics Coordination* Onboarding, Out-processing

Experience

1. HR Manager

   First Rate, Inc

   May 2023 — Present · Arlington, TX, US

   Administer full-cycle payroll processing, including regular payroll, profit-sharing distributions, and exception handling.• Manage compensation programs and ensure equitable and competitive pay practices.• Lead benefits administration and serve on the internal Benefits Committee to drive strategic plan design and engagement.• Oversee 401(k) plan administration, compliance, and coordination of the annual audit process.• Provide immigration and visa sponsorship support in collaboration with legal partners.• Champion organizational development initiatives including talent management, succession planning, and workforce development strategies.• Manage the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding.• Prepare and submit annual compliance reports such as ACA filings, Box 12 DD, employee hours tracking, and benefit contribution statements.• Administer HRIS (Paycom) and accounting (NetSuite) systems, ensuring data accuracy and process alignment.• Oversee administrative HR functions including employee promotions, transfers, disciplinary actions, performance improvement plans, leave administration, and audits.• Act as a trusted resource for employee relations, conflict resolution, and performance coaching.• Develop and manage learning & development programs, including KnowBe4 and Bridge learning platforms.• Design and promote wellness initiatives to support employee health, engagement, and productivity.• Ensure company-wide compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws and manage related legal matters.

Education

• LSU Shreveport

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Human Resources Concentration

  2020 — 2022

• Texas Christian University

  Bachelor's degree

• Texas Christian University

  Bachelor of Science, Communications

  2004 — 2007