I was lucky enough to work with Sarah as I transitioned into a leadership role at a company that had undergone a series of rapid changes. I was nervous and had so much to learn. She put processes in place to support the team, making them feel safe, ensuring they were heard, advocating for their needs, organizing events and activities to help them to grow, and generally being the calm in the storms. You could see everyone’s faces brighten when Sarah joined a meeting or led an exercise. The sense of trust and relaxation was evident.

As someone new to the leadership team, Sarah kept me informed, fostering and leading practices to connect me with my managers all while ensuring those managers were supported in their own career journeys and working with their direct reports. They provided key information, ideas for improvement, and enough background to allow me to make good decisions in the moment, no matter what came my way. Lastly, she helped me to navigate my own missteps, turning mistakes into growth opportunities and keeping me focused on the future.

The biggest gift of working with Sarah was seeing her work not just in my leadership of the team, but in the shared philosophy of all of the leaders that they worked with. She helped us to work as a unit and to plan and to respond in a balanced and kind way that minimized disruption to the team and kept our messages clear.

I would happily bring Sarah into any group I was working with and trust her to assess our needs and provide us with the guidance and support we need to be our best.

Sarah Stephenson is an outstanding business executive, HR leader, and overall thought leader. She approaches challenges head on with tremendous energy and poise, always achieving desired results. During our time together, she demonstrated exceptional skills in evaluating company culture and crafting recruitment and retention strategies that significantly reduced turnover. Her ability to understand the unique needs of both employees and leaders, fostering trust and collaboration, was truly remarkable. Sarah’s compassionate approach to employee separations showcased her empathy and humanity, transforming what is often seen as a daunting task into an opportunity for dignity and respect.

Whether the initiative was around recruiting, reducing turnover or job satisfaction, Sarah crafted SMART Goals and effective KPIs for each area, reporting out results with meaningful insights that helped the leadership team better understand the meaning behind the numbers. For any organization looking to elevate their HR functions or navigate the complexities of today’s workplace environment, I highly recommend Sarah Stephenson as a consultant. Her impact on our organization has been profound, and I am confident she will bring the same level of dedication and excellence to others.

It is my sincere pleasure to provide a glowing recommendation for Sarah, who was an instrumental architect behind our company’s exceptional culture. As a pivotal influencer within our organization, Sarah demonstrated an unparalleled ability to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and cultivate a positive work environment.

Her dedication to nurturing our company’s culture of inclusivity, creativity, and excellence was evident in every aspect of her work. Sarah’s leadership, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to our team’s well-being played a pivotal role in creating a workplace where every individual felt valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Sarah’s exceptional leadership, passion for fostering collaboration, and dedication to creating inclusive and supportive environments make her invaluable assets to any organization.

As CEO, I had the privilege of serving alongside Sarah Stephenson at an organization that was surviving but certainly not thriving. We gained clarity about areas of concern for the employees upon review of a highly comprehensive employee survey which Sarah administered. The results indicated morale was low, employees had deep trust issues with management, most employees weren’t optimistic about our future, only a small number of employees felt their voice could be heard and on it read. It wasn’t a pretty picture. 

The truth often hurts, but in any situation, it can be the launch point for transformational change. Fairly early on, under Sarah’s advocacy, we embraced the idea that we would be a “People First” organization, meaning our strategic direction would always consider the impact to people first and foremost – all based on the notion that organizational flourishing can’t happen without human flourishing. 

Quarter by quarter, change began to manifest in the attitudes, levels of employee engagement, employee wellness programs etc. Sarah was at the forefront of this positive change. Near the end of my tenure, the results from that same comprehensive survey were unrecognizable from our first iteration. There were profound shifts in the areas of trust, morale, organizational optimism and overall engagement. Correspondingly, during that time we tripled in size, radically reduced employee turnover, and produced excellent financial results. We even won some external rewards, which was never the point, but it was great to receive the recognition. 

I’m so excited that Sarah and Casey have come together to form Humane Resources. They’re qualified, passionate professionals that can assist other organizations who also want to progress down this important journey of achieving organizational excellence through human flourishing.

During a recent job search, I was having doubts about my employability.  With Sarah’s expertise, I simplified and modernized my resume. Her practical tips helped me update my application documents and regain confidence; and ultimately land several new contracts.

Sarah is phenomenal. She can help navigate stressful workplace scenarios with empathy and compassion. I love that she is able to offer multiple perspectives into possible outcomes due to her extensive knowledge working in HR at such a high level. It is invaluable to have someone with her knowledge in this field on your side

Sarah’s mentorship and support have played a pivotal role in my growth as an engineering manager. An exceptional relationship of trust developed between us. She has provided invaluable guidance, encouragement, and feedback, helping me navigate the complexities of managing software development teams with confidence and proficiency.

Sarah’s dedication to my growth and success is truly commendable
and I am grateful for all her support throughout our collaboration.