Brooke Kruse
Director of People & Path at evo.com
Seattle, WA
In My Own Words
WHO I AM I am dedicated to creating the best employee experience while elevating organizational performance.
WHAT I DO I have worked in HR for over a decade, from specialist to manager and director of people and path. In my current role, I oversee compensation, benefits, and wellness programs as well as recruiting efforts, employee relations, and regulatory compliance.
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS • Scaled from 75 to 775 employees across US and Canada with two offices and 12 stores. • Led and expanded HR team from two to 10 in last two years and owned a $750K budget. • Established a performance calibration process, leading to a 75%+ internal mobility rate. • Created a peer-to-peer recognition and an employee tenure recognition program. • Developed strategies for DEI, increasing gender equity from 23% to 46% female in 2023. • Achieved employee retention of ~80% and 80%+ of staff members find their work meaningful. • Navigated acquisitions of US, Canadian, and Japan-based companies (now 1,200 employees). • Launched Stock Appreciation Rights compensation program to reward employee tenure. • Launched a monthly leadership development program to increase leadership competencies.
Work Experience
Director of People & Culture
evo.com2018 – Present
• Scaled from 75 to 775 employees across US and Canada with two offices and 12 stores. • Established a performance calibration process, leading to a 75%+ internal mobility rate. • Created a peer-to-peer recognition and an employee tenure recognition program. • Achieved employee retention of ~80% and 80%+ of staff members find their work meaningful. • Navigated acquisitions of US, Canadian, and Japan-based companies (now 1,200 employees). • Led Covid executive response team, including office closure, temporary layoffs, and safety. • Launched Stock Appreciation Rights compensation program to reward employee tenure. • Launched a monthly leadership development program to elevate leadership competencies. • Lead and expand HR team from two to 10 in last two years and own a $750K budget. • Develop strategies for DEI, increasing gender equity from 23% to 46% female in 2023. • Manage a talent acquisition team to recruit for five to 10 positions at any given time. • Oversee compensation, benefits, and wellness programs, including medical, 401k, and equity. • Partner with Mercer and Archbright to develop a compensation strategy, including fair market pay and profit share program. • Develop policies and maintain compliance with FLSA, ACA, FMLA, PFL, and other regulations. • Manage employee relations and dispute resolution to promote a positive working environment. • Monitor KPIs, including eNPS, retention, promotions, time to hire, turnover, and gender diversity.
HR Manager
evo.com2013 – 2018
• Established a new performance management program with more frequent feedback (vs. single). • Launched first-ever profit share and 401(K) programs, working with CFO to align with budget. • Managed bi-weekly payroll processing for 300 employees using Netsuite and Paycom. • Developed and managed space planning for three corporate office moves.
Human Resources & Benefits Specialist
evo.com2010 – 2013
• Created employee's recordkeeping system for 100 employees. • Administered medical, dental, life, and vision insurance benefits. • Planned and executed 12 company retreats for 100-500 employees to increase engagement.
Supply Chain & Benefits Administrator
evo.com2008 – 2010
• Hired a 20-member operations team for company’s first distribution center; provided admin support for supply chain & logistics.