A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM.

Creating Workplaces Employees are Excited About

At Aligned Talent Consulting, we believe in creating a workplace your employees are excited about.

Guided by the principles of empathy, precision, and strategic alignment, we ensure that our consulting approach is tailored to meet the unique needs of each client we serve.

Our Approach

Our approach begins with attentive listening. We immerse ourselves in understanding your organizational dynamics, the intricacies of your workforce, and the challenges you face. Through root cause analysis, we identify underlying issues that may not be immediately apparent. By aligning our solutions to target these specific needs, we craft strategies that are not only effective but also sustainable in the long term.

Why Choose Us?

We recognize that you are the experts when it comes to your workforce. However, even the most seasoned leaders can benefit from a fresh, external perspective. That’s where we come in.

Our team, with over 30 years of combined experience in Human Resources, brings a wealth of knowledge and a strategic mindset to help you navigate complex HR challenges.

You will enjoy working with us if you are:

  • Naturally curious: We value individuals who approach challenges with a natural curiosity, always eager to learn and explore new possibilities. Curiosity drives innovation and helps us stay ahead in a constantly changing business landscape.
  • Open-minded: We appreciate open-minded individuals who are willing to embrace change and experiment with new ideas. We believe that progress comes from challenging the status quo and exploring uncharted territories.
  • Energized by asking hard questions: If asking challenging questions energizes you, you’ll thrive with us. We encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, always seeking to address core issues rather than just surface symptoms.
  • Ready to address the real problems vs. band-aiding symptoms: Our goal is to tackle real business problems and find sustainable solutions. We look for people who are committed to making a genuine impact and not just applying temporary fixes.

We aren’t for you if you:

  • Embrace the saying, “This is how we’ve always done it.”: If you find comfort in the saying, “This is how we’ve always done it,” our dynamic environment may not be suitable for you. We seek individuals who are adaptable and open to evolution.
  • Are NOT looking for cookie-cutter HR solutions: Those looking for cookie-cutter HR solutions may not thrive here. We believe in tailored approaches that address specific needs and challenges.
  • Investing in your workforce isn’t a priority for your leadership team: If investing in your workforce isn’t a priority for your leadership team, our values may not align. We are committed to nurturing and developing our talent for long-term success.
  • Want quick fixes to band-aid a problem vs. investing in a long-term solution: We focus on long-term solutions and investing in sustainable growth. If you prefer quick fixes to problems, you might find it challenging to adjust to our style.
  • ONLY want a pat on the back for being a great employer and get defensive when you hear employee feedback: We value constructive feedback and see it as an opportunity for improvement. If you are solely looking for praise and get defensive when receiving employee feedback, this environment may not be conducive to your growth.

It’s so nice to meet you.

WE’D LOVE TO CHAT OVER COFFEE.

Liesl Hays

Liesl is an author, entrepreneur and human resources strategist. For over fifteen years, Liesl has provided strategic direction to small, medium and large businesses on their human capital needs. Most recently, Liesl was a Human Resources Strategist at one of the largest global Healthcare IT companies in the world. After leaving her corporate job in 2016, she opened her own Human Resources Consulting business called Aligned Talent Consulting. Liesl is a contributing writer for the wildly popular self-development website Lifehack and you can find her behind the microphone weekly as a host of the Link 2 Lee’s Summit podcast.

In 2021, Liesl released her first book through Morgan James Publishing: Broken, Changed & Rearranged. This self-development book shares her journey of chasing the traditional paths towards success to discover she was woefully unhappy locked inside her 60-hour a week grind. Her inspiring story empowers others to step outside the traditional definitions of success in order to chase what provides them meaning. Liesl runs on coffee, “to do lists,” and the belief that exit interviews don’t lie-you’re just not listening. She lives in Blue Springs Missouri with her children, Mady and Ethan, and their unruly Bernese Mountain dog, Bear.

Melissa O’Daniel

Melissa O’Daniel is a skilled and highly intuitive associate development strategist. After more than 18 years leading large Human Resources and Learning teams for a Fortune 500 Healthcare IT company, she left her corporate job in 2018 to open Aligned Talent Consulting and focus on her passion for associate development.

Melissa loves to help individuals understand and maximize their unique talents in ways that best support their teams and organizations. Melissa enjoys looking beyond the surface level of a business challenge to determine its root cause then aligns both people and strategies to effectively solve issues. She specializes in corporate onboarding, role development and tackling difficult conversations.

Melissa lives in Lone Jack, Mo with her husband Joe where she enjoys organic gardening, reading (fiction please!) and spending time with her family.

Services.

01. FEEDBACK.

We believe exit interviews don’t lie, you’re just not listening. Employee feedback is a gift and should be treated with respect.

Are you ignoring reoccurring feedback because you don’t have the capacity to deal with it? Are you afraid what you’ll uncover if you do root cause analysis? Do you collect employee feedback without actioning on it?
We provide companies the answers to these questions through: Strategic HR Consulting, root cause analysis and an action plan that addresses the real issues.
02. MOTIVATION.

We believe your employees should be excited to come to work every day.

We help our clients answer the real questions that are facing their business.
What are your employees saying about you on Reddit or around the water cooler (pre-pandemic)?
What motivates your employees to come to work every day? Are your current incentives helping motivate your employees or are they eye-roll worthy? Is your culture what your website says or do people wonder what the heck they signed up for?
We provide companies the answers to these questions through: Employee engagement surveys, culture assessments and tailored employee recognition ideas.
03. CLARITY.

We believe employees should look forward to performance reviews and should never be surprised.

Do your employees know what’s expected of them in their current job? Do your job descriptions match the actual work people are doing? Do your employees feel stuck in their current job or do they know where they can grow in your company? Are your managers equipped to have career development conversations?
We provide companies the answers to these questions through: Development of competency frameworks, creation of meaningful job descriptions, and how to establish a feedback-rich culture.
04. BEGINNINGS.

We believe your employees should finish new hire orientation confident they just made the best career decision of their life.

Do your new hires leave orientation feeling overwhelmed or inspired? Is your new hire orientation death by powerpoint or is it engaging and interactive?
We provide companies the answers to these questions through: Onboarding plans, orientation development, communicating your distinct culture and employee policy handbook design.
05. EMPOWERMENT.

We believe people should be excited to work for the leaders and managers at your company.

Are your leaders micro-managing or truly empowering your employees to take the lead? Do your leaders have the tools and resources they need to effectively manage or are they fumbling around to find the support they need? Are your managers equipped to have hard conversations or are they ignoring issues they don’t know how to address?
We provide companies the answers to these questions through: Management and leadership training, development of tools and resources, facilitation and coaching

Client Stories.

“A common phrase that came up as we worked together was, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ It was a true partnership, and our new manager training wouldn’t have been as successful without the industry expertise, skilled instructional design and wildly personal and vulnerable facilitation skills. ~HALLMARK
“Aligned Talent Consulting became an extension of our SMG HR Team through helping us address our employees’ desire for defined career path opportunities. Melissa and Liesl invested time to understand SMG’s culture and business model which enabled them to provide meaningful and actionable solutions. Their trusted advice challenged us to think differently and create a road map that aligned with our organizational goals while recognizing the unique needs of each department. Owning all aspects of the project, their broad HR perspective provided SMG with invaluable insights and they consistently asked the right probing questions to get to the best solution. We offer our recommendation of Aligned Talent Consulting to companies looking to improve the employee experience. The tools created have become essential to our culture, as team members are empowered through their use to have development conversations with their managers.” ~SERVICE MANAGEMENT GROUP
“As a business owner time can be very short for those important HR details like rewriting your company handbook. I found myself in this position a few weeks ago and reached out to Liesl and Melissa. They were wonderful to work with. They took their time and interviewed me getting all the important information regarding my current handbook and policies. They knew I was in a time crunch and they produced a very professional and thorough handbook.” ~SALON SPA DE CRIST

Contact.

LET’S TALK.