Open to opportunities

Elena Polanco

@elenapolanco

HR Operations professional with 5+ years in HR compliance, HRIS, quality assurance, workforce operations, employee lifecycle, and process improvement.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm seeking a remote HR Operations or People Operations role where I can leverage my experience in HR compliance, quality assurance, HRIS, workforce operations, and process improvement. I'm excited to join a collaborative, people-first organization where I can help improve the employee experience, and contribute to scalable, efficient operations while continuing to grow professionally.

I'm an HR Operations professional with 5+ years of experience supporting HR compliance, quality assurance, workforce operations, HRIS administration, employee records, reporting, and process improvement within California state government. In my current role, I support HR Quality Assurance initiatives for a department serving more than 5,500 employees, helping maintain accurate HR data, ensure compliance, and improve operational efficiency.

I'm passionate about building scalable, employee-focused processes, solving operational challenges, and leveraging technology to streamline HR workflows. I'm currently seeking remote HR Operations, People Operations, HR Compliance, HRIS, or Workforce Operations opportunities where I can contribute to a collaborative team while continuing to grow my expertise.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Human Resources Operations Specialist

Current

California Department of Social Services

Jul 2024 - Present (1 year 11 months)

Coordinated conflict of interest and ethics training compliance across departments by tracking completions, validating documentation, and aligning practices with FPPC mandates. Improved audit readiness and data integrity by building QA trackers/SOPs, auditing HR/payroll data, and preparing audit-ready materials.

Data Validation HR Compliance Quality Assurance Process Improvement Ethics training FPPC mandates HRIS documentation Payroll data auditing

Human Resources Operations Coordinator

California Department of Tax & Fee Administration

Aug 2022 - Jul 2024 (1 year 11 months)

Managed confidential employee personnel records and supported employee relations case resolution by documenting conversations and preparing review-ready summaries. Improved onboarding, hiring coordination, and documentation workflows by building digital filing systems, verifying compliance ahead of reviews, and streamlining admin flow during peak staffing periods.

HR Operations Onboarding And Offboarding Recruitment coordination Employee records management Personnel Management Talent Acquisition Support Human Resources Management Confidentiality Timekeeping training coordination

Human Resources Administrative Assistant

Employment Development Department

Feb 2020 - Aug 2022 (2 years 6 months)

Responded to 50+ monthly employee inquiries, coordinating with HR to reduce resolution time by 30%. Standardized email templates and inquiry tracking to improve communication response time by 40%, increase satisfaction by 15%, and managed 1,200 monthly records for retention and destruction in compliance with policy and state recordkeeping laws.