Satisfied Clients
Alex Cardona
CEO
Since partnering with PEOPLEfirst to focus on retention and talent, Alex has become a true extension of our HR and Executive teams. She took the time to understand our needs and quickly helped us build stronger systems, smarter hiring practices, and the right structure to support growth.
It didn't take long for us to see the impact; lower turnover, faster hiring, and a more connected culture.
Alex’s professionalism, quality of work, and commitment to our success have brought real value to our organization, and we continue to see the benefits to this day.
Doug Whitney
COO
PEOPLEfirst is truly a full-stack HR firm. Not only did they help us with recruiting, they also helped us beef up our HR documentation, re-write our employee handbook, conducted multiple (very engaging) DEI trainings, and introduced us to their signature culture game - Cards for Culture.
You wouldn't think that you can play a "Cards Against Humanity" style game in a professional manner, but this game does it in a way that is actually engaging and doesn't feel like fluff.
It even helped us reform our core values, which we didn't even realize needed to be reformed until we played the game! I can't recommend this team highly enough - they are experts in all things HR, and even better as human beings.
Rachel Rasmussen, CFA, CDFA
Investment Manager, Foster & Motley
Will and PEOPLEfirst have been a great resource to our firm. In a challenging job market, their ability to align candidates with our firm's values has strengthened our team. The methodology allowed us to find a candidate who not only meets the core responsibilities of the role role but also met unrecognized needs.
Will's responsiveness and detailed insights about candidate have provided an efficient and pleasant experience. We are thrilled with the successful offer and acceptance of the candidates brought to us, and value the ongoing contributions of the employees that
remain with us today.
In addition to this role, PEOPLEfirst has
consistently presented quality candidates
for our various needs, always navigating the nuances of the ever-changing job market. The success has been with understanding our firm's unique requirements and culture, making them an
invaluable partner in our people growth.
Sharon Eddingfield, CPA
Partner, Whitmer & Co CPAs
We have worked with Will and PEOPLEfirst since 2020. We've greatly appreciated their ability to understand our unique culture and firm. They have consistently found talent that not only meet the needs of the role, but also add to our culture and growth plans.
Thanks to their efforts, we have made countless successful hires, all of whom are still with us. We found the culture and people operations foundations very helpful when aligning our overall people growth strategy.
Heather Patrick
CEO, Prevent Blindness Texas
When we started working with PEOPLEfirst, we needed to align our team around our core values and improving communication. While we had a strong mission, we needed to craft a shared internal language to guide our hiring, coaching, performance management, and recognition efforts.
PEOPLEfirst helped us create that foundation. Through their facilitated culture session, we built alignment around our values, which we now incorporate into everything we do—including board recruitment. Recognizing and reinforcing our culture has become second nature, and it’s been a key driver of our growth.
On the recruiting side, we needed an improved structure to find and retain top talent, especially for critical leadership roles. PEOPLEfirst provided us with a strategic framework—from job invites to interview templates and hiring strategies—helping us successfully recruit key team positions like our Director of Strategic Partnerships. Their process gave us the confidence and tools to build a strong, high-performing team.
From refining our people operations to developing essential HR policies like travel expense, remote work guidelines, and a new bonus structure, PEOPLEfirst helped us move to a well-defined, scalable process that supports our team’s success.
Thanks to their partnership, we now have the structure, strategy, and culture in place to continue growing with confidence.
Valerie Wavrusa
Director of Human Resources
Understanding the organization is imperative when supporting key stakeholders and Alex’s big picture thinking has earned the respect of our organization.
She made herself available for any questions and/or concerns, which was important for a fast growing environment.
She has been a huge asset to our HR team as we grew from 2 to 7 in the last 8mos, and the company itself grew from 120 to approximately 300 people. Her ability to work quickly and keep our projects or strategic plans on track has allowed us to accomplish huge goals and implement big changes within the organization in a fraction of the time. We would definitely recommend using Alex and PEOPLEfirst for your talent and retention needs!
Enrique Guemez
Sr. Consumer Insights, Amazon
Alex helped me secure a new position in
less than half the time
it takes, on an average basis, for a person to find a new job.
Alex was instrumental during the time I found myself looking for a new position. I've had other job placement and headhunters’ support in the past, but Alex is in a league of her own. Through her vast experience in HR she leverages her network and scans for available opportunities. Of those that are a good fit, she helps candidates pass the filters and get the interviews. Finally, she works on preparing you for these conversations to ensure you bring your ‘A game’. Once in the role, we have periodical check ups to make sure things roll smoothly.
The whole ‘end-to-end’ process: No topic is alien to her, from resume development and filtering, job fit, negotiation, career development, etc. She is truly the definition of a job coach.
Josette Brinkman
Business Owner, FastSigns
I didn't know you could lead with heart and do HR!
With Melanie & team you look for the win/win - and that's good for everyone.
