Business owners and social impact leaders need support in back-office management, leadership development, and People & Culture (Human Resources) challenges so they can focus on what they know best.

Alicia supports leaders in maintaining compliant practices and systems while keeping employees engaged and satisfied. We tailor our services to the level you need when you need it. I've been in your shoes with a long list of projects that all require different expertise and research. I can help. ALICIA KNOWS.

Connect with Alicia

Secure the support your organization needs to achieve its goals. Alicia has more than 30 years of expertise and understands the unique needs of nonprofits, businesses, and social impact organizations.

Email us at solutions@aliciaknows.com

about alicia

ALICIA KNOWS stands beside your business and leadership team to change the way you work. Alicia Coleman, PHR, SHRM-CP, MBA has spent the past 25 working for a small nonprofit in Durham, NC with executive oversight in the areas of human resources, Federal contract compliance, Medicaid and state funding compliance, ISO quality system management, and program services.

Now, she helps small to medium sized organizations maintain compliant practices and systems by providing guidance, support, research, forms, policies, and compliance/systems audits. When you don't have time to know everything about compliance, ALICIA KNOWS can support you in this vital role. We will assist in structuring your systems for top efficiency and effectiveness so you can focus on the business you know best!

"Over my career, I have made improvements that enhanced benefits, reduced waste, generated new revenue, improved process efficiency, boosted staff productivity and morale, grew transparency, and shrank risk. I’ve also helped boards and management navigate complex situations and consistently left organizations stronger." ~Alicia

about us

complete support
every step of the way

My HR Executives

My HR Executives - monthly support services provided by a team of two skilled HR Executives. For more details click here.

Risk Mitigation and Regulatory Compliance

Does your organization need guidance to bridge the gap between Medicaid, federal, state, or funding source regulations and your policies, practices, and systems? Alicia provides guidance and support, pulling from her extensive years of corporate expertise and senior-level knowledge.

Safeguard against risk, align to regulatory guidance, and improve culture. Alicia develops customized tools to address a wide variety of issues, with a focus on overcoming the most difficult compliance challenges with ongoing support to ensure organizations meet regulatory, funding, or grant requirements.

Senior-level Management Support & Planning

Alicia can provide support on high-level people and culture (or human resources), managerial, governance, capacity, leadership, and business issues.

This includes leadership development, strategic planning, succession planning, managerial training, employee health and well-being, employee onboarding processes, employee experience, employee engagement & morale, benefits, incidents, external audits, risk mitigation, and compliance.

Do you need tools, processes, and training to grow your organization? Alicia will focus on the tactical deliverables required to support your plans.

Alicia curates compliant policies, practices, efficient tracking systems, job descriptions, forms, checklists, employee handbooks, and more.

Confidential, Impartial Investigations

Alicia can personally and with full confidentiality, conduct independent, third-party investigations into any allegations of misconduct, policy violation, harassment, discrimination, or other concerns you or your various stakeholders may have. ALICIA KNOWS will gather necessary statements from employees, board members, customers, funding sources, and/or general public as needed. Asking the right questions the first time is key to effective and quick resolutions. This process can protect your organization against retaliation by separating the investigator from the decision makers. ALICIA KNOWS will present decision makers with the facts and a recommendation for action or non action as the case may require.

Policy and Practices Audits & Technical Writing

Alicia works hand-in-hand with your company’s management team to create policies that are understandable, effective, and sound; and above all, consistent with practices and requirements.

Alicia can provide a complete comprehensive review of current organizational or departmental policies, procedures, documentation, and systems to identify areas of improvement needed as well as ensure regulatory compliance with ever-changing rules and regulations.

Clearly written policies that are designed for efficiency are essential for helping your organization prosper and empowering your people to function more adeptly. They also provide invaluable protection for both your organization and your people.

services

our values

Successful organizations

have strong administration, supported by documentation and accountability, so that the rest of the staff can focus on the mission.

Almost every organization has opportunities to improve HR, operations, finance, and IT in ways that will pay for themselves quickly. That’s where we come in.

If you require additional resources, we have quality partnerships to ensure the best outcomes for your business.

We lead with Integrity and Passion. We assume positive intent. We are authentic, accountable, and transparent, and we deliver on promises.

We Respect everyone, always. We encourage. We advocate for others and ourselves. We are collaborative and inclusive. We are human-centered and show up with kindness and empathy.

We are Mindful. We seek out input and different viewpoints. We have a keen attention to detail.

We are Resourceful. We value your time and money as our own. We use creativity and experience to get great results.

We value Balance. We attract clients who respect this. Our goal is for both you and us to have a life outside of work.

recommended by others

Koube Ngaaje

President and CEO, District Alliance for Safe Housing

“Having worked closely with you during your time as our HR consultant, I’ve seen firsthand the lasting impact you’ve had on shaping our team and fostering the culture that makes our work possible. It reminds me just how fortunate we are to have someone like you in our corner."

testamonials

projects

In addition to 25 years of nonprofit management experience, Alicia worked in medical and light industrial staffing. She has led and been involved in projects to improve organizations, employee outcomes, and services.

Human Resources

Alicia became an HR Generalist in 1997 as a department of one. She was responsible for all areas of Human Resources including recruiting, hiring, performance assessment, employee engagement, employee development, management support, employee communications, HR technology, benefits assessment and implementation, compensation, policy formation, policy auditing, compliance with all funding source requirements, incident investigation and resolution, employee health and safety, onboarding, and finally graceful offboarding.

Alicia was instrumental in creating an HR database in MS Access that housed all data related to each employee, their training, their benefits, compensation, and more. The system integrated with the payroll system and provided a wealth of easy reports. The system was in place from 1998 to 2023 when the company decided to buy a third party solution.

Governance and Leadership

Alicia has supported and served on volunteer boards including the local HR society, the state-wide industry group (of vocational rehabilitation providers), neighborhood HOAs and local and state-wide provider alliances (for vocational rehabilitation providers).

Alicia has improved reporting and communications, conducted governance assessments, took the lead on strategic planning initiatives and succession planning, initiated and implemented board diversity initiatives, developed board orientation and supporting documents for directors, and led board development efforts.

Alicia was the point person for all things pandemic-related 2020-2022 including crafting a Business Continuity Plan, partnering with the local Health Department, communicating with customers, employees, and funders. This process included high-level decision making for which there was little precedent, and generating new policies and guidelines.

Quality Management - ISO 9001

Alicia was integral in implementation of a quality management system (QMS) to meet ISO 9001 requirements which was granted registration in the early 2000s. She was the management review representative when the organization migrated to the 2015 ISO standards.

Alicia wrote, edited, and audited QMS standard operating procedures, led the Management Review Board meetings and managed accountability for achieving outcomes, created/implemented training, and participated in the development and implementation of a quality database to track and measure all required quality information.

Federal Contractor Compliance

For 15 years, Alicia was the main point of contact overseeing administration of a Federal Contract with the VA Medical Center in Durham. The contract provided patient escort services 24/7 throughout the medical center.

The contract started in 1995 and was valued at $670,000 in 2008. The total dollar amount improved over the time Alicia managed it to ultimately $1.8 Million in October of 2022.

The contract facilitator, SourceAmerica, recognized the quality of the compliance being provided and requested Alicia or her staff to speak at their annual conference regarding compliance.

In 2019, Alicia was awarded with the National Council of SourceAmerica Employers Management Excellence Award.

Who We Work Wth