About Us

Our vision: A world where people are doing what they were created to do in companies succeeding beyond their wildest dreams.

Our mission: To transform the world by transforming the workplace.

Every person was created to be successful. Lack of success is misalignment in capacity or will. The biggest competitive advantage any company has is the unique set of souls & skills employed at any given time. When these are aligned, the workplace flows, productivity (and profits!) increase, and growth happens. Our job is to help every client be successful by aligning the people.

“Profit for a company is like oxygen for a person. If you don’t have enough of it, you’re out of the game. But if you think your life is about breathing, you’re really missing something.” – Peter Drucker

Profit is essential, but it only comes through people.

As a founder or a leader of a family business, your business is far more than “just a job.” It’s a part of you, your heritage, and your legacy. Your goal is to reach your ideal of success. Our goal is to get you there, by helping you build and deploy the best workforce possible.

As a thought leader in the HR space, The Hayes Approach (THA) works with organizations (especially those who are founder led and/or family owned) in our Outsourced HR business. We partner with clients across the nation to provide a wide range of hands-on services, from the basics of traditional HR to advanced coaching, leadership, and workplace solutions.

You’ve got work to do. We help your people get it done.

Job design, employee assessment, payroll, benefits, performance assessment, employee relations … if it touches your employees, we’ve got you covered.

Meet Our Team

Click a headshot to view their bio!

Brad Albertson

HR Director
MBA, SHRM-CP

Coleece Posey Cochran

HR Director
MHRD, SHRM-SCP

Gail Conway

HR Director
SHRM-SCP

Kimberly Dunham

Office Manager

Stacey Franklin

Operations & HR Director
SHRM-SCP

Joanne Garrett

Payroll Director

Leslie Hayes

Founder and President
MA, SHRM-SCP

Audrey Hudgins

HR Generalist
MOL, SHRM-CP

Trish Kolarik

HR Director
MBA, SHRM-CP

Brad Albertson, MBA, SHRM-CP

HR Director

Brad graduated from Clemson with a degree in HR Management before going on to earn an MBA from Anderson University. He joined THA in 2020, bringing with him an HR background in Construction, Manufacturing/Logistics, Engineering, and Sales/Marketing.

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Gail Conway, SHRM-SCP

HR Director

Gail has 30+ years of HR knowledge and expertise in a wide range of industries. She specializes in Compliance and Employee Relations but has experience in all areas of HR Management.

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Kimberly Dunham

Office Manager

Kimberly joined THA in 2021, bringing with her years of experience from the insurance and financial industries, mainly supporting small businesses. She is a graduate of Flagler College, where she majored in Psychology. She specializes in payroll, accounting, and streamlining procedures to ensure the office runs smoothly.

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Stacey Franklin, SHRM-SCP

Operations & HR Director

Stacey is a proud USC graduate, with a degree in HR/Insurance Risk Management. She has been with THA since 2011, serving as both HR and Operations Director, and has experience in a wide range of industries from manufacturing to interior design.

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Joanne Garrett

Payroll Director

Joanne graduated from Winthrop University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing. She has over 13 years experience in finance and banking.

Joanne joined THA in 2015 and quickly became our resource for payroll and benefits.

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Leslie Hayes, MA, SHRM-SCP

Founder and President

Leslie founded THA in 2007 after serving as a corporate HR executive. She is a Harvard graduate with 25+ years of HR management experience, as well as a registered corporate coach with the WABC and winner of GSHRM’s HR Professional of the Year (2021).

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Audrey Hudgins, MOL, SHRM-CP

HR Generalist

Audrey holds a master’s in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in HR Management from Anderson University. Audrey joined THA in 2019 and quickly became a “go to” for matters related to talent acquisition, payroll, benefit enrollment, and new hire processes.

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Trish Kolarik, MBA, SHRM-CP

HR Director

Trish graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in Business before earning an MBA (HR concentration) from the University of Pittsburgh. She joined THA in 2015 after a decade in retail management. She works with clients across the country in all industries to help them create the best workplace possible.

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Coleece Posey Cochran, MHRD, SHRM-SCP

HR Director

Coleece is a Clemson University graduate, having achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master’s in Human Resources Development. Her professional journey is underscored by an HR career spanning over 18 years within diverse sectors, including Automotive, Healthcare, and Outsourced HR, affording her a comprehensive perspective on HR operations across industries.

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