Heather Merrick, MBA, SHRM-SCP | Managing Director
Specialized Recruiting Group

Finding great people for companies, building and optimizing teams, and creating healthy work cultures is my passion. I am committed making the community I live in a better place for everyone.

Heather has over 15 years of experience in human resources related roles, with strong experience in talent acquisition, organizational & workforce development, employee engagement, HR policy development, & HR strategy. She joined Express Employment Professionals in 2015 and currently serves as the Managing Director for Specialized Recruiting Group, an Express Employment Professionals company, to partner with client companies in providing HR solutions for recruiting & retaining top-notch talent, including training, workforce development, & recruitment strategies. Heather also provides consultation on HR policy development; best practices for employee engagement, organizational development, talent acquisition, & succession management; Veteran hiring, onboarding, & retention initiatives; and HR strategy for business success. Her recruiting experience includes manufacturing leadership, engineering, skilled trades, human resources, accounting/finance, sales & marketing, information technology, project management, administrative, medical, government, & non-profit roles.

In addition to her private sector work experience, Heather served 7 years on active duty in the U.S. Army and is a certified SHRM Foundation Inclusion Captain for Veteran Hiring, Onboarding, & Retention initiatives. Her education includes a bachelor of business administration degree with majors in human resources management & marketing; a master of business administration degree with a concentration in human resources; and she is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional.

Heather is also an active volunteer in the community, having served on the AHRM Board of Directors in a variety of roles since 2013 including Vice President for 2021 & President for 2022; serving as Director of Workforce Readiness for the MISHRM Council for 2020 & 2021; and serving on a Board Committee for Family Promise of Grand Rapids 2020 - 2022. Prior volunteer experience includes Michigan Blood; American Red Cross; Goodwill Industries of Grand Rapids; and Mosaic Film Experience. In October 2021 Heather was recognized by the MISHRM Council as the Top HR Volunteer of the Year, the highest level of recognition from MISHRM to its volunteers.