About The Workplace Advisors™

We are a leading national consulting and training firm specializing in equipping you with the business consulting support and people skills you need to grow.

Our Industry Partners

Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Our mission is simple:

To be the driving force behind your business’ long-term success.

That’s why we’re dedicated to providing you with the consulting support and people skills you need to grow—no matter what challenges arise along the way.

Because when your leaders have the skills and the mindset they need to solve their BIGGEST people challenges…

They show up more dedicated and driven to succeed.

They’re more inspired to contribute and collaborate, which creates a ripple effect within your culture.

You can’t grow your business without a successful workforce.

Let us help you build yours with insightful guidance and comprehensive HR support tailored to your unique needs.

With a deep-rooted commitment to our shared core values, our team’s vast expertise in recruiting, HR compliance, compensation, employee development, and behavioral assessments means we’re equipped to support you as you plan for what’s next.

Our Core Values Guide Every Interaction With You

They serve as our compass in everything we do.

  • Authenticity: We believe in showing up as our authentic selves. Our commitment to our personal and professional relationships defines who we are as individuals and as a group.
  • Honesty: We believe that open and honest communication, spoken with kindness and thoughtfulness and received with grace and humility, no matter how difficult, is the foundation to all successful relationships.
  • Promises: We believe that honoring our promises, performing to the best of our abilities, and owning our mistakes builds trusting, lasting relationships.
  • Mutual Respect: We believe that mutual respect and a diversity of perspectives, opinions, and views contributes to our personal and professional growth and development.
  • Balance: We believe that fostering balance through a commitment to self-care, a dedication to each other, and laughter and humor make us better in all aspects of our lives.


All of these values, individually and combined, define us as individuals and as an organization.

Your HR success story begins here…

Our Team

At The Workplace Advisors, we’re passionate about HR, so you can focus on what matters most:

Claudia St. John

Claudia St. John

President

Claudia St. John, SHRM-SCP, SPHR is the Founder and CEO of The Workplace Advisors™, a leading HR consulting and training firm specializing in equipping businesses with the consulting support and people skills they need to grow.

She is an SPHR (Senior Professional in HR), SHRM-SCP (SHRM Senior Certified Professional), and Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst who empowers organizations with evidence-backed insights, so they can navigate the evolving landscape of talent acquisition, engagement, and retention with confidence and foresight. Known as The Workplace Advisor™, she helps organizations zoom out, shift their mindset, and build businesses that lead their industry. 

A frequent keynote speaker, Claudia is a regular media contributor on the topic of HR. She wrote the book, Transforming Teams: Tips For Improving Collaboration and Building Trust, a book for leaders that addresses why fundamental breakdowns happen within organizations, and what they can do to correct them.

Claudia holds an Undergraduate degree in Employee Benefits & Labor Relations from The American University and a Master’s degree in Business & Public Administration from The George Washington University, in addition to numerous HR and behavioral science certifications.

Lisa Ritchie

Lisa Ritchie

Vice President, Recruiting and Talent Selection

Lisa Ritchie over 30 years of experience in recruiting, sales and management and is a founding member of The Workplace Advisors’ leadership team.

Lisa spent over 15 years in the staffing industry, holding positions including Staff Recruiter, Sales Manager, and Branch Manager. During her tenure as Branch Manager for Adecco and Spherion, global outplacement and temporary staffing agencies, she led recruiting efforts for companies of all shapes and sizes, including large financial institutions and regional call center operations facilities.

Having also been a business owner, Lisa understands the unique staffing and recruitment issues faced by small businesses. Lisa holds a BBA from James Madison University and is based in Richmond, Virginia.

Paige McAllister

Paige McAllister

Vice President, HR Compliance

Paige McAllister has over 20 years of HR experience, specializing in compliance, employee relations, training, and HR strategic initiatives. During her career with The Workplace Advisors, she has assisted clients across all 50 states in matters of HR compliance, employee relations guidance, professional development, and performance management processes. In her role as HR Manager at McGladrey, she worked with partners and managers on a diverse array of concerns, including recruitment, disciplinary actions, terminations, and legal mandates. Her role also encompassed assisting employees with matters such as onboarding, leaves of absence, and access to reimbursement and benefits. During a seven-year tenure at Oasis Outsourcing, Paige made significant contributions by extending her assistance to thousands of clients spanning various industries.

Paige earned her MBA in General Business from Florida Atlantic University and her BA in Psychology from Auburn University. Paige has held her SPHR certification since January 2009, having previously held her PHR since June 2003. She has held her SHRM-SCP designation since January 2015.

Susan Palé

Vice President, Compensation

Heading the Compensation division at The Workplace Advisors is Susan Palé, a seasoned professional with a wealth of expertise. She has extensive experience in the development of customized compensation strategies, and performance management and total rewards programs. She has worked as an independent consultant for 20 years, developing programs that cater to the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses across a range of industries—including manufacturing, technology, financial services, and healthcare. The programs and services she offers include market pricing for specific positions, incentive plan development, and the design and implementation of salary structures.

Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Susan served as the Director of Compensation and Benefits and Assistant Vice President for Human Resources for a large financial services organization. She is recognized as a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) by World at Work.

Liz Whisler

Liz Whisler

Vice President, Leadership Development

As a certified professional coach and facilitator, Liz Whisler brings a wealth of expertise in leadership and career development. Her diverse experience in business ownership, consulting, corporate roles, and business development brings a unique perspective into her coaching. As a business leader herself, Liz understands the challenges that leaders face. By leveraging her understanding of human behavior, experience and effective coaching techniques, Liz aims to inspire individuals to thrive and navigate their unique paths to success.

Liz’s goal is clear: To guide leaders in achieving their unique aspirations and goals. What sets her apart is her commitment to equip clients with actionable strategies and tools for transformative growth. She creates a space where individuals don’t just dream of success—they actively work towards it and are armed with the knowledge and confidence that comes through coaching. Her coaching isn’t just a service; it’s a transformative experience that empowers clients to reach new heights!

Solve your people challenges, so you can grow your business.

Here’s how:

The Workplace Advisors

HR Support Plan

We help you stay compliant, so you can free up your valuable time to focus on your team and your business. Our HR Support Plan offers unlimited compliance consulting for less than our hourly consulting rate!

Plus receive customized employee handbooks, unparalleled members-only pricing on our full range of services, and stay up to date on ever-changing employee compliance regulations.

The Workplace Advisors

Consulting

Get access to a dedicated team to help steer your workforce initiatives.

Whether you need support with recruitment, compliance, compensation, employee engagement, or professional development, we meet you where you are today and ensure you’re ready to face whatever comes next.

The Workplace Advisors

Keynotes

As the CEO of a nationwide HR consulting firm, Claudia St. John helps companies zoom out, shift their mindset, and build businesses that lead their industry.

With her evidence-backed insights, her engaging keynotes empower organizations with the knowledge they need to navigate the evolving landscape of talent acquisition and retention with confidence and foresight.

Testimonials

Insights

The Book

Transforming Teams shares proven strategies that front-line managers can immediately deploy to help teams improve collaboration and productivity.

The Blog

The Advice Bites blog is a valuable resource for anyone seeking practical guidance, actionable tips, and best practices when it comes to building their workforce.

In the News

Read our discussions about recent trends, listen to podcast interviews, and discover our best tips for keeping your employees engaged and your business growing.

Videos

Discover how to improve the way you hire, engage, and retain your people with regular HR Minutes from our CEO, Claudia St John, and her team of workplace advisors.