Senior Implementation Consultant, Ali Abbas, PCP, SHRM-SCP, CPHR, brings over 10 years of HR and Payroll system implementation expertise to the HRchitect team. Get to know Ali in this month’s Consultant Spotlight.
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
Alma mater: The University of Regina. I received both my B.B.A in HR and Masters of Public Administration there.
All-time favorite restaurant: Stella’s in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Last book you read and really enjoyed: Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
What do you do when you’re not working?
I like hanging out with my wife and two cats. I have a collection of antique vehicles, including a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle and several Japanese motorcycles from the 1970s and 1980s that I enjoy working on.
How did you find out about HRchitect, and what made you join the company?
I worked for an HR technology vendor and was looking into other implementation consulting opportunities. I came across HRchitect in my search, read all the positive on-line reviews and heard great things from current employees, so I decided to make the switch.
How has your background impacted your experience as a consultant?
I have been very lucky to have worked in many different industries, and with clients of all sizes, which has helped me understand how different each organization’s challenges can be when it comes to system implementation. Having been on the customer side of HRIS implementations has also helped me as a consultant to better appreciate my client’s challenges and be a better implementation partner.
In your own words, what do you do at HRchitect?
I try and find solutions for my customers to make their lives easier through using their HRIS and payroll system’s functionality to solve problems they are currently experiencing, have experienced in the past, or anticipate arising in the future. I find solutions!
What’s a typical workday like for you?
There isn’t really a typical workday and that is one of the many reasons why I enjoy what I do. Some days have me starting early and working late due to critical points in the project lifecycle and some days I have time to take training and further develop my skillset. I just recently took some additional Business Intelligence Reporting training, which was great to learn a new skill and I look forward to applying that in my upcoming client engagements.
Tell me about a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of.
I can’t really pick just one. Any project where I am able to use a new part of a system or help my clients learn new functionality that helps make their lives easier makes me happy.
As part of a team that works 100% virtually, what technology or collaboration tools do you use to make your work life easier?
My Outlook calendar! I live and breathe by my calendar. I use it to keep track of all my meetings and tasks. OneNote has also been great for collaborating. I use OneNote to keep track of all my customer notes, and to save my frequently used SQL scripts, and calculation expressions. Storing this essential information in an easy to access place allows me to quickly and easily search through and re-use these ,without having to rewrite them, saving me a lot of time.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
It helps that I enjoy what I do. No two days are the same and there is never a dull moment. I love the variety, and interesting work motivates me.
Which employee perk that HRchitect offers do you enjoy the most? Why?
Have the ability to work remotely. I am most productive in a remote environment and I like the flexibility it offers.
Learn more about Ali here