Nathan Meles is a senior consultant at HRchitect with over 9 years of experience with Workforce Management systems. Get to know Nathan, his favorite food and what made him join HRchitect in this month’s HRchitect spotlight.
Hometown: I’m from a small town in West Michigan called Otsego. Growing up right by Lake Michigan, I come from a big sailing family. Sailing with my family is one of the things I love most when visiting Michigan.
Alma Mater: University of Michigan
Favorite food: Ahi Tuna
Last book you read: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Favorite movie: Mean Girls
What do you do when you are not working? During normal times, I love traveling and I play in a volleyball league. Lately when I’m not working, I like to lay low and try to spend time outdoors.
In your own words, what do you do at HRchitect? I work with clients to figure out their business needs for the software that they have purchased and ensure that they have a smooth end-user transition to their new system. Basically, I make sure that clients are getting the high standard of service that HRchitect is known for.
How did you find out about HRchitect, and what made you join the company? In a previous role, I had worked with a couple people that had since joined HRchitect. They reached out when there was an opening to see if I was interested. The team had a great track record of success, and the perks of the job being 100% remote were both big sellers for me.
What’s a typical workday like for you? I wake up, check my email, look over my schedule, and make breakfast. I work throughout the morning and depending on the day, I’ll go to the gym around lunch time. I spend the rest of the afternoon working until everything is done – usually around 5 or 6.
How has your experience working for a software vendor helped you to be a better consultant? My experience primed me very well because I knew the software that I now implement so well. Coming from being a product manager at a workforce management vendor, not only can I lead discussions and be a good face for clients, but I know the ins and outs of this type of software. I think the crucial thing about being a good consultant is knowing the capabilities of the software so you can make good recommendations to clients.
Tell me about a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of.
I’m really proud of a workforce management system implementation we did with LA Care Health Plan. Overall that project encompassed a lot of HRchitect’s strengths. We came into the project partnered with Ernst and Young (EY), who was leading the simultaneous SAP SuccessFactors implementation. Our team had a great working relationship with EY and the workforce management system implementation that HRchitect led went really smoothly and was adopted very well. Overall, the client relationship, the implementation, and our partner relationship were seamless.
As part of a team that works 100% virtually, what technology or collaboration tools do you use to make your work life easier?
We use Slack as a team and it has helped when it comes down to quick communication. We also use GoToMeeting which works well for our external client calls. I have found that, especially when I was traveling, it is really convenient to have all of your work not only online but mobile accessible. It makes it so I’m always connected to my team and reachable.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
I’m really motivated by accomplishing things. I have a weekly planner in which I write things that I have going on or things that I need to accomplish. I get a lot of satisfaction from crossing those things off and knowing that I have things to get done.
We recently expanded our workforce management systems expertise, and I’m now certified to implement Kronos’ Workforce Dimensions product. I’m excited about this because I’m able to take on more in these types of projects, where I’m not only doing the requirements gathering, but also the implementation and the configuration. Overall, I like being able to deliver something to someone and working with clients to make them happy. It is rewarding to see the hard work that clients put into our project, but also to feel appreciated. I enjoy making their work lives easier and showing them value.
Which employee benefit or perk that HRchitect offers do you enjoy the most and why?
I don’t know if I just have one! Working from home, and the home office stipend are nice because I can tailor my work environment for what works for me. So, if I want to spend money on a home office, I can do that. If I want to spend money on a co-working space outside of my office, I can also do that. I think the combination of working from home and the home office stipend is really nice because instead of having to conform to how an office is set up, I can form my work space to what works best for me.