Our Consultant Spotlight series is an opportunity to meet our team at HRchitect. Every month we shine a spotlight on a consultant for you to learn more about. Get to know more about Michelle Peart in this month’s Consultant Spotlight.
Michelle Peart, SHRM-CP, PHR, PHRca, brings over 25 years of Human Resources and Project Management experience with mid-market and large enterprises to the HRchitect team. Michelle, a results-oriented, highly-organized Human Resources professional, joined HRchitect in 2022 as a Senior Implementation Consultant specializing in UKG Pro and iCIMS. She quickly expanded her credentials to include product-based certifications, including UKG Pro Project Management, iCIMS Talent Cloud, iCIMS User Admin Specialist, and iCIMS Talent Suite.
Michelle has recently taken on a new role as a Senior Strategic Services Consultant, where she will be working with organizations to evaluate and select new HCM and WFM systems.
Hometown: Fargo, North Dakota
Alma mater: California State University in Sacramento, California
My all-time favorite restaurant: My husband’s outdoor kitchen. We enjoy making pizza in our pizza oven.
The last book you read: The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World’s Happiest People by Meik Wiking.
What do you do when you’re not working? I love spending time outdoors – playing with my dogs, walking, and hiking. I also enjoy reading and crocheting.
How did you learn about HRchitect, and what made you join the company? At my previous employer, I hired HRchitect for their HCM Strategic Services and ATS Implementation Project Advisory Services for our iCIMS implementation. What made me join? After spending seventeen years at an engineering consulting firm, I was ready for a new opportunity where I could be challenged and thrive. Also, after so many years of being on the client side, it is really exciting to be on the consulting side.
How has your background impacted your experience as a consultant? Coming from the client side, I have a sympathetic ear for the challenges the client is facing. I also deeply understand how hard an implementation can be on a small team when there is no relief from the person’s day job. My strengths in process and organization have paired well with the implementation methodology for different systems.
In your own words, what do you do at HRchitect? In my role, I help clients understand and achieve their goal of having better HR systems and more efficient HR technology processes.
What’s a typical workday like for you? My day typically starts bright and early and usually right away with client meetings. I’m on the west coast, and with many of my clients in Central or Eastern time zones, I’m already a few hours behind, so it’s necessary to jump right in. That said, on the backside of the day, around 2 pm, is when I get to buckle down and focus on my tasks (meeting minutes, research, emails, project plans, etc.) because everyone’s ended their day already. It’s a routine I’m quite comfortable with, having worked primarily with the east coast for more than a decade.
Tell me about a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of. I am particularly proud of an HCM and WFM implementation project for one of HRchitect’s NGO clients. The main reason I’m proud of this project is because of our team and how we have supported the client. The NGO had a small and inexperienced team with little bandwidth to complete the required tasks, so it was critical to have our consulting team step in to support them with the knowledge to make decisions and the tools to get their deliverables done. Seeing our solution consultants’ efforts pay off is very gratifying. For example, our consultants successfully prepared the payroll manager, giving her the ability to process 90% of her first live payroll without any assistance from our consultant. I would say that’s a huge compliment to her and our team.
What’s been one of your favorite destinations to travel to for a client site visit? I have not had to travel yet while at HRchitect. However, in the past, I enjoyed going to the Twin Cities – where I am originally from. It was like going home.
As part of a team that works 100% virtually, what technology or collaboration tools do you use to make your work life easier? My favorite tools are Microsoft ToDo, Slack Channels, and Snag-it.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day? I am motivated by my desire to contribute and make an impact on both my team and my clients.
Which employee perk that HRchitect offers do you enjoy the most? Why? Holidays! My previous employer had half the holidays that HRchitect observes. Having those little breaks peppered in throughout the year makes a huge difference. Not to mention the surprise Employee Appreciation ½ day we had this year. That was a fantastic surprise!
Learn more about Michelle on LinkedIn