Our Spotlight series provides an opportunity to meet the remarkable individuals at HRchitect. Each month, we highlight a member of our team, so you can learn more about their unique contributions and get to know them on a personal level. This month, we are excited to feature James Ratkay, Senior TeleStaff Consultant in our UKG practice, whose career has been shaped by a rare and useful thread: he knows how to build things that have to work in the real world.
Before James was helping public-sector and public-safety organizations build better scheduling environments in UKG TeleStaff, he was building something entirely different: sets and mazes at Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California. As a scene carpenter for the park’s Halloween Haunt, James worked with his hands, learned the discipline of turning creative ideas into functional reality, and helped create experiences people would physically walk through.
“I loved working haunt season, it was creative, hands-on work, and it gave me a real appreciation for building something people could experience.”
James Ratkay
-Former Scene Carpenter and Professional Parade Float Driver
That early work may seem far removed from workforce technology, but the connection is clearer the longer you talk to him. A good set has to be imaginative, but it also has to be stable. A maze has to guide people through complexity without making the structure visible. A parade float has to be designed with enough precision to move through tight spaces without scraping the sides. James knows that last part well because he used to drive them, too.
“One of the floats had about an inch and a half of clearance on both sides when I drove it through the gate,” he shared.
James is testing out the foam pit area of the maze he just finished building at Knott’s Berry Farm
It is the kind of detail that makes a good James story, but it also says something about how he works now. He understands that the smallest measurements can matter. He knows that systems need to be built with awareness of the environment around them. He is comfortable inside complexity, especially when the goal is to create something dependable for the people relying on it.
Today, James brings that builder mindset to HRchitect as a Senior TeleStaff Consultant. Based in Vancouver, Washington, he has more than 16 years of scheduling experience, including deep expertise in UKG TeleStaff. His work supports organizations where scheduling is not simply a calendar exercise. For fire departments, EMS teams, police departments, sheriff’s offices, corrections teams, municipal agencies, and other public-sector organizations, scheduling connects directly to coverage, compliance, labor agreements, timekeeping, and daily operations.
In those environments, the rules are often layered. Regional labor laws, union agreements, role-specific policies, staffing minimums, bidding processes, and timekeeping integrations all need to work together. James helps translate those moving parts into TeleStaff configurations that are clear, stable, and maintainable.
That is where his approach stands out. James is technical, but he does not lead with jargon. He is experienced, but he does not make clients feel like they need to catch up to him. He keeps the conversation grounded, practical, and collaborative.
One of the UKG TeleStaff projects James is most proud of from his first year involved:
Helping a fire services client recover from a difficult implementation inherited from another partner. The HRchitect team had to rebuild much of the environment from the ground up, addressing configuration challenges and helping the client reach a better, more stable place.
“It was rewarding to see that project come together,” James said.
“After rebuilding so much of the environment, the client was happy with the result and able to start doing some really interesting things with TeleStaff.”
That word, rebuilding, feels especially fitting for James. His path from scene carpentry to programming to TeleStaff consulting is not a straight line, but it is a consistent one. He has always been drawn to figuring out how things work, how they fit together, and how they can be improved.
“I try to keep things conversational and make space for feedback,”
James said.
“Even when the feedback is tough, I want clients to know I’m listening and focused on finding the right path forward.”
Clients usually learn within the first few conversations that James knows the application inside and out. Just as importantly, they learn that he can take a complicated situation and help them see a workable path through it.
“I want clients to feel confident early on that I understand the system and the challenge in front of us,”
he shared.
“From there, it becomes, ‘Here’s how we’re going to solve this together.“
That steady presence matters in the TeleStaff community, which James describes as both niche and relationship-driven. Many of the customer relationships he has built stretch back more than a decade, and he values the trust that comes from being a consistent resource over time.
“Customers appreciate knowing they have a consistent resource,” James said. “When they run into a TeleStaff issue, they know they can come back to someone who understands the product, their history, and the community they operate in.”
Recently, James had the chance to reconnect with that community in a very direct way by helping lead HRchitect’s UKG TeleStaff user group mini series. The series brought TeleStaff users together across several regions, creating space for questions, shared experiences, and practical conversations about the system.
For James, that face-to-face time was a highlight of his first year at HRchitect.
“I’ve really enjoyed the conversations from the TeleStaff user group series,” he said. “Getting face-to-face time with customers is always meaningful to me because this work is so relationship-driven.”
It also reflects what he enjoys most about consulting: not just configuring the system, but helping people understand how to get more out of it. One common misconception he hears is that TeleStaff should behave like a timekeeping or payroll system. James helps clients step back and understand the purpose of the tool, and how it fits into the broader workforce technology ecosystem.
“TeleStaff is not a timekeeping solution. It is a scheduling solution,” James explained. “Its job is to determine when and where people are expected to show up, then apply the organization’s specific rules to identify who is needed and in what order.”
That distinction is especially important when TeleStaff connects to systems such as UKG Pro, Workforce Ready, or UKG WFM. James often helps clients understand where scheduling ends, where timekeeping begins, and how those systems can work together more effectively.
After his time at Knott’s Berry Farm, James went back to school and earned his bachelor’s degree in programming. At the time, he was interested in computer programming and game development. A former Knott’s Berry Farm colleague later connected him to Kronos, now UKG, and that opportunity led him into TeleStaff.
Even outside of work, the same instincts show up. James has a 3D printer, enjoys tinkering with technology, and is working with a friend on a game development side project. He has been taking things apart and putting them back together for as long as he can remember.
“I’ve always had that tinkering side,” he said. “My mom still tells the story that one of the first things I did as a kid was take apart the VCR just so I could put it back together.”
Now, the things James builds are less visible than a Halloween maze or parade float, but they are no less important. A well-built TeleStaff environment can help a department schedule more accurately, reduce manual work, support compliance, and give teams more confidence in the systems they use every day. It is behind-the-scenes work with very real operational impact.
James brings the same care into his relationships with clients and teammates. When people look back on working with him, he hopes they remember more than his product knowledge.
“I want people to walk away with a good last impression,”
he said.
“When another TeleStaff challenge comes up, I hope they think, ‘Let’s call James.’”
He also hopes they remember the experience as positive, approachable, and maybe even fun.
“I try to bring some humor into the work when I can,” James said. “If I can make something easier to talk through or a little less stressful, I’m going to do that.”
Outside of work, James has built a life that fits him well in the Pacific Northwest. He grew up in Murrieta, California, but after years of visiting Seattle with his brother, he knew he wanted to make the move north. About five years ago, he settled in Vancouver, Washington.
“I’ve always loved the Pacific Northwest,” he said. “Southern California has its perks, but I was drawn to the weather, the greenery, and the pace of life up here.”
He enjoys the seasons, the hiking, the fresh air, and the scenery. His favorite workday reset is taking his dog, Dot, for a walk. Dot’s full name, inspired by Animaniacs, is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III, though Dot is easier to use every day.
“Dog agility has become a big part of my routine,” James said. “Dot and I have been taking classes a few times a week, and it has been a fun challenge for both of us.”
When he is not working through scheduling rules or TeleStaff configurations, James enjoys hiking, gaming, 3D printing, baking, and going to Portland Trail Blazers games. He has season tickets with a friend and is also a lifelong baseball fan who grew up listening to Dodgers games on the radio. In the kitchen, he is more baker than cook, with cookies, cupcakes, and crème brûlée among his favorites to make. His recent music history also revealed a millennial classic: “Punk Rock 101” by Bowling for Soup.
Hometown: I grew up in Murrieta, California, and moved to Vancouver, Washington, about five years ago. I had always loved the Pacific Northwest and used to take an annual trip to Seattle with my brother.
Favorite thing about living in the Pacific Northwest: The hiking, greenery, fresh air, and having real seasons. Southern California is nice, but I really enjoy the weather and scenery here.
Favorite workday reset: Taking my dog, Dot, for a walk. Working from home can make it easy to stay at the desk too long, and Dot helps me step away, get outside, and reset.
Meet Dot: Her full name is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III, inspired by Animaniacs, but I call her Dot. We have also been doing dog agility classes two or three times a week.
What is something coworkers may be surprised to learn about you? I used to drive parade floats at Knott’s Berry Farm. One of the floats had about an inch and a half of clearance on both sides when I drove it through the gate, so I like to think those skills paid off in real-life driving and parallel parking.
What is your title, and what do you do for HRchitect? I’m a Senior TeleStaff Consultant. I help clients configure and optimize UKG TeleStaff for complex scheduling environments, especially in public sector and public safety. That can include scheduling rules, bidding, integrations, APIs, SMS workflows, remediation work, and helping connect TeleStaff scheduling to downstream systems.
What does that mean in TeleStaff terms? It means understanding how an organization actually schedules people, then translating that into a system that supports daily operations. TeleStaff tells you when and where people are expected to show up, and it follows detailed rules to determine who is needed and in what order.
What has been a highlight from your first year at HRchitect? The TeleStaff user group mini series has been a big highlight. I really enjoy getting face-to-face time with customers and staying connected to a community I have worked with for many years.
What is your consulting style? Conversational, open, and direct. I want clients to know early that I understand the system, I understand their challenges, and I can help them find a path forward.
A professional goal for year two? I want to continue growing my TeleStaff expertise, become more accessible to East Coast customers, and keep developing leadership and people management skills so I am ready when those opportunities come up.
As James looks toward his second year with HRchitect, he wants to keep adding to his TeleStaff expertise, continue offering more complex solutions where they make sense, become even more accessible to East Coast customers, and grow his leadership and people management skills.
He also has advice for anyone adjusting to a busy remote work rhythm: take the break.
“When I get into a flow, I can keep going for hours,” James said. “One thing I’ve had to learn is that it’s okay, and honestly necessary, to step away and take a break.”
It is advice that feels very James: practical, self-aware, and rooted in experience. Whether he is rebuilding a TeleStaff environment, helping customers understand a complex scheduling challenge, creating something on his 3D printer, or guiding Dot through an agility course, James brings patience, precision, humor, and a builder’s mindset to everything he does.
HRchitect is proud to have James on the team, and we look forward to seeing what he builds next.