As part of our employee spotlight series, we’re introducing you to key PeopleFluent team members. This time, we chatted with Gerardo Guzman, Director of Professional Services at PeopleFluent. Gerardo’s been with the company for 15 years and when he isn’t working with clients, he’s spending time with his four kids or building something at his home.

Hi Gerardo! What’s your role at PeopleFluent?
I am PeopleFluent’s Director of Professional Services. I manage and promote a group of consultants who support and help customers implement our software. We implement solutions like Performance, Compensation, Recruitment, and Learning to mid-market and enterprise customers. At the end of the day, what we really want is to ensure that our customers recognize the value of our software as quickly as possible. We do this through our implementation processes and procedures but also by always providing the highest standard of customer service.

Before PeopleFluent, what did you do for work?
I've had many roles at PeopleFluent as I've been with the company for 15 years as of October 1, 2021, so I’ll work backward. Prior to my current role, I was the Director of the Mid-Market solution where I helped design the service offering for new mid-market products. That was a cool job as I got to work from the product side as well as from the services side. Before that, I was the Global Project Manager at PeopleFluent. I was in charge of all project managers for the services organization in the UK and in the US. I also managed consultants, similar to the role I have right now but it was specific to Compensation and Performance consultants.

Before PeopleFluent, I worked at United Healthcare where I managed data system analysts. Before that, I worked for Dell as a data analyst, and I helped to write a lot of business intelligence reports using VBA access databases.

Other than those roles, I used to fry chicken in a grocery store. I managed Dollar Stores as a District Manager for all the stores in South Texas. I used to make ice cream. I opened my own restaurant at one point, and we sold sandwiches, so I've done everything you can imagine.

What skills are needed to be successful in your role?
You need to be a change management expert, and you need patience. Flexibility, stellar communication skills, forward-thinking, and excellent customer service are also important. In our industry, working customers through any implementation, there's always change. There are many decisions that get made, and it might need to be re-thought. So, being flexible and always being proactive is important.

How would you describe your team dynamic?
In this particular job, the skills that I just mentioned have helped me create a team dynamic of undependability. Members of my team know that their word is their commitment. So, if they say they’re going to do something, they get it done. As a manager, if my team knows they can count on me because I show that example, they follow along.

What’s your favorite work perk?
I’d say working from home. I’m a social person and an extrovert. I’ve always liked working in offices and getting to say hello to people in the morning. But, since I started working from home 15 years ago, I’ve always felt I was more productive as I wasn’t spending much time on the road. It’s given me the work-life balance I wanted. Being able to watch my kids grow, making them breakfast in the morning, being home when they get here and spending time talking to them about their day—I wouldn’t change that for the world.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
It’s hard to choose just one. I enjoy working with my team a lot. I enjoy learning about our customers, especially how our software benefits them and their business processes. But, lately, I’ve been working on developing the new offering for how we’ll implement PeopleFluent Recruiting. Building the services delivery offering for this new solution has been very exciting. The most exciting part of this has been watching a consultant on my team build her confidence around this offering.

DID YOU KNOW? | PeopleFluent offers Premium Support for its products. Learn more here.

What are you doing when you’re not at your desk?
Hmmm, right now? A lot of driving. I have four kids and they all do swimming. They play soccer, they’re learning French or Japanese. When I’m not at my desk, most likely I’m driving them somewhere. I also like working around the house or building things with wood, like a chair or a sandbox for the kids. When it comes to relaxing, I enjoy movies, books, audiobooks, and podcasts.

Favorite movies or shows that got you through the pandemic?
Better Call Saul—I love that show! I also like watching anything ‘science fiction’. The typical Marvel stuff. Narcos Mexico was a good show. I also watch a lot of soccer—Chivas FC is the love of my life, but I also support Barcelona FC and Austin FC.

What skills do you want to develop in the future?
I want to work more on finance as I have a Master’s degree in Finance and Accounting. So working in professional services, if I spend more time with Finance, I can hopefully help the organization be more profitable by having a better understanding of all the moving parts.

What product have you been most proud of/excited about working on?
Lately, it’s Recruiting for sure. But, I’m most proud of my work on the PeopleFluent Performance solution since that’s what gave me my start with PeopleFluent.