In this edition of Bright Lights, we introduce another key PeopleFluent team member: Senior Director of Hosted Operations, James Sanders. When he’s not at work, James volunteers with his local Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. Let’s get to know him better!

What’s your role at PeopleFluent? How long have you been working here?

I’ve been with PeopleFluent for more than 18 years. When I started, the company was known as Hire.com. I was brought in as a contractor to evaluate the Help Desk application used by the Customer Support team which resulted in a full-time position.

Being with the company this long, I’ve been through several mergers and have held a few different positions over the years. I moved into my current role about four years ago.

What did you do for work prior to joining PeopleFluent?

Before PeopleFluent, I worked for a software integration company based in Austin, Texas. My role involved managing the customer help desk.

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What skills are needed to be successful in your role?

You need to have the ability to multitask and think outside of the box. When customers have concerns, you need to be able to come up with solutions, so creativity comes into play.

How would you describe your team dynamic?

Our team is made up of great, passionate people. We’re located in five different countries, so it’s important for us to meet and be open with each other. Sometimes there are some long hours, but everyone is dedicated to the work and helping each other, so it’s very worth it.

Is there a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of?

I’ve been part of a lot of projects over the years, so it’s hard to decide! One of our recent projects involved moving all of our customers’ data from our Austin data center to our Atlanta data center. We moved data for roughly 80 customers without incident and ahead of our projected timeline. I’m pretty proud of that.

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What’s your favorite aspect of your job?

I love working with people across the globe and getting to know them better. I also enjoy the day-to-day challenges (and occasional surprises!) that keep the job interesting.

What’s your favorite work perk?

Definitely working remotely. I used to have a 35-mile commute to work each day. Remote work is definitely nicer than that drive used to be!

What are you doing when you’re not at your desk?

I’m into agriculture, so when I’m not working I like to help students in our local school district with their pigs. It’s part of a program through the FFA (Future Farmers of America).

What’s something you wish you would’ve known at the start of your career?

This one’s a bit difficult to answer. I actually studied to become an architect but found myself working in IT, so my career hasn’t gone in the direction that I anticipated when I was starting out. I had some really great professional mentors while I was working my way through college, and I wound up in IT because the right opportunities presented themselves along the way.

I guess I’d say it’s okay to chase opportunities and see where life takes you!

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