Lilanath Ghimire

Let the Goal Drive you

“There may be times when people may hate you for doing your job, but always remember that showing genuine act of compassion is different from giving in to requests out of gratitude, personal consideration, or to avoid the resentment. There is no way that we can please everyone.”

Lilanath started his career at QSS in 2004 as a Cashier in the company’s cafeteria project at Qatar University. During that period, QSS had likewise just started its operations in Qatar, so there were fewer employees, making it smooth and easy for Lila to be easily noticed.  He was a fast learner and this led to his promotion to Storekeeper in another project.

In 2005, the head office required an assistant to help run the payroll for all employees. Luckily, Lila was selected and during his early years in HR, he established this amazing trademark of being able to memorize the badge number of literally every employee.  From 150 employees when he started, today, Lila runs the payroll for 1700 employees which enabled him to master the Tally and SAP system applications for payroll processing.

This year, Lila has been conferred the Most Reliable Award in recognition of his performance in 2022, guided by his trustworthiness, consistency and steadfastness in meeting deadlines, accomplishing assignments, and delivering even on short notice.

How was your life back home?

We were not really struggling financially.  We had a decent life given that my two brothers were also employed.  At the same time, we had an agricultural land that yielded for us extra income.

At Kathmandu University, I spent a year working as an administrative assistant.  Subsequently, I quit this job to launch my own company. With a limited amount of investment capital on hand and prior experience as a small business owner, I took that impulsive yet important decision. It was obviously a rushed and unplanned business venture which did not take off as expected.  

What was your driving force to leave your country and work abroad?

I came to the realization that I wanted to utilize my business to realize my own goal.  I have always had a passion for farming and wanted to have my own piece of land. I believed that when this dream came true, it would truly make me happy. And such joy would inspire me to strive harder so that I could offer my family a comfortable life and my children, the best education.

I made the decision to look for possibilities abroad since I realized I needed to make more money in order to accomplish all of these aspirations.  

How did you land a job at Qatar Star Services (QSS)?

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mahendra Sanskrit University at Dharan in Nepal, I did not succeed in finding a good job to support myself and my family.  That solidified my decision to explore a work opportunity in Qatar.

What are the lessons you learned from life’s transition?

I discovered how crucial it is to have a clear objective and a plan to achieve that objective. It will be simpler to find the methods to achieve it once you are clear on these two.  I was certain that buying a piece of agricultural land would fulfill my desire and improve our quality of life. I searched for an opportunity and when I found one, I seized it. 

How did QSS change your life?

QSS made a huge impact on my career achievement, personality development, maturity in judgment, and confidence level.

In 2004, I began working as a cashier at QSS’ cafeteria project at Qatar University for a meager salary of Qatari Riyals 500/-.

Later on, I was appointed Storekeeper in a different project. But God gave me the biggest break when I was selected by the company to work in the head office and render administrative support to the Finance department for the payroll.  At that time, there was no HR department yet and the payroll was being managed and processed by Finance.  Up to this day, this is what I consider the most wonderful of all the career opportunities that QSS opened for me.  It helped me grow professionally by learning new things and developing skills that I never realized I could do great at.

I learned how to navigate and eventually, I mastered the Tally and SAP systems.  I may not be an expert in written communication but I understood the importance of documenting discussions and issues. I used to think that organizing files and sheets is part of a report’s aesthetic, but over the years of working in HR, while not perfect, my organizational skill has improved.

As a beginner in payroll, I was calculating salaries, overtime and benefits for 150 employees. As the business grew in size, the headcount increased as well. Consequently, my responsibilities grew bigger and I was promoted to Senior Payroll Officer with due increase in my salary and benefits.   

To date, as the Senior Payroll Officer, I am running the payroll for 1700 employees.

It was an honor and pride to perform the same tasks for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ but on a different level of challenges. Other than the number of temporary workers reaching to 6000, the difficult part was the disbursement of salaries.  But everyone in QSS stood up as one and won over the challenges.  

Despite how effortless and fluid my achievement may seem in this writing, considering the nature of my work, I did come under intense scrutiny from many people. Sometimes, people simply pay attention to the outcomes of a process and are not interested in learning about the rules that each process must follow. Over the years, I learned to separate my emotions from my judgment of things and situations.  I had a job to do but when needed, I let compassion rule.

Thanks to QSS for literally becoming my springboard to my life’s greatest achievements so far!

I built a new house in my town Itahari, Nepal and bought a piece of agricultural land.  Today, I cultivate Paddy, mustard and corn which provides a passive income to my family. Simultaneously, I am able to send my son to a reputable school.    

What lessons can you impart to others who are striving to establish their own success story?

Nothing is impossible if you know what you want and you are determined to get it.

Even if you believe that you have received adequate training, staying grounded and modest can help you realize just how much more it is for you to learn by listening to colleagues who know more than you do. 

Lastly, develop a healthy balance between completing your work and showing compassion for others.  I have embraced the fact that you can never please everyone and have grown past the critical remarks of those who are quick to condemn others without understanding the so-called call of duty.  At the end of the day, I am confident that I do my job in a way that will protect the company objectives and the interest of the employees.     

What continues to inspire you to keep aiming for a better life?

Every day, I get up from bed with my son as my main motivation, who is currently studying and whom I intend to provide with the best education possible.  And of course, my long-time dream to continue cultivating my own agriculture business that can provide a good source of income for me after I retire.