Canadian HR Reporter

BEST PLACES TO WORK 2021 SPECIAL REPORT 8 www.hrreporter.com B eing awarded the Best Place to Work designation resonates with ADP for a couple of big reasons. For one, the timing makes a lot of sense considering today's hot labour market, says Andrea Wynter, vice president of HR at ADP in Toronto. "We're experiencing the biggest talent war we've seen in years. So being on this list… is beneficial to us as an organization because having the ability to share our brand and employee values, as seen through our asso- ciates' eyes, lets a lot of potential candidates out there know what kind of experience they can have working at ADP." Internally, the award reinforces a lot of the good work and investments that the company is doing with people and culture, she says. "It's a validation that we're on the right track and doing the right things, because this award is not based on sales records and client counts. It's a combination of what our associates have said about working at ADP." In that regard, employees scored high marks for many of the company's initiatives, including diversity and inclusion, recognition and flexibility. "Our focus is really on creating and inspiring the best employee experience, placing our associates at the centre of what we do," says Wynter. "With work and home life so interconnected, we know that for our associates to thrive, we have to focus on creating conditions and supports that help them navigate the realities of their personal life in addition to enabling them to grow professionally." To that end, the company is focused on building effective leaders, she says. "We want to make sure that we have leaders equipped with a number of tools, and know how to leverage them. We want our managers to listen to their team, really listen… Because when employees feel valued and understood, we know we've then created a long-lasting connection that lets us hear where the business needs to go." ADP's leaders truly care about the associates and want to make a difference, says Thao Tran, senior HR business advisor at ADP in Montreal. "A great example is the flex freedom benefits plan that was introduced. A lot of associates, including myself, were not using these services, like the medical supplies and paramedical services. And so with this new plan, associates were able to put flex dollars from the parts of the plan they weren't using towards, for example, their RSP, and I think that's a great option." The company also has a great culture where communi- cation is transparent, she says. "We have frequent town halls and receive regular emails from the president of ADP Canada and also from our CEO in the U.S. about what's going on in the organ- ization. I find that communication trickles down well to the associates… and I feel well supported." ADP has also made a point to provide virtual health care benefits for both physical health and mental well- being, says Wynter. "I can't tell you how many emails and calls I've received from associates saying, 'This is the best thing ever, thank you ADP,'" she says. "It's probably one of our highest utilized benefits throughout the pandemic." Welcoming new employees is another way ADP stands out from the crowd, with its New Associate and Networking Onboarding (NANO) program. "The focus of that program is: 'Creating a wow onboarding experience for our new hires.' It's not only about introducing them to the tools, resources and knowledge they need to ramp up effectively, it's also about making them feel embraced by the culture, so they're immersed in our team's values and feel well supported to truly build a successful career at ADP," says Wynter. ADP CANADA Phone: (866) 622-7033 Website: www.adp.ca

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