ADP Canada cultivates a people-first mindset

As a recent college graduate about to start her first full-time job, Juliana Shorey says she wondered how she would fit in with the more experienced and established employees at ADP Canada Co. (ADP).

Her concerns were soon put to rest. The HR services company has a flexible, hybrid work model, and the week before her official start date as a marketing coordinator, the IT team made sure her home computer was properly set up and that she had access to the accounts she would be working on.

Shorey even got the inside scoop on the best places to park when working at ADP Canada’s head office in west-end Toronto. On her first day on the job there in late 2022, she received a gift bag full of goodies and a greeting card, personally signed by the senior leadership.

“I have felt extremely welcome since that very first day,” says Shorey, who typically collaborates with a five-person team within the larger marketing department. “As a young person, it can be intimidating to be the newest member of a team where everyone knows what their roles are and you’re wondering how you can contribute.

“But here, everyone wants to know your opinion. The environment is so friendly and inclusive, you really feel like you belong and can share your ideas.”

ADP was founded in 1949 in New Jersey to help small businesses with administrative functions such as payroll processing. Innovating and outsourcing tiresome back-office operations proved popular with organizations of all sizes and ADP has since grown into a leading global technology company with more than 60,000 associates in over 140 countries.

ADP Canada, which celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2024, has more than 1,800 employees in Montréal, Halifax and other centres as well as Toronto. They provide a growing range of human capital management services, including payroll and human resources, for companies with just a handful of workers up to large multinationals.

Jim Lord, ADP Canada president, says the company’s sustained growth, along with its size and scope, means it can offer opportunities for a wide variety of interesting and satisfying careers with plenty of professional development. There’s also a strong track record of promoting from within.

He adds that whatever the position, including ones that do not deal directly with clients, ADP Canada looks for people with a customer-service mindset. “When you have empathy for our customers, you can develop products and services that provide solutions to their evolving wants and needs and that help make their companies more successful,” Lord says.

For her part, Shorey appreciates working for a company that plays an essential part in people’s lives. “If you don’t get your paycheque, you can’t pay your rent, you can’t buy groceries and you can’t pay your taxes,” she says. “I can only imagine the stress I’d feel if I didn’t get my paycheque on time.”

ADP’s people-first philosophy also encompasses its employees, ensuring Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Belonging (IDEB) are at the core of the company culture. To that end, 10 business resource groups do more than connect people who share common interests and experiences; they play a key role embedding IDEB throughout the organization.

Lord says senior executives also concretely promote IDEB and cultural awareness. This includes taking part in high-profile charitable and fundraising events in support of marginalized and under-represented groups.

“When our employees see that, they feel they have the freedom to be who they are, to bring their best selves to work,” he says.

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Greater Toronto’s Top Employers winners, published December 3, 2024 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.