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Ceridian Canada in the NewsVol. 1, Issue 2 — Q2, 2012

May 10, 2012 June 21, 2012

April 2, 2012

May 1, 2012

April 5, 2012

June 21, 2012

May 12, 2012

Customers and industry influencers pay tribute to Human Capital Management excellence and innovation.

Ceridian Corporation, a leading provider of payroll, tax filing, benefits, human resources, workforce management and recruiting software and solutions wins the overall HR Technology TekTonic award and the TekTonic award for Workforce Management, Time & Attendance with Ceridian Dayforce Human Capital Management (HCM).

HR software services provider Ceridian Corp. has completed its acquisition of Dayforce Corp., a cloud

system provider for human capital management (HCM).The acquisition concludes Ceridian’s initial investment in Dayforce, announced February 2011.

CALGARY—Ceridian Canada Ltd., a leading human capital management solutions provider, has launched a new online service that gives small business owners all the tools necessary to pay and manage their people in one convenient location.

With the launch of its new Wellness OneSource solution, Ceridian Canada will make a significant contribution to the wellness of Canadian employees, a measure that will also benefit employers.

Despite uncertain economic times, Canadians feel their jobs are safe - and they want a promotion, a study released this week indicates.

Ceridian Dayforce Double Winner at Esteemed TekTonic Awards

Ceridian completes Dayforce acquisition

Ceridian Canada launches service for small business

Ceridian Wellness OneSource Offers Tangible Benefits for Employees and Employers

Ceridian Powerpay Plus Delivers an Enhanced Payroll Solutions Suite that Reduces Administrative Workloads by up to 40%

Canadians secure in job, but they’d like a promotion

Health care reform: Freedom for disgruntled workers?

Awards

Ceridian Dayforce

Pulse of Talent

Small Business

LifeWorks

Thought Leadership

Powerpay Plus

Ceridian Dayforce Named Leader in Workforce Management by Nucleus Research for the Second Time in a Row

Ceridian Canada launches online service for small business

Ceridian for Small Business offers e-payroll services


Ceridian Closes Acquisition of Dayforce

If the Affordable Care Act, or even parts of it, is upheld, Americans will

be able to opt for health care outside of their job. How will employees respond?

How to keep better track of employees’ time

Health promotion betters bottom line

Driving the digital economy

How to maintain employee productivity during summer

We’re secure at work but want advancementTough times taking a toll

Employers must better define career paths

Canadians confident in their job security, but less satisfied: survey

1 in 3 Canadians unhappy with career progress: Survey

Are you happy with your career progress?

Employees unhappy with career progress

Ceridian Canada announces the launch of

Ceridian Powerpay Plus, an enhanced, web-based payroll solution designed to meet the complex pay and workforce management needs of mid-sized businesses.

Awards

News from globeandmail.com


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Customers and industry influencers pay tribute to Human Capital Management excellence and innovation

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, May 10, 2012 /CNW/ - Ceridian Corporation, a leading provider of payroll, tax filing, benefits, human resources, workforce management and recruiting software and solutions wins the overall HR Technology TekTonic award and the TekTonic award for Workforce Management, Time & Attendance with Ceridian Dayforce Human Capital Management (HCM). The two prestigious awards pay tribute to the company's commitment to HCM excellence and to providing customer value through innovative solutions.

"We're thrilled to be recognized for our leading-edge solutions," says Stuart C. Harvey, Jr., Ceridian's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our customers are constantly looking to improve the way they do business. In response to this, our products have evolved to meet the demands of today's competitive market and deliver a solid return on investment. We're pleased that our efforts are being acknowledged by the HR community."

"Ceridian has displaced category leaders in both WFM and overall HRMS based on the strength of the Ceridian Dayforce HCM product and vision," says David Ossip, president of Ceridian Dayforce division. "We look forward to continuing down the path of providing an exceptional user experience and a quantifiable return-on-investment."

"We're delighted to honor Ceridian Dayforce with two TekTonic awards," says Elliott Clark, chief executive officer of HRO Today. "Customers and industry influencers ultimately determine the rankings for these awards which is further tribute and testament to Ceridian Dayforce's win."

The TekTonic Awards, given by HRO Today magazine, recognize innovation and disruption in human resources, recruiting and talent management technology across the entire continuum of HR SaaS-based solutions. Nominations are based on input from the HR community including providers, customers and analysts. The 2012 TekTonic award winners were announced at the annual HRO Today Forum last week. To read about all the 2012 TekTonic Award winners, pick up a copy of the June issue of HRO Today.

About Ceridian Ceridian is a leading global business services and software solutions company that helps organizations control costs, save time, optimize their workforce, grow revenue, and minimize financial risk. We offer a comprehensive range of human resource, benefits and payment solutions. From workforce management and benefits to productivity and payroll services, we help organizations maximize their human, financial and technology resources. As a leader in payroll outsourcing, gift cards and corporate expense management,, we're the driving force in payment innovations. Ceridian provides the insight, KnowHow and solutions organizations need to navigate the complexities of HR, benefits and payment administration. For more information about Ceridian visit www.ceridian.com or call 800-729-7655.

Follow Ceridian U.S. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ceridian_us Watch Ceridian's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ceridian Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CeridianCorp Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/ceridian

For further information:

Donna Teggart Director, External Communications & Brand Tel: 905.947.7251 Cell: 647.388.2464 Email: [email protected]

Awards

Ceridian Dayforce Named Leader in Workforce Management by Nucleus Research for the Second Time in a Row * Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Fri May 11, 2012 9:00am EDT


Ceridian Corporation, a leading provider of payroll, tax filing, benefits, human resources, workforce management and recruiting software and solutions is named leader in Workforce Management (WFM) by Nucleus Research for the second time in a row. The ranking of Ceridian Dayforce’s Human Capital Management (HCM) solution by the highly-respected research firm is further testament to the company’s commitment to providing customer value and return on investment through innovative solutions.

The H1 2012 Technology Value Matrix for Workforce Management by Nucleus Research evaluates WFM providers on functionality and usability based on Nucleus's ongoing analysis of customer deployments in the market. This year’s Value Matrix found that organizations are evaluating WFM software with emphasis on optimizing labor productivity and reducing risk.

“We are honored to be recognized as a leader in workforce management by the analyst community,” says Stuart C. Harvey, Jr., Ceridian's chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Our customers continue to be impressed with the technological innovation of our products that are designed to help companies become more productive and ultimately more profitable. We’re pleased that Nucleus Research has taken notice of our Ceridian Dayforce HCM solution.”

"Companies are moving away from traditional workforce management solutions like time clocks and back-office automation, preferring cloud and mobile solutions that drive greater employee productivity,” says Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of Nucleus Research. “We found Ceridian customers were taking advantage of advanced scheduling, employee self-service, and mobile capabilities to not just cut costs, but transform the way they manage their workforce - making Ceridian a leader in delivering value to the market."

“Customers recognize the increasing importance of analytics and demand quick access to information so they can make strategic business decisions that impact the bottom line,” adds David Ossip, president of Ceridian Dayforce division. “Our Dayforce HCM solution addresses these needs and improves client business processes to deliver a quantifiable return-on-investment.”

To view the full Value Matrix report, visit: www.ceridian.com

About Nucleus Research

Nucleus Research is a global provider of investigative, case-based technology research and advisory services that provide real-world insight into maximizing technology value. For more information, visit NucleusResearch.com or follow us on Twitter @NucleusResearch.

Awards

Ceridian Dayforce Double Winner at Esteemed TekTonic Awards * Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Thu May 10, 2012 3:30pm EDT


Customers and industry influencers pay tribute to Human Capital Management excellence and innovation

Ceridian Corporation, a leading provider of payroll, tax filing, benefits, human resources, workforce management and recruiting software and solutions wins the overall HR Technology TekTonic award and the TekTonic award for Workforce Management, Time & Attendance with Ceridian Dayforce Human Capital Management (HCM). The two prestigious awards pay tribute to the company’s commitment to HCM excellence and to providing customer value through innovative solutions.

“We’re thrilled to be recognized for our leading-edge solutions,” says Stuart C. Harvey, Jr., Ceridian's chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Our customers are constantly looking to improve the way they do business. In response to this, our products have evolved to meet the demands of today’s competitive market and deliver a solid return on investment. We’re pleased that our efforts are being acknowledged by the HR community.”

“Ceridian has displaced category leaders in both WFM and overall HRMS based on the strength of the Ceridian Dayforce HCM product and vision,” says David Ossip, president of Ceridian Dayforce division. “We look forward to continuing down the path of providing an exceptional user experience and a quantifiable return-on-investment.”

“We’re delighted to honor Ceridian Dayforce with two TekTonic awards,” says Elliott Clark, chief executive officer of HRO Today. “Customers and industry influencers ultimately determine the rankings for these awards which is further tribute and testament to Ceridian Dayforce’s win.”

The TekTonic Awards, given by HRO Today magazine, recognize innovation and disruption in human resources, recruiting and talent management technology across the entire continuum of HR SaaS-based solutions. Nominations are based on input from the HR community including providers, customers and analysts. The 2012 TekTonic award winners were announced at the annual HRO Today Forum last week. To read about all the 2012 TekTonic Award winners, pick up a copy of the June issue of HRO Today.

About Ceridian Ceridian is a leading global business services and software solutions company that helps

Awards



Friday, May 11, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS, May 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Ceridian Corporation, a leading provider of payroll, tax filing, benefits, human resources, workforce management and recruiting software and solutions is named leader in Workforce Management (WFM) by Nucleus Research for the second time in a row. The ranking of Ceridian Dayforce's Human Capital Management (HCM) solution by the highly-respected research firm is further testament to the company's commitment to providing customer value and return on investment through innovative solutions.

The H1 2012 Technology Value Matrix for Workforce Management by Nucleus Research evaluates WFM providers on functionality and usability based on Nucleus's ongoing analysis of customer deployments in the market. This year's Value Matrix found that organizations are evaluating WFM software with emphasis on optimizing labor productivity and reducing risk.

"We are honored to be recognized as a leader in workforce management by the analyst community," says Stuart C. Harvey, Jr., Ceridian's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our customers continue to be impressed with the technological innovation of our products that are designed to help companies become more productive and ultimately more profitable. We're pleased that Nucleus Research has taken notice of our Ceridian Dayforce HCM solution."

"Companies are moving away from traditional workforce management solutions like time clocks and back-office automation, preferring cloud and mobile solutions that drive greater employee productivity," says Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of Nucleus Research. "We found Ceridian customers were taking advantage of advanced scheduling, employee self-service, and mobile capabilities to not just cut costs, but transform the way they manage their workforce - making Ceridian a leader in delivering value to the market."

"Customers recognize the increasing importance of analytics and demand quick access to information so they can make strategic business decisions that impact the bottom line," adds David Ossip, president of Ceridian Dayforce division. "Our Dayforce HCM solution addresses these needs and improves client business processes to deliver a quantifiable return-on-investment."

Ceridian Dayforce

Ceridian Closes Acquisition of Dayforce Posted by TechNews on April 2, 2012 | Post a comment

Ceridian Corporation has closed its previously announced acquisition of Dayforce Corporation, a leading cloud Human Capital Management software and services solution provider. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition concludes Ceridian’s initial investment in Dayforce, announced February 2011.

The Ceridian Dayforce HCM solution will provide companies with innovative capabilities and a leading user experience across Workforce Management, HR Self-Service, Payroll, and Benefits in 2012. Talent Management and Compensation & Performance Management will follow in 2013.

Founded in 2008, Dayforce had raised $Subscriber Content million from EdgeStone Capital Partners, Bridgescale Partners, and David Ossip who previously found and sold Workbrain (formerly TSX: WB) for $227 million to Infor Global Solutions.

Ceridian Dayforce

Ceridian Dayforce Named Leader in Workforce Management by Nucleus Research for the Second

Time in a Row

Canada NewsWire

MINNEAPOLIS, May 11, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS, May 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Ceridian Corporation, a leading provider of payroll, tax filing, benefits, human resources, workforce management and recruiting software and solutions is named leader in Workforce Management (WFM) by Nucleus Research for the second time in a row. The ranking of Ceridian Dayforce's Human Capital Management (HCM) solution by the highly-respected research firm is further testament to the company's commitment to providing customer value and return on investment through innovative solutions.

The H1 2012 Technology Value Matrix for Workforce Management by Nucleus Research evaluates WFM providers on functionality and usability based on Nucleus's ongoing analysis of customer deployments in the market. This year's Value Matrix found that organizations are evaluating WFM software with emphasis on optimizing labor productivity and reducing risk.

"We are honored to be recognized as a leader in workforce management by the analyst community," says Stuart C. Harvey, Jr., Ceridian's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our customers continue to be impressed with the technological innovation of our products that are designed to help companies become more productive and ultimately more profitable. We're pleased that Nucleus Research has taken notice of our Ceridian Dayforce HCM solution."

"Companies are moving away from traditional workforce management solutions like time clocks and back-office automation, preferring cloud and mobile solutions that drive greater employee productivity," says Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of Nucleus Research. "We found Ceridian customers were taking advantage of advanced scheduling, employee self-service, and mobile capabilities to not just cut costs, but transform the way they manage their workforce - making Ceridian a leader in delivering value to the market."

"Customers recognize the increasing importance of analytics and demand quick access to information so they can make strategic business decisions that impact the bottom line," adds David Ossip, president of Ceridian Dayforce division. "Our Dayforce HCM solution addresses these needs and improves client business processes to deliver a quantifiable return-on-investment."

To view the full Value Matrix report, visit: www.ceridian.com

About Nucleus Research

Ceridian Dayforce

Ceridian completes Dayforce acquisition

Staff | April 02, 2012

HR software services provider Ceridian Corp. has completed its acquisition of Dayforce Corp., a cloud system provider for human capital management (HCM).

Ceridian provides payroll, tax filing, benefits, HR and workforce management software and services.

The acquisition concludes Ceridian’s initial investment in Dayforce, announced February 2011.

“The acquisition of Dayforce is about fulfilling Ceridian’s vision: to create the industry’s next generation software-as-a-service-based HCM solution,” said Stuart Harvey, Ceridian’s CEO and president.

The Ceridian Dayforce HCM solution will offer workforce management, HR self-service, payroll and benefits services in 2012. Talent management and compensation and performance management will follow in 2013.

Pulse of Talent

1 of 1

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/canadians-confident-in-their-job-security-but-less-satisfied-survey-151420815.html

May 14, 2012

BUSINESS

Canadians confident in their job security, but less satisfied: survey By: The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - A new survey of employees suggests tough economic times are taking a toll on career paths and job satisfaction. The survey conducted by Harris-Decima Research on behalf of Ceridian Canada found significantly more workers than last year who believe they will not be getting a pay boost, bonus or promotion in the next year. And four in 10 say they believe their employer is using the bad economy as an excuse to deny them a promotion or more money. Ceridian, a human resources solutions provider, notes than 75 per cent of employees feel secure in their jobs, about the same as last year. But on the job satisfaction indicators, there's been dramatic shift downward, the survey suggests. Eighty-five per cent of the 800 polled say they don't expect a promotion for another year, compared to 39 per cent in 2011, and 43 per cent say they don't expect a salary increase, compared to 27 per cent 12 months ago. Overall, 31 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with their career progression, eight percentage points higher than a similar survey conducted in 2011. The poll of 800 employed Canadians was conducted in early March.

Pulse of Talent

1 of 1

http://www.vancouversun.com/jobs/Canadians+secure+they+like+promotion/6611691/story.html

JOBS Canadians secure in job, but they'd like a promotion

The Vancouver Sun May 12, 2012

Despite uncertain economic times, Canadians feel their jobs are safe - and they want a promotion, a study released this week indicates.

Ceridian Canada's second Pulse of Talent survey showed 75 per cent of Canadians feel secure in their jobs.

The firm commissioned Harris/Decima to survey 800 employed Canadians and measured perceived job security, confidence in leadership, expectations following a performance review, job recognition and overall career satisfaction.

Findings included:

. Nearly one in three respondents (31 per cent) expressed dissatisfaction with their career progression - an eight-per-cent increase over 2011.

. Seventy per cent of respondents who did not receive a promotion were not told about the underlying reasons related to the decision.

. Forty-four per cent of respondents are either not satisfied (22 per cent) or indifferent (22 per cent) with the level of recognition they currently receive at work.

"This year's Pulse of Talent survey reveals that Canadians have a rather high level of employee satisfaction, which is ultimately a reflection on the talent management practices of Canadian companies," said Ceridian executive vice-president John Cardella.

"However, when it comes to motivating individuals to perform, employers need to do a better job of defining career paths and acknowledging good work. Otherwise, they risk losing their best talent."

When it comes to employee engagement and talent management best practices: "Clearly communicated goals and objectives provide employees with the direction they need to focus and deliver," adds Cardella. "They stay motivated to succeed and employers reap the benefits of high performance and productivity."

Praise also plays a significant part in motivating employees to achieve. "Personalized recognition - whether given privately or publicly - assures employees that good work is appreciated and reinforces the type of performance needed to drive results," comments Cardella.

Lastly, Canadian employers need to continue to make an effort to engage their employees on a regular basis.

Pulse of Talent

Employers must better define career paths The Province May 14, 2012

While many Canadian employees feel secure in their jobs, they'd like a clear sense from their bosses of whether there's room for advancement.

Photograph by: Warren Goldswain , Fotolia.com

Pulse of Talent

Despite tough economic times, Canadians feel their jobs are safe - and they want a promotion, a study released this week indicates.



"This year's Pulse of Talent survey reveals that Canadians have a rather high level of employee satisfaction, which is ultimately a reflection on the talent management practices of Canadian companies," said Ceridian executive vice president John Cardella.




Lastly, Canadian employers need to continue to make an effort to engage their employees on a regular basis. "We can feel good about the fact that a majority of Canadians feel secure in their jobs," says Cardella.

"This means that overall employers are doing a good job of creating a confident and satisfied worker."

FINDINGS INCLUDED

- Nearly one in three respondents (31 per cent) expressed dissatisfaction with their career progression - an eight-per-cent increase over 2011.

- Seventy per cent of respondents who did not receive a promotion were not told about the underlying reasons related to the decision.

- Forty-four per cent of respondents are either not satisfied (22 per cent) or indifferent (22 per cent) with the level of recognition they currently receive at work.

Â© Copyright (c) The Province

Pulse of Talent

We're secure at work but want advancement

Employers need to better define career paths, recognize good work

The Province May 13, 2012







Pulse of Talent




FINDINGS INCLUDED

> Nearly one in three respondents (31 per cent) expressed dissatisfaction with their career progression - an eight-per-cent increase over 2011.

> Seventy per cent of respondents who did not receive a promotion were not told about the underlying reasons related to the decision.

Forty-four per cent of > respondents are either not satisfied (22 per cent) or indifferent (22 per cent) with the level of recognition they currently receive at work.

© Copyright (c) The Province Original source article: We're secure at work but want advancement

Pulse of Talent

Tough times taking a toll News Services May 15, 2012

A new survey of employees suggests tough economic times are taking a toll on career paths and job satisfaction.

The survey conducted by Harris-Decima Research on behalf of Ceridian Canada found significantly more workers than last year who believe they will not be getting a pay boost, bonus or pro-motion in the next year. And four in 10 say they believe their employer is using the bad economy as an excuse to deny them a promotion or more money.

© Copyright (c) The Province

Pulse of Talent




Pulse of Talent










FINDINGS INCLUDED





Pulse of Talent


While many Canadian employees feel secure in their jobs, they'd like a clear sense from

Pulse of Talent

their bosses of whether there's room for advancement.











FINDINGS INCLUDED

Pulse of Talent




© Copyright (c) The Province Original source article: Employers must better define career paths

Pulse of Talent



Pulse of Talent











FINDINGS INCLUDED





Pulse of Talent

1 of 1

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/14/canadians-confident-in-th_n_1515778.html

Canadians confident in their job security, but less satisfied: survey CP | By The Canadian Press Posted: 05/14/2012 3:17 pm Updated: 05/14/2012 7:57 pm

OTTAWA - A new survey of employees suggests tough economic times are taking a toll on career paths and job satisfaction.

The survey conducted by Harris-Decima Research on behalf of Ceridian Canada suggests there are significantly more workers than last year who believe they will not be getting a pay boost, bonus or promotion in the next year.

And four in 10 say they believe their employer is using the bad economy as an excuse to deny them a promotion or more money.

The level of dissatisfaction was somewhat surprising given that on the question of whether respondents felt secure in their job, 75 per cent said they were "extremely secure" or not concerned about losing their job.

"There were some surprising findings," said John Cardella, Ceridian's vice president of human resources.

"Canada hasn't been as hard hit as some other countries, but having said that, the fact that one in three are dissatisfied with their career progression clearly state that employers need to do more if they want to retain their top talent."

He points out that 27 per cent of the respondents who said they were unsatisfied had left their job as a result.

Pulse of Talent


Pulse of Talent

FINDINGS INCLUDED




© Copyright (c) The Province Original source article: Employers must better define career paths

Pulse of Talent

Canadians confident in their job security, but less satisfied: survey By The Canadian Press | May 14, 2012

OTTAWA - A new survey of employees suggests tough economic times are taking a toll on career paths and job satisfaction. The survey conducted by Harris-Decima Research on behalf of Ceridian Canada suggests there are significantly more workers than last year who believe they will not be getting a pay boost, bonus or promotion in the next year. And four in 10 say they believe their employer is using the bad economy as an excuse to deny them a promotion or more money. The level of dissatisfaction was somewhat surprising given that on the question of whether respondents felt secure in their job, 75 per cent said they were "extremely secure" or not concerned about losing their job. "There were some surprising findings," said John Cardella, Ceridian's vice president of human resources. "Canada hasn't been as hard hit as some other countries, but having said that, the fact that one in three are dissatisfied with their career progression clearly state that employers need to do more if they want to retain their top talent." He points out that 27 per cent of the respondents who said they were unsatisfied had left their job as a result. Harris-Decima polled 800 employed Canadians in early March. Ceridian, a human resources solutions provider, said one of the interesting findings is that employees who are given performance reviews tended to be more satisfied. Cardella said that is likely because they felt "connected" to the business. The survey found on the job satisfaction indicators, there has been a dramatic shift downward in attitudes.

Eighty-five per cent of the 800 polled say they don't expect a promotion for another year, compared to 39 per cent in 2011, and 43 per cent say they don't expect a salary increase, compared to 27 per cent 12 months ago. Overall, 31 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with their career progression, eight percentage points higher than a similar survey conducted in 2011.

Pulse of Talent

1 of 1

http://www.hrreporter.com/articleview/13061-1-in-3-canadians-unhappy-with-career-progress-survey

hrreporter.com

May 14, 2012

1 in 3 Canadians unhappy with career progress: Survey Nearly one-quarter not receiving enough recognition

Nearly one in three (31 per cent) Canadians are dissatisfied with their career progression, according to Ceridian Canada’s Pulse of Talent survey, which polled 800 workers across the country. "This year's Pulse of Talent reveals that Canadians have a rather high level of employee satisfaction, which is ultimately a reflection on the talent management practices of Canadian companies," saidJohn Cardella, executive vice-president of human resources at Ceridian Canada. "However, when it comes to motivating individuals to perform, employers need to do a better job of defining career paths and acknowledging good work. Otherwise, they risk losing their best talent."

When it comes to employee engagement and talent management best practices, "clearly communicated goals and objectives provide employees with the direction they need to focus and deliver," said Cardella. "They stay motivated to succeed and employers reap the benefits of high performance and productivity."

Employers need to continue to make an effort to engage their employees on a regular basis, he said. Seventy-five per cent of Canadians feel secure in their jobs, found the survey.

"We can feel good about the fact that a majority of Canadians feel secure in their jobs," said Cardella. "This means that overall employers are doing a good job of creating a confident and satisfied worker." Forty-four per cent of respondents are either not satisfied (22 per cent) or indifferent (22 per cent) with the level of recognition they currently receive at work, found the survey.

Praise plays a significant part in motivating employees to achieve, said Cardella. "Personalized recognition — whether given privately or publicly — assures employees that good work is appreciated and reinforces the type of performance needed to drive results," he said.

Pulse of Talent

1 of 1

http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2012/05/11/are-you-happy-with-your-career-progress/

Are you happy with your career progress? May 11, 2012. 9:28 am • Section: Business

Apparently nearly one in three Canadians are not happy with their career progress.

That’s the news from a survey released today by Ceridian Canada.

Its 2nd Pulse of Talent survey, conducted by Harris Decima, looked at 800 employed Canadians to measure perceived job security, confidence in leadership, expectations following a performance review, job recognition and overall career satisfaction.

Here are some of the survey’s key findings: 31 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with their career progression – an eight per cent increase over 2011; 70 per cent of respondents who did not receive a promotion were not told about the underlying reasons related to the decision; 44 per cent of respondents are either not satisfied (22 per cent) or indifferent (22 per cent) with the level of recognition they currently receive at work; and 75 per cent of Canadians feel secure in their jobs.

“This year’s Pulse of Talent reveals that Canadians have a rather high level of employee satisfaction, which is ultimately a reflection on the talent management practices of Canadian companies,” says John Cardella, executive vice president, human resources, Ceridian Canada. “However, when it comes to motivating individuals to perform, employers need to do a better job of defining career paths and acknowledging good work. Otherwise, they risk losing their best talent.”

Pulse of Talent

1 of 1

http://www.benefitscanada.com/news/employees-unhappy-with-career-progress-28725

Employees unhappy with career progress

Staff | May 11, 2012

Canadians feel relatively secure in their jobs, but many are unhappy with their career progress. That’s the finding from Ceridian

Canada’s Pulse of Talentstudy, which surveyed 800 employed Canadians about perceived job security, confidence in

leadership, expectations following a performance review, job recognition and overall career satisfaction

Of those surveyed, 31% said they’re dissatisfied with their career progression—an 8% increase from 2011. As well, 44% of

respondents said they’re not satisfied or indifferent with the level of recognition they receive at work.

“This year’s Pulse of Talent reveals that Canadians have a rather high level of employee satisfaction, which is ultimately a

reflection on the talent management practices of Canadian companies,” said John Cardella, executive vice-president, HR, with

Ceridian Canada. “However, when it comes to motivating individuals to perform, employers need to do a better job of defining

career paths and acknowledging good work. Otherwise, they risk losing their best talent.”

When it comes to employee engagement and talent management best practices, Cardella recommends clearly communicating

goals and objectives so that employees have the direction they need to focus and deliver.

“They stay motivated to succeed, and employers reap the benefits of high performance and productivity.”

Praise also plays a significant part in motivating employees to achieve. “Personalized recognition—whether given privately or

publicly—assures employees that good work is appreciated and reinforces the type of performance needed to drive results,” said Cardella.

Thought Leadership

Aden Earthworks Inc. owner Ben Zlotnick

MICHELLE SIU FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Enlarge this image

The Challenge

How to keep better track of employees’ time BRYAN BORZYKOWSKI

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Published Wednesday, Apr. 18, 2012 6:00AM EDT

Last updated Wednesday, Apr. 18, 2012 1:56PM ED

Every week, we will seek out expert advice to help a small or medium-sized company overcome a key issue it is facing in its business.

Fifteen minutes here, 15 minutes there – it's the kind of time that plenty of workers might take to grab a coffee or spend stuck in a traffic jam, ending up late to work.

It’s also the kind of time that Ben Zlotnick wishes he had a better handle on when that happens with his workers.

Mr. Zlotnick is the founder of Toronto-based Aden Earthworks Inc., a commercial and residential landscaping company, with four-fifths of its 50 employees out in the field and paid on an hourly basis.

Thought Leadership

It might seem insignificant, he said, but “with our business, everything is pretty scheduled.” There are times when productivity suffers because a worker is late, putting holes in the scheduling for that job and others. Often, instead of ending the day at 5 p.m., workers will be required to put in a couple of more hours that Mr. Zlotnick hadn’t factored into his calculations.

“Being 15 or 30 minutes late can have a massive snowball effect on productivity,” he said.

If he knew for certain exactly how much time an employee spent at a job site, not on a break -- and, of course, breaks are allowed, he just wants to better track them, he said – Mr. Zlotnick could better plan how long a job would take and how much work the company could take on.

Part of the problem is that Mr. Zlotnick said he has not found a good way to track employees’ time. He hands out forms at the start of the week and workers return them at week’s end, with their hours filled in.

Mr. Zlotnick has installed GPS technology on company trucks to allow him to better track time spent at a job, but he only looks at the GPS logs when he is concerned productivity is lagging, he said.

“The GPS is just one part of the solution,” said Mr. Zlotnick, whose company generated $5-million in revenue last year. “There’s got to be more to it.”

The Challenge: How can Aden Earthworks’ boss better track and manage his employees’ time, and maximize productivity?

THE EXPERTS WEIGH IN

Elaine Pantel, Principal with advisory and accounting firm Shimmerman Penn, Toronto

One way to increase productivity is to hire a roaming supervisor who can show up at any work site. They’re not just there to make sure someone’s on a job site; they can also check the quality of the work. Employees need to know that they have someone watching. It’s just human nature.

He could also create teams of employees based on area; different managers or supervisors would be responsible for an area or a team.

He should also consider offering incentives for good work. That will help motivate the team. But don’t make it complicated. He could give them Tim Hortons gift cards or bonuses if they do things on time or under budget.

David Ossip, president of workforce management firm Ceridian Dayforce

People will work harder, and within a specific schedule, if they’re allowed to specify their availability. Give them the option to say what hours they can work in a day. If you don’t allow that and they have a doctor’s appointment in the middle of the day, they’re still going to go and the manager might think they’re still on the job.

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People require some sort of flexibility from an organization, so make it easy for them to be able to take time off – or make up the hours somewhere else – if they need to.

Allan Guinan, managing partner of architecture and design firm Figure3, Toronto

We’ve had the same problem – we need to track how many hours are spent on a variety of projects. There is some good technology out there, including a program we use called AjeraComplete from Axium. It’s an electronic time sheet that people can fill out using their mobile. Management can then view, in real time, how much time it’s taking to complete a project.

Any software has to have the ability to do some analysis. You need to be able to track hours on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. We also use the software to track unattributed time, such as travel or administrative time – the non-billable hours. We determine how much time should be attributed to non-attributed time. If someone’s spending more time, say, at lunch, then maybe it’s a signal that work isn’t being assigned properly.

Three things Aden Earthworks can do now:

Hire managers

Hire roaming supervisors to visit job sites.

Be more flexible with time

Seek worker input into what hours work best for them; allow them to take time off for appointments without repercussions.

Turn to time-tracking software

Investigate time-tracking technology on the market. Make sure chosen software has analysis capabilities.

Special to The Globe and Mail

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Thought Leadership

Building an Innovation Ecosystem

By Staff June 21, 2012

It takes a village. In the case of a young tech company, that village is an ecosystem of investors, incubators, accelerators, mentors, networkers, educators, researchers and experts in human resources, law and finance—a list that goes on and on. When building the Alpha Exchange Innovation Campaign, a microcosmic view of this ecosystem developed through its sponsors, each bringing unique industry experience, understanding of the challenges faced by early-stage technology companies, and with services and capabilities to help them to better survive and thrive.

Driving the digital economy

Since the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, Canada‟s tech sector has been lagging behind, said Jos Schmitt, CEO of Alpha Group. He points to our weak position in the Internet economy compared with other G20 countries, as well as tech under-performance in Canadian benchmark indices compared to other countries and regions, or the discounted price/earnings ratios of Canadian technology companies in comparison with their non-Canadian peers. It‟s a situation Schmitt wants to do something about. He said tech is acting as a critical engine for economic growth around the world, but it seems broken in Canada. “Everyone knows how important it is to have a strong digital economy. It‟s critical to economic growth and to increasing employment. Canada cannot put all its eggs in the resources basket,” he said. “And if we don‟t manage to achieve it, it will impact the overall economy in the longer term.” In April, Schmitt launched the Alpha Exchange, a new-generation Canadian stock exchange with a focus on technology and innovative financial products. The exchange is part of the Alpha Group, an organization set up by nine leading financial institutions to reinvigorate trading in

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Canada markets. For the past three and a half years, Alpha Group‟s Alternative Trading System (ATS) has been changing the trading space in Canada through its market structure innovations, leveraging technology in a new and highly successful way. The results for the Canadian markets are better-quality executions, a lower cost of doing business and liquidity that fled away to the U.S. being repatriated to Canada. The Alpha Exchange is poised to bring that innovation to securities listings. And it will do it based on a few key principles: don‟t be everything for everyone and understand the needs of the issuers you focus on (the technology sector is unique and this needs to be acknowledged), stricter requirements for businesses wanting to list to ensure they are ready for a successful IPO and the subsequent listing; help build and participate in an ecosystem for technology sector success; and, help support technology companies from the cradle to commercial success. The underachievement of technology start-ups in Canada all comes down to funding and management talent, according to Schmitt. Entrepreneurs with great ideas are neither finding nor being found by investors. At the same time, start-ups often lack overall management, marketing and sales experience needed to take off and soar. The good news is Canada has no lack of great talent; universities turn out researchers and students with great ideas, Schmitt said. Also, he adds, the regulatory environment and public initiatives are strong and supportive. Still, in order to help create a market of strong technology companies, capital must become easier to come by and entrepreneurs need more choices. Too often, technology start-ups must fly south for funding, sell-out or, worse, jump to a listing too early (often leveraging the detrimental reverse take-over of shell companies model) just to find the critically needed capital that will take them to the next level in their life-cycle. “I really see improving access to capital as the go-to action for the Alpha Exchange,” Schmitt said. “Venture capital dropped 80 per cent between 2000 and 2010. So how can we develop new pools of capital? The answers are there and it all comes down to injecting liquidity in the funding process, but it will take a focused exchange with a long-term vision to unleash these answers: support innovative types of funding already proven outside of Canada, further facilitate angels investing, provide mechanisms to enable pre-IPO liquidity, ensure companies only list when they are ready, incentivize liquidity provision for listed companies, etc.” Beyond working to tackle the funding issue, Schmitt said the Alpha Exchange is also focused on helping make the connections needed to support and grow the innovation ecosystem. The components all exist. There are mentors, incubators, accelerators, lawyers, investment bankers, accountants and so forth all with the skills and focus needed to help a young tech company, but finding and bringing them together is too much for many entrepreneurs to do alone. Moreover, the entrepreneurs often lack the experience to understand what their company needs on its growth path. Schmitt notes that the Alpha Exchange Innovation Campaign that Alpha Group launched with Backbone magazine is a great example of an initiative aimed at strengthening that ecosystem that

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technology entrepreneurs need, having multi-disciplinary top experts coming together to support and promote technology innovation. It‟s an initiative that needs to be replicated and the new networks it will build across Canada need to be institutionalized, built upon and integrated with all local and regional networks already in place. “The network is fundamental to the success of a start-up,” Schmitt said. “But many are lost when trying to find the best people and organizations to help them grow. We need to streamline and rationalize that network and enable highly efficient connections.”

Innovation connections

The need for a strong ecosystem supporting innovation is one heard across the country and, in Ontario, the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION) acts as the glue binding the organizations in that ecosystem together. As provider of the world‟s fastest research and education broadband network that connects all universities and colleges, the majority of teaching hospitals and school boards, as well as research, cultural and educational facilities in the province, ORION has a strong hand in helping innovative researchers and students connect with the support system they need. Today, ORION connects 2 million students and researchers—the entrepreneurial leaders of tomorrow—over a 100Gbps network. “If you‟re going to be generating new ideas, you‟re going to need to have a strong network backbone to make that happen,” said Darin Graham, president and CEO of ORION. “We are that backbone.” But it‟s not simply about the physical network—even though ORION has enough bandwidth to transfer 100 000 MP3 or the concurrent live streaming of more than 15,000 HDTV channels—it‟s about the connections. Incubators and accelerators use ORION to connect as do various service providers. It can also act as an infrastructure for the delivery of cloud services from innovators in everything from e-health and digital media, to remote control systems and robotics. “It comes down to being a cost-effective solution for shared services, and cloud can be that, and ORION is a great way to help that happen,” Graham said. Graham has been involved in the innovation landscape for the past 20 years, especially in helping turn university and college researchers into successful start-ups. Prior to joining ORION he was president and CEO of Communications and Information Technology Ontario (CITO), one of the original Ontario Centres of Excellence, and director of NZi3, New Zealand‟s ICT Innovation Institute. He continues to mentor numerous early-stage companies. As well as hustling to make their first sale, he reminds start-ups that it‟s all about making the right connections. “If you want to soar with eagles, go find eagles.”

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The wired west

Tech has been the fastest growing industry sector in BC over the past decade, almost doubling in revenue. That said, there remains a dearth of mid-sized companies on Canada‟s West Coast. That‟s where the B.C. Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) comes in. The association, which is about to celebrate its 20th year, has spent that time helping fuel the discussions between public and private sector around the policies and investment frameworks that foster the growth of tech companies in its province. “I feel very good about the impact our organization, our peers and the government have had to build a strong tech sector in B.C.,” said Bill Tam, president and CEO of BCTIA. Still more work needs to be done to help move companies upstream to the mid-market, he said. Currently, 96 per cent of all tech companies in B.C. employ less than 50 people. “We‟ve crunched the numbers and seen that we can have a disproportionate impact on the economy by even a small growth in the mid-market. If we grew from three per cent to say five or six percent, it would double the GDP in our province in terms of the tech industry and would probably result in an increase of 60 to 70 per cent in jobs and employment.” To help grow small ideas into big business the association launched Centre4Growth. The program‟s core is the CEOs-in-Residence (CIR) coaching program, which matches entrepreneurs to seasoned tech executives who have earned the scars of success and can help with any business issue. Additionally, entrepreneurs and their teams can access GrowthWorkshops, for hands-on learning; use the E-Library, filled with hundreds of templates and documents; subscribe to Business Opportunities, for new business development opportunities; and book a Business Clinic, to privately discuss a finance, legal or marketing issue. There‟s still a long road ahead, but Tam urges entrepreneurs to be optimistic: capital markets are improving and there‟s great talent to be found right in their backyard. And, as for the next 20 years, BCTIA will remain steadfast in its commitment to help B.C.‟s technology companies grow.

Digital media hub

Unlocking great ideas and helping turn them into reality requires a little help and some space to work. That‟s where the Ryerson Digital Media Zone comes in. Located in downtown Toronto, and as such infused with the energy and resources of a world-class city, is an incubator unlike many others. The DMZ, which opened in April 2010, doesn‟t set limits on how long early-stage companies can be part of their program—creating a unique environment where companies in different stages of development, and with different

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backgrounds, learn from one another and cross-pollinate ideas, and even products. Designed to bridge the resource gap faced by early-stage companies, and give young Canadians a head-start in launching their own businesses, the DMZ is a flexible workspace where entrepreneurs collaborate on the next great social and commercial innovations. Ryerson student participants are selected through “Start Me Up,” a business start-up program run by Ryerson‟s award-winning Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and a committee of industry leaders, faculty experts, peers and mentors. Ryerson alumni and non-Ryerson entrepreneurs come in through the DMZ admissions process. “Through the DMZ, Ryerson is helping support the young people who will be at the heart of bringing about the next big innovations in the digital economy,” said Valerie Fox, executive director of the Ryerson Digital Media Zone. “Rather than educating students who immediately head to Silicon Valley, they have a home hub from which to build their businesses, launch their products and develop successful Canadian companies.” This approach has proved successful: already in the past two years, 43 companies have been incubated and accelerated, and more than 400 jobs have been fostered through newly formed companies that participated, like Bionik Labs, HitSend and Flybits. Presently the DMZ‟s 16,530 square foot facility houses approximately 165 entrepreneurs in 38 teams.

Financing financial tech

When Steve McLaughlin founded Financial Technology Partners (FT Partners) in 2002, it was with an entrepreneurial spirit that the investment banking firm maintains to this day. McLaughlin, a former senior investment banker at Goldman Sachs, saw the need for an investment banking firm focused exclusively on the financial technology sector; offering services to financial services companies that leverage technology, tech companies serving the financial services industry and technology that services financial functions within larger non-financial services organizations. “We serve the dynamic space where there is a convergence of technology-based solutions and financial services or transactions,” McLaughlin said. His firm, which has clients across the world including in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, is currently the only investment bank with such an exclusive focus. Just in the last few years, FT Partners has sold three Canadian financial technology companies across Victoria, Winnipeg and Toronto. Because of its roots, technology agnosticism and focused verticals, the investment banking firm has grown to a staff of 35, most of which come with extensive financial technology, M&A and investment banking know-how. The firm was recently recognized as “Dealmaker of the Year” and “Investment Banking Firm of the Year” by The M&A Advisor.

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Because of the opportunity for technology to create significant advantage in financial services, McLaughlin said his market sees a never-ending evergreen evolution, one that is becoming extremely vibrant with new companies springing up and venture capital being attracted. Perhaps because of its history, FT Partners takes great interest in these emerging companies whose innovation may further transform the financial services landscape. “Entrepreneurship and innovation is in our blood,” said McLaughlin, adding that the company understands the needs of an early-stage company. He advises Canadian start-ups to bootstrap as much as they can and build sweat equity in their companies. As they continue to grow, he said, it‟s important to be flexible with how they are funded. “Don‟t just look at Canadian VCs, or to the U.S., look to strategic investors who can add value.”

Capital ideas

Funding is a perpetual hurdle for early-stage companies, and more often than not, start-up entrepreneurs hope to secure debt financing to help extend equity dollars and help their businesses grow to profitability. But since debt financing isn‟t always possible at an early stage, RBC Royal Bank often provides start-ups with value by acting as a connector within the innovation ecosystem. Its technology-focused Knowledge Based Industries unit has been dedicated to the space for 35 years and is unlike any other in the country, said David Rozin, RBC senior account manager for IT and Clean Tech in the Greater Toronto Area. “What that experience has done is allowed us to build up an incredible network of entrepreneurs, angel investors, consultants, lawyers, accountants, mentors—everyone that a start-up would need as a partner to go from seed to mature,” he said. The specialization of the Knowledge Based Industries unit was so successful it was adopted as the model for other industry verticals throughout RBC Royal Bank‟s Commercial Banking platform. The industry specialized focus allows RBC Royal Bank to move beyond the general expertise found in most banks to more deeply address the needs specific to a tech company. All this to say it‟s not just about providing capital. RBC Royal Bank‟s extensive network helps to connect complementary internal partners (such as its Technology Investment Banking unit) and service professionals, introduce entrepreneurs to angel investors, and face the other two major challenges faced by start-ups: managerial breadth and talent shortage. “When start-ups come to us, do they have a well-articulated business plan? Are they looking at global opportunities and do they know how the right cash management tools, for-ex products and trade advice can help in achieving those global ambitions? ” Rozin said. “We have expertise and connections that go far beyond funding.”

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The most common matchmaking RBC Royal Bank does is with CFOs and financiers; investors want to see financial bench strength. Through its longstanding approach to assisting companies through their lifecycle, RBC Royal Bank‟s KBI practice has a complement of 50 Bankers and extends across Canada with a presence in every province except PEI. The group has the ability to leverage a broad network of deep relationships consisting of Canada‟s top-tier tech companies, as well as relationships it holds with industry associations and incubators across the nation.

Sky-high innovation

Since the development of its first product, an audio oscillator, in a Palo Alto, Calif., garage in 1939, HP has been focused on innovation. The HP patent portfolio grows by more than 2,500 every year and now amounts to more than 30,000 patents. HP invests billions of dollars in R&D and M&A each year to ensure that it‟s staying ahead of the curve, driving innovation and delivering world-class products, service and solutions to help meet customers‟ top business needs. “It‟s just a constant churn of innovation and research and development,” said Geoff Kereluik, vice-president of commercial sales at HP Canada. “At our core, HP is all about organic innovation complemented by strategic acquisition when there are gaps to fill.” And innovation investment must be constant to remain on top. In February, HP announced its ProLiant Generation 8 (Gen 8) server, the industry‟s most self-sufficient line of servers and the result of a $300 million investment and two years of research and development to redefine data center economics by automating every aspect of the server life cycle. Called Project Voyager, this R&D has resulted in more than 900 patents filed and a new systems architecture called HP ProActive Insight architecture, which will span the entire HP Converged Infrastructure. Kereluik said many of the challenges facing entrepreneurs are consistent: access to capital and information technology resources. The opportunities for an entrepreneur are greater today, however, thanks to innovations in cloud computing. HP recently expanded the capabilities of its HP CloudSystem Matrix, which allows businesses to provision infrastructure and application in minutes. HP CloudSystem is the first solution to provide clients instant access to additional pay-as-you-go capacity out-of-the-box through cloud bursting. Clients can handle unpredictable needs and deliver services unavailable with the business‟s internal resources with a management environment that allows them to maintain visibility, governance and control. HP ProLiant Gen 8 is the horsepower behind its CloudSystem Matrix. HP CloudSystem is a part of the HP Converged Cloud architecture which provides businesses with flexibility and portability across private, public and managed clouds. For start-ups and entrepreneurs, cloud helps level the playing field, Kereluik said. “In the past, the capital required to get access to necessary technology to be a viable participant in your

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industry could be daunting and ultimately a show stopper,” he said. “With cloud services and the CloudSystem, given the price-point and the amount of technology you can get for it, entrepreneurs can get an earlier start without [having to] layout out as much capital.” In addition, cloud computing provides entrepreneurs with a new method to offer products and services, giving them opportunity to more easily reach a global customer base. In the past, cost pressures would limit a start-up‟s ability to reach beyond borders, but Kereluik point out that today, “the world is their oyster.” Going global to succeed has also become increasingly important for entrepreneurs. In working with various entrepreneurs through the ISV Factory, where he evaluates a lot of early-start technology companies, Kereluik has noticed that Canadian start-ups are quick to see the advantage of selling abroad. “Technology has really opened up that opportunity, and Canadian entrepreneurs have a really good handle on that.” He said most entrepreneurs he‟s worked with are targeting big markets like the U.S., China and Brazil, even if they test the waters locally. In addition, demand for a particular product and service might be greatest in a foreign market, so turning to the cloud to more easily export it makes strong sense. As Canadian entrepreneurs look outwards, foreign VC is increasingly eyeing Canadian firms. “There seems to be a lot of interest in Canadian technology firms,” Kereluik said. “I think this is because of our strong reputation for our conservatism and our vetting process as various firms go to market. “We tend to have a very high success track with respect to the calibre of organizations we help to succeed.”

Solving the people problems

Among the biggest challenge entrepreneurs and small businesses face is recruiting and retaining great talent and freeing enough time to focus on growing a profitable business. Ceridian Canada, a leader in HR and payroll services, recognizes that, and also the need for continuous innovation. “The space we play in and the services we provide are under constant competition, so we need to be always innovating,” said Dave MacKay, president of Ceridian Canada. That quest for continuous innovation has allowed Ceridian to boast a number of firsts: in 2001 it was the first HR services company in Canada to have a Web-based cloud service; it was the first to provide payroll mobile applications in Canada; and, it recently launched an extremely innovative e-commerce platform called Ceridian for Small Business.

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The result of its focus on innovation and competitiveness is that the company now provides services to more than 40,000 customers across the country, and more than 3 million working Canadians see Ceridian technology in action, even if many are unaware. It provides a suite of tools for human capital management which includes workforce management, from finding talent, to paying it, to developing it and beyond. Because Ceridian can provide technology and services via cloud, and now over its e-commerce platform, entrepreneurs and small businesses represent a sweet-spot for the company. The services it provides gives small businesses access to capabilities usually only found in some of the largest businesses, allowing them to better source, attract and manage talent and compete. “When you think of a small business, it doesn‟t really compete with other small businesses, it competes with companies of all sizes,” MacKay said. “Some of those companies may have 10,000 employees and a great IT department and an HR department, employment lawyers and things a small business simply can‟t afford. “Our job is to package those capabilities up in an affordable manner to allow small businesses access to them, so they can focus on their business.”

Accounting for brilliance

A professional services firm might not be the first place an enterprising young start-up looks for help, but in many cases it should be. As a leader in accounting services, PwC Canada makes itself a resource for early-stage businesses beyond consulting on the red and black. Through its industry focus on Technology, Information, Communications and Entertainment (TICE), PwC continually watches and researches the market. This enables the firm‟s 5,700 partners across the country to be plugged in to the market information needed by clients big and small. Still, PwC partner Chris Dulny, the national technology sector leader, sees numerous ways his company helps support new start-ups and innovators. It‟s those market insights and expert counsel that PwC can share with a fledgling company. “Often tech start-ups are created by engineers; we can help broaden that experience and increase business acumen.” As part of its continuing research, PwC has found that currently Canadian early-stage companies are seeing three key challenges: customers, the war for talent, and funding. “We‟re finding that there‟s overall a much higher level of optimism in the market,” Dulny said. “At the same time, competition is fiercer than ever. I would tell any start-up to take care of their customers. Repeat business is key and it‟s becoming tougher to defend against competition.” It‟s an approach that parallels PwC‟s own high customer focus, and Dulny said Canadian start-ups must really think about innovative marketing in the digital world and how to use social

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media to create a two-way dialogue. In today‟s market, it‟s critical to capture the attention of what PwC calls the “selfsumer”, a savvy, evolved consumer that uses social networking and other multimedia tools to collaborate on and make purchase decisions. At the same time as they are working to retain customers, start-ups must look for fresh ways to motivate employees. In 2012, talent resource management became the top concern of CEOs surveyed by PwC. Required skill sets are becoming more specific, brain-drain to the U.S. continues and, interestingly, it has become easier to simply launch one‟s own business, Dulny said. Start-ups need to be agile in their methods when recruiting employees, he adds. On the other hand, funding is trending positive for innovative start-ups, according to Dulny, who said he sees VC activity rising. Although still short of pre-2008 recession levels, tech is growing as a proportion of this interest. “This is good news, because it‟s been either down or flat for so long.” Dulny also said he‟s seeing increasing interest in investing in tech entrepreneurs; for example, pension funds have increased interest in venture capital markets. Beyond that, early-stage companies should take advantage of connections through the services firms and suppliers a small business works with, Dulny said. PwC has a vast network of clients and more than 10,000 alumni that it keeps in touch with regularly. It uses this network to connect like-minded parties, from clients, to partners, to entrepreneurs and prospects. “We try to connect those in the industry with each other, both from a personal perspective and from a larger one. We think of it like opening up our Rolodex,” Dulny said pointing to its role in the innovation ecosystem. “Where it makes sense, we also introduce certain clients with the innovative technologies they need to succeed.” To promote an ecosystem of innovation, PwC also hosts the Vision to Reality Awards, a program that celebrates dynamic Canadian tech companies that have shown growth and outstanding achievement. The awards honour innovators, like last year‟s Innovator of the Year winner EcoSynthetix of Burlington, Ont., but also lucrative exits, like Ottawa‟s Protus, which won Exit of the Year for its $213 million acquisition.

Law of attraction

When the law firm of Wildeboer Dellelce LLP opened in 1993, it did so with a few entrepreneurial principles that have helped it remain strong to this day: a singular focus, escaping bureaucracy and having more fun. Its singular focus on corporate finance and tax law has allowed the 40-plus lawyer firm to compete successfully against some of Canada‟s largest full-service national firms, while its agility has helped it build a strong base of technology-sector clients. In fact, in 2001, the firm opened a Waterloo office to better serve its tech base.

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That tech focus, and its own aggressive entrepreneurial spirit, makes issues facing start-ups and innovators areas of key focus for Wildeboer Dellelce, notes managing partner Perry Dellelce. The firm strives to be the go-to partner for the business leaders of the future looking to grow and transform their businesses. “We built our business growing with our clients,” Dellelce said. “We had to be very aggressive in order to compete with law firms that had, in some cases, been around since Confederation.” That meant developing aggressive pricing and alternative fee arrangements that were ideal for the tech start-ups of the ‟90s, and helped make the firm synonymous with technology industry corporate finance law, sporting a host of marquee clients like Research in Motion, DALSA and Changepoint. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the firm‟s dedication to technology was unwavering, and it continued to grow its technology-sector focus, in part based on a diversity of large and small-cap clients, Dellelce said. “We can do a $250,000 private placement or a $1 billion public financing, and that‟s a unique breadth of experience that we offer to entrepreneurs.” In addition, the firm offers the Wildlaw Fast Track Program to better support entrepreneurs. The program provides “on demand” availability of services for entrepreneurs, giving them everything they could need—incorporation, counsel on seed funding, tax planning, basic employment, intellectual property and leasing advice and related launch services—exactly when they need it and at a transparent and low cost. From helping organize and incorporate the business, to employment agreements for key employees and offer letters for prospective talent, to helping ensure intellectual property and ownership is retained in deals, to providing financing advice, the Wildlaw Fast Track Program bundles it all with flat fees affordable for a fledgling business. “The Wildlaw Fast Track Program is really designed to give all the legal and business advice a start-up needs to launch,” said Eric Apps, partner responsible for the Fast Track Program. “At the same time it frees up cash for other critical, high-priority investments.” He points out that good paper makes good friends, and entrepreneurs are well served by being focused on the details of their partnerships. “Dot your „Is‟ and cross your „Ts‟,” he urges entrepreneurs. “This is where a partnership with a focused law firm, that‟s done it before time and time again, can really help.” The firm is also unique because of its ability to assist clients, in particular early-stage clients, in finding access to capital. Wildeboer Dellelce partners and outside principals own and operate their own dealer, Wildlaw Capital Markets. A licensed Exempt Market Dealer headquartered in Toronto, Wildlaw Capital Markets helps raise early stage capital, provides M&A and business advisory services and administration and corporate governance support for Capital Pool Corporations and NEX listed companies. It‟s also about giving entrepreneurs a trusted partner to turn to, and partnership has its privileges.

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Wildeboer Dellelce‟s nearly two decades of serving the technology sector has nurtured a significant network of business experts and angel investors. It calls on this network to make introductions and help raise funds for its early-stage clients. “A strong network is crucial for entrepreneurs, and as a uniquely-specialized law firm we‟re able to extend that network,” Dellelce said. “We built our own business, and we know what it takes to help innovators build theirs. Our advice and our network are geared to helping our clients achieve business success.”

Although funding is a consistent challenge, experts across many industries see the investment landscape improving for Canadian technology entrepreneurs with smart ideas, albeit gradually. And there‟s no shortage of Canadian start-ups with brilliant ideas. Where experts say early-stage tech companies remain challenged beyond funding is in finding and retaining talent, building an initial customer base and, perhaps most importantly, making the right connections. Fortunately, there‟s also no shortage of companies like the sponsors of the Alpha Exchange Innovation Campaign to help. It takes an ecosystem for entrepreneurs to grow and thrive but, with a little help from partners and friends, innovative companies can do just that.

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Topics Strategy / Lifestyle

How to maintain employee productivity during summer By Jasmine Budak | June 01, 2012

Summer in Canada is a sacred thing. For a few precious months following the Victoria Day kickoff weekend, our thoughts turn to planning cottage getaways, golf games or boozy afternoons on a patio. For employers, especially smaller companies, summer is a challenging time as management tries to rein in distracted staff and accommodate vacation requests while maintaining productivity. “Employers must be realistic and appreciative of the fact that people want to be off,” says John Cardella, executive vice-president and chief people officer at Ceridian Canada, a human-resources consulting firm. “But they must also ensure first and foremost that the job is getting done.” During the silly days of summer, he says employers should “think in terms of results and not necessarily in terms of the time an employee has to put in,” he says. To deal with antsy employees on notoriously unproductive Friday afternoons, some companies institute a compressed or flexible workweek policy during summer months. Staffers work extra hours Monday-Thursday and take Friday off rather than spending time coming up with creative ways to sneak out early. Similarly, if the tasks and technology allow it, Cardella suggests offering staff the option to work remotely one day a week. The trick in keeping staff productive and happy in summer, he says, is to make the office a sunnier place. “As long as the work is getting done and the company is still getting [its] results, summer can be a great time for organizations to try something new,

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whether it’s team-building or taking employees outside to do some experiential learning.” The golden rule for scheduling staff holidays, say workforce management experts, is prepare, prepare, prepare. “Ask for vacation schedules well ahead of time so you can determine the number of people that can be off in any given week,” Cardella says. Getting organized early for vacations is especially important for small businesses whose day-to-day operations can be severely hampered if just one person takes off for the cottage for a few days. “If you’ve got a staff of five and one person leaves, that’s 20% of your workforce,” says Corinne Pohlmann, vice-president of national affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses. Pohlmann says a number of small companies that see business get sluggish in the summer will shut down completely for a couple of weeks — a good fix for staff holiday scheduling headaches. While smaller companies typically forgo formal vacation policies, employees generally understand they can’t take off long stretches of time without affecting the business. If they do plan a big trip, the intimacy of a small shop allows a level of communication that is rare in big companies. “It all comes down to the relationship between an employer and [the] staffers,” Pohlmann says. “We just talk to each other.” At McMillan, a mid-sized marketing and advertising firm in Ottawa, management asks staff to give four to five weeks’ notice before they make their formal vacation request, so it can be “reasonably assessed,” says David Moore, vice-president of client services. “We try to ensure we don’t have a significant number of people from any one team on vacation at one time because we never know what’s going to come in the door,” he says. “This is a reactive, client-driven business, and we just can’t be caught with our pants down.” McMillan never completely shuts down during slow periods, but the company started offering an unpaid-leave option during quieter months. Moore says a quarter of the agency’s 50-plus employees took advantage of the option last year. He quickly adds that this summer will be unusually busy, so management has already sent out a note to employees requesting vacation plans and, for people without solid plans, to hold off until September. Freelancers and consultants are brought on to help fill some of the gaps during demanding projects, Moore says, but there have been rare occasions when management has denied or rescheduled a staffer’s holiday plans. “Generally, people get it, because they’ve experienced the peaks and valleys of agency work, and they

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know there will come a time when they’re not that busy and they’ll have more free time,” he says. “At the end of the day, employees are certainly entitled to their vacation, but they’re entitled to their vacation at the convenience of the company. We’re a team. We work together to accommodate everybody. It makes future complications less complicated.”

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Health care reform: Freedom for disgruntled workers? By Shelley DuBois, writer-reporter June 21, 2012: 5:00 AM ET

If the Affordable Care Act, or even parts of it, is upheld, Americans will be able to opt for health care outside of their job. How will employees respond?

FORTUNE -- How many people do you know who take a job or stay at one for the health benefits? Many do.

"Today, employees really don't have a lot of choices besides the plans that their own employers sponsor," says Sandy Ageloff, the southwest health and group benefits leader at Towers Watson. And employment-based health benefits insure well over half of the of the country's nonelderly citizens, according to an April 2012 study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

But that may change, depending on the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Health Care Act, which should come later this month. There are several potential outcomes: the Court may give the act a full go-ahead, it could strike it down whole hog, or some parts may be upheld while others -- particularly the individual mandate, which requires just about every American to purchase some form of health coverage -- may get the boot.

One signature part of the Affordable Care Act is that by 2014, states are required to create health insurance exchanges, which are intended to provide an affordable

Thought Leadership

alternative to individual and company-sponsored insurance plans. So, what happens to the workforce when employees no longer feel tied to jobs for the health benefits?

MORE: Will the world's greatest startup machine ever stall?

Currently, company-provided health insurance contributes to a kind of job-lock in the U.S. "This is a big thing," says Aparna Mathur, an economist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "We are seeing inefficiencies in the labor market in the sense that there are vacancies out there, but mobility is really low because people are uncertain if they should be switching jobs."

Theoretically, options for health insurance outside of employer-offered plans could free up the workforce. "Definitely if you had health insurance that was mobile, you would see more efficiency in the labor market, people could transition to the best job possible," Mathur says, instead of being cautious about switching jobs because of uncertainty about benefits.

Don't expect a sea change by 2014, though. For people to feel confident enough to leave their jobs, they would need to have health care alternatives, such as state exchanges, that were cost-competitive with employer plans. But as things stand, Mathur says, the already-cash-strapped government would have to fork over an unsustainable amount of money to offer public care with premiums low enough to compete with companies in the long term. U.S. healthcare will be in a state of great uncertainty for the next seven or eight years, Mathur predicts. It's hard to say what will happen when the dust clears.

But there's evidence from other countries that people might become more adventurous job seekers if they could get decent, affordable benefits from places other than their employers. Take Canada, where the government pays for its citizens' medical services requiring hospital stays. Many employers still provide key health benefits such as covering a person's salary during medical leave, but, "if the worst happens to employees, they know they're not going to go bankrupt or lose all their savings as a result of having to pay hospital care," says John Cardella, the executive vice president and chief people officer at Ceridian Canada. That allows Canadians to take more risks

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when shifting jobs, Cardella says. "Essentially, employees are not anchored because of health benefits. That just doesn't happen in Canada."

MORE: 4 cardinal sins of work communication

Having an affordable, non-employer health care option tweaks the relationship between the organization and its employees, says Jim Winkler, senior vice president of Aon Hewitt's Health and Benefits consulting practice. In countries where healthcare isn't as big of a factor, "it's the difference between encouraging people to complete a health risk questionnaire, not because they're worried about medical spending, but more because they're worried about people missing work."

That is a subtle but key shift. In both the United States and Canada, companies see employee health as a return on investment. But in countries where companies aren't the primary provider of health care, investment in corporate wellness programs is more about keeping workers productive and healthy than saving money on the cost of care.

In the United States, on the other hand, "most employees, in some ways, don't trust their employer, but yet they still want the employer to provide those benefits for them," says Dexter Shurney, the medical director for the Employee Health and Care Plan for Vanderbilt University and Medical Center.

The financial crisis put extra strain on the relationship between employees and their companies. In the post-recession workplace, workers are feeling increasingly dissatisfied with their health benefits, yet more dependent on their employers that offer them, according to a 2011 study by Mercer. That makes sense, given that employees have seen their health benefits shrink over time as companies and insurers struggle to curtail costs.

But despite those costs, most employers want to keep providing care, Ageloff says. About two-thirds of employers surveyed in a 2010 Towers Watson study said that they plan to continue to sponsor health care plans for the foreseeable future, regardless of what happens with the Affordable Care Act. Providing good care attracts talent, she says, and companies like having control over employee plans.

MORE: The case for putting stuff off

In some ways, the debate about who should pay for health care is missing the main point, says Vanderbilt's Shurney. Neither companies nor state exchanges will be able to

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effectively manage the cost of care unless both sectors work together to encourage Americans to get healthier.

According to Shurney, 80% of chronic disease in the United States is preventable through lifestyle choices. If the government and companies could join forces to help more Americans sleep enough, eat right, work out, and rest more, people would miss fewer days of work and healthcare costs would plummet, no matter who foots the bill.

Posted in: Health care, Health insurance, Job market, Labor market, Patient Protection and Affordable

Care Act

Thought Leadership

Health promotion betters bottom line

Dan Ovsey, Financial Post · May 15, 2012 | Last Updated: May 15, 2012 3:04 AM ET

In the years preceding the global economic downturn, there was much ado about the state of wellness in the working population. Most Fortune 500 companies were implementing some form of health and wellness program within their organizations with emphasis on proper diet, physical activity, work-life balance and ergonomics. Studies identified an estimated 3% revenue loss every year due to employee absenteeism or reduced productivity stemming from illness in the workplace.

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While the monetary benefit of preventing employee illness was obvious, the return on investment of a health and wellness program was more ambiguous. The breadth and consistency of the programs would vary from one organization to another and the impact to the bottom line could often be blurred by shifting demographics.

More recently, however, new financial incentives have emerged that are making the implementation of wellness initiatives ever more attractive to employers. In addition to recouping the costs of absenteeism and stunted productivity, wellness programs could generate more favourable group insurance premiums.

Diane Champagne, principal at insurance consultancy Mercer, which serves as a partner to employers on insurance-related matters, says some insurers are beginning to offer percentage reductions in group premiums for organizations that are willing to take the leap into the world of wellness.

"The insurance companies will guarantee a rate if you implement a wellness program," she says. "They'll give you a discount of so much during this period of time if you implement this program and the program has to show some sort of improvement on the health of employees."

Therein lies the rub. Most companies tend to approach health and wellness in an undisciplined manner. Some might go as far as putting together personalized programs and offer on-site blood clinics for staff while others do a "health and wellness month" while others bring in fruit as a healthy alternative to the fast-food lunch. The varied approach leads to similarly varied results. Furthermore, few of these initiatives actually assess the health profile of staff to see where improvements can be made.

"One of the difficulties we have in Canada is that few organizations establish a strategy and plan of evaluation at the beginning of the program in order to see the ROI or plan for certain outcomes," Ms. Champagne says. "If you establish the health profile of your employees prior to implementing the program and then track those a few years down the road, then you can compare it."

For decision makers the incentive to invest in a health and wellness program is more often rooted in tangible, quantifiable ROI than altruism, which is somewhat difficult to pin down. Some studies suggest the ROI of a wellness program could range from $2.50 to $3 for every dollar invested. Those numbers, however, tend to be more closely associated the comprehensive, long-term and structured programs described by Ms. Champagne.

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Less structured campaigns tend to produce less tangible results and can often fall victim to corporate cutbacks in a turbulent economy.

Yet even for those companies that aren't organized enough to do a before-and-after comparison, an insurance advantage may still be attainable. Insurance group premiums are assessed annually and are based on the amount and nature of claims from the year before. If the number of claims goes down or the severity of illnesses goes down as a result of an ongoing wellness program, insurance premiums may go down as a result.

"Imagine if we could get, in partnership with employers, a reduction of 10% of smokers in the workplace," said Shamiel Sheikh, vice-president of Employee Assistance Programs and Organizational Health for human resources consulting group Ceridian. "You'd have a healthier workforce, but you would also achieve a healthier aggregate of employees, and that's going to positively affect your insurance premiums."

In some instances, the programs could mitigate imminent health dangers.

"We've had to take people right from [an on-site blood clinic] to the emergency room because their blood pressure was that high that it's dangerous," Mr. Sheikh says.

[email protected]

Lifeworks


Ceridian Wellness OneSource Offers Tangible Benefits for Employees and Employers

Thursday, June 21, 2012

New wellness solution helps employers target and measure employee health improvements

TORONTO, June 21, 2012 /CNW/ - With the launch of its new Wellness OneSource solution, Ceridian Canada will make a significant contribution to the wellness of Canadian employees, a measure that will also benefit employers.

According to Statistics Canada1, an average of 7.6 workdays are lost per full-time employee annually due to illness or disability. A well-implemented workplace health program can lead to 25 per cent savings on absenteeism, health costs and disability management claims costs.2

"Employees with health risks such as smoking and obesity are absent as much as 50 per cent more often than their peers, and cost corporations millions each year," says Estelle Morrison, director, health management, Ceridian LifeWorks. "Our best approach to reducing the risk of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers, and even depression - is to change unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. We designed Ceridian Wellness OneSource to drive the right outcomes among employees - such as increasing intake of healthy foods, choosing an active lifestyle, and reducing tobacco dependence, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure and cholesterol."

Ceridian Wellness OneSource - a one-stop solution - online coaching, biometrics, health risk & assessment

The solution uses CoreHealth Technologies' innovative WiLO platform. "Ceridian is at the forefront of wellness programming," says Anne Marie Kirby, CEO of CoreHealth. "The company's Wellness OneSource solution is intuitive, engaging, confidential and easy to use." Employees simply go to the website, complete a risk assessment questionnaire, and receive recommendations to reduce risk factors. The solution also provides coaching, tools and strategies to help users adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Ceridian Wellness OneSource enables employers to establish a wellness baseline and generate outcome data. Among its pilot customers are Peel Children's Aid and Thompson Rivers University.

Lifeworks

"We believe that stress management and decreasing any high-risk lifestyle behaviours are our most important priorities, and with Ceridian Wellness OneSource, we can back up those priorities with data that reveals the success of our wellness strategy," says Helen Doulos, human resources manager, Peel Children's Aid.

"We're a large employer and we strive to maintain high employee engagement by providing excellent benefits and innovative resources," says Rick Browning, director, human resources, Thompson Rivers University. "Ceridian Wellness OneSource is the logical next step in fostering a culture of wellness."

Ceridian Wellness OneSource will be available this summer. To request a live demonstration: [email protected]

About Ceridian Canada

Ceridian offers people and payment solutions, which result in savings of up to 60 per cent for organizations of all sizes. A trusted partner to 42,000 Canadian customers, Ceridian provides a comprehensive range of solutions from payroll services, recruitment and staffing to EAP, learning and development, and workforce and talent management.

Ceridian Wellness OneSource optimizes principles that are proven to contribute to improved health, from motivation and personal accountability to actionable, measurable objectives that lead to success. This increased success rate makes for happier, healthier employees and maximizes employer investment. This offering provides online coaching in support of smoking cessation and weight management efforts, and a library of helpful tips and information. The MySuccess area tracks personal wellness goals and accomplishments; the Body Metrics application stores relevant data.

Call 1-877-CERIDIAN or visit ceridian.ca

Follow Ceridian on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

About CoreHealth Technologies

CoreHealth delivers simple, flexible technology for wellness providers and partners with the most respected wellness providers, such as Ceridian Canada. The CoreHealth platform is designed with agility and flexibility in mind and allows more than 100 organizations to deliver wellness "their way" to increase the health of employees around the globe.

1 Statistics Canada 2010 2 Centers for Disease Control, U.S.: Chapman LS. Meta-evaluation of worksite health promotion economic return studies: 2005 update. Am J Health Promot. 2005 Jul-Aug;19(6):1-11.

Small Business

Ceridian for Small Business offers e-payroll services Human capital management programs aimed at firms with 50 people or less 5/7/2012 2:33:00 PM By: ITBusiness Staff

Small businesses of 50 employees or less could save just under 10 per cent on their labour costs through electronic payroll and other management services rolled out by Ceridian Canada, the company said recently.

Initially focused on the Alberta market, Ceridian for Small Business starts at $44 a month and includes not only payroll but electronic services to run employee assistance programs, hire and retain staff.

In an interview with the Calgary Herald, Ceridian Canada president Dave MacKay (pictured) said SMBs have been stymied by a plethora of human capital management (HCM) software services from a confusing mix of providers. He promised to level the playing field and ease the transition for SMBs that want to move beyond issuing paper cheques and forms.

“(The services) will actually save them anywhere from nine per cent to 60 per cent depending on the range of services that they go for,” he said.

According to the Herald, a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey last October showed more than one-third of businesses said they had invested or plan on investing in software or equipment to help make electronic payments and another 22 per cent have outsourced or plan on outsourcing to help with payroll or invoicing.

Small Business

Ceridian Canada launches service for small business

Targets growth in the Alberta market

By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald May 1, 2012

Small Business

CALGARY — Ceridian Canada Ltd., a leading human capital management solutions provider, has launched a new online service that gives small business owners all the tools necessary to pay and manage their people in one convenient location.

It is also targeting the Alberta market for growth.

The company said Ceridian for Small Business provides employee-related solutions, which will result in up to a nine per cent reduction in labour costs for organizations with less than 50 employees.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but they are unnecessarily burdened when it comes to managing people in a fast paced environment,” said Dave MacKay, Ceridian Canada’s president, who was in Calgary on Tuesday. “Too many services, with unrealistic pricing, distributed across too many providers has meant that small business owners have been unable to identify and draw upon the resources they need ... We want to level the playing field and support their growth.

“We’re providing services to small businesses, very affordable services, that will actually save them anywhere from nine per cent to 60 per cent depending on the range of services that they go for. Starting at $44 a month.”

The new service provides a single-source provision of employee-related services by allowing employers to simply go online to arrange the monthly service plan that best suits their needs.

Besides payroll, other services include acquiring and retaining employees as well as employee assistance programs.

In Alberta, Ceridian serves 14.2 per cent of employees working in the province or 271,833 people. Ceridian’s market penetration is 5.5 per cent of all Alberta companies. Some of its bigger clients here are Cenovus, Encana, Canadian Western Bank, ATB Financial and Jacobs Engineering.

MacKay said that Alberta is a great market for potential growth for Ceridian. Since 2000, more than 19,000 small businesses have been created. And 96 per cent of every business in Alberta is considered a small business with less than 50 employees.

“It’s the hottest market in Canada,” he said, adding Ceridian hopes to see 10 per cent annual growth in the number of clients in Alberta.

Richard Truscott, Alberta director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said use of online services for functions like payroll really depends on the size of businesses.

A CFIB report in October 2011 of 8,200 business owners across Canada suggested the larger the business, the more likely it was to use and prefer to use electronic means of administering payroll.

Small Business

“Really it’s the size of the business that plays a key role in determining whether a business owner uses paper or electronic methods of paying their employees,” said Truscott. “Most micro-size businesses from one to five employees use cheques, about 86 per cent of them. Whereas most mid-size businesses between five and 50 employees use electronic transfers and pre-authorized payments to pay employees.”

The CFIB survey said more than one-third of businesses said they had invested or plan on investing in software or equipment to help make electronic payments and another 22 per cent have outsourced or plan on outsourcing to help with payroll or invoicing.

“Between this and the fact there is a gap between what micro and small businesses say they are currently using, and what they say they would prefer to use, suggests there would be a market for more choices in the electronic payroll services in support of micro and small businesses in Alberta,” added Truscott.

[email protected]

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Ceridian+Canada+launches+service+small+business/6548741/story.html#ixzz1uxQOnj3K

Small Business

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http://www.canada.com/business/business/6548741/story.html

May 1, 2012

Ceridian Canada launches online service for small business

CALGARY — Ceridian Canada Ltd., a leading human capital management solutions provider, has launched a new online service that gives small business owners all the tools necessary to pay and manage their people in one convenient location.

It is also targeting the Alberta market for growth.

The company said Ceridian for Small Business provides employee-related solutions, which will result in up to a nine per cent reduction in labour costs for organizations with less than 50 employees.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but they are unnecessarily burdened when it comes to managing people in a fast paced environment,” said Dave MacKay, Ceridian Canada’s president, who was in Calgary on Tuesday. “Too many services, with unrealistic pricing, distributed across too many providers has meant that small business owners have been unable to identify and draw upon the resources they need ... We want to level the playing field and support their growth.

“We’re providing services to small businesses, very affordable services, that will actually save them anywhere from nine per cent to 60 per cent depending on the range of services that they go for. Starting at $44 a month.”

The new service provides a single-source provision of employee-related services by allowing employers to simply go online to arrange the monthly service plan that best suits their needs.

Besides payroll, other services include acquiring and retaining employees as well as employee assistance programs.

In Alberta, Ceridian serves 14.2 per cent of employees working in the province or 271,833 people. Ceridian’s market penetration is 5.5 per cent of all Alberta companies. Some of its bigger clients here are Cenovus, Encana, Canadian Western Bank, ATB Financial and Jacobs Engineering.

MacKay said that Alberta is a great market for potential growth for Ceridian. Since 2000, more than 19,000 small businesses have been created. And 96 per cent of every business in Alberta is considered a small business with less than 50 employees.

“It’s the hottest market in Canada,” he said, adding Ceridian hopes to see 10 per cent annual growth in the number of clients in Alberta.

Richard Truscott, Alberta director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said use of online services for functions like payroll really depends on the size of businesses.

A CFIB report in October 2011 of 8,200 business owners across Canada suggested the larger the business, the more likely it was to use and prefer to use electronic means of administering payroll.

“Really it’s the size of the business that plays a key role in determining whether a business owner uses paper or electronic methods of paying their employees,” said Truscott. “Most micro-size businesses from one to five employees use cheques, about 86 per cent of them. Whereas most mid-size businesses between five and 50 employees use electronic transfers and pre-authorized payments to pay employees.”

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The CFIB survey said more than one-third of businesses said they had invested or plan on investing in software or equipment to help make electronic payments and another 22 per cent have outsourced or plan on outsourcing to help with payroll or invoicing.

“Between this and the fact there is a gap between what micro and small businesses say they are currently using, and what they say they would prefer to use, suggests there would be a market for more choices in the electronic payroll services in support of micro and small businesses in Alberta,” added Truscott.

[email protected]

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Ceridian+Canada+launches+service+small+business/6548741/story.html#ixzz1tkaEM6fC

Powerpay Plus

Ceridian Powerpay Plus Enhanced Payroll Solutions Reduces Administrative Workloads by up to 40%

Get superior service and a complete payroll solution all in one place

MARKHAM, ON, April 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Ceridian Canada announces the launch of Ceridian Powerpay Plus, an enhanced, web-based payroll solution designed to meet the complex pay and workforce management needs of mid-sized businesses.

With payroll staff of mid-sized businesses (30-300 employees) spending an average of 605 hours a year on payroll related administrative tasks, Powerpay Plus can reduce that amount of time by up to 40%, thereby freeing up opportunities to pursue business development, employee engagement and overall company growth.

Designed to relieve payroll administrators from the complexities associated with payroll systems, Powerpay Plus provides easy, cost effective, compliant payroll processing that can be combined with business intelligence analytics tools to ensure accurate and efficient operational success without headaches.

In addition to existing Powerpay functionalities, Powerpay Plus includes features specifically designed to meet the needs of mid-sized businesses, including:

Mass compensation, deduction, contribution and organizational updating tools: enabling multiple employee updates to take place in an instant

Overall ease of application use: including a newly designed, easily navigable user interface

Choice of mobile application: enabling customers to access and use Powerpay Plus from an iPhone, BlackBerry or Android mobile device

Powerpay Plus

Configurable security settings: allowing for controlled access to salary and rate information and the ability for administrators to delegate and restrict overall information access so that data entry personnel see only the information they need to do their job

Optional HR self-service: including Employee and Manager self-service for online paystub display, mobile paystubs, automation of select employee and manager HR transactions

Optional Workforce Management solutions: giving customers the ability to add (starting in June 2012) Business Intelligence analytics reporting capabilities to their packaged solution, allowing for comprehensive insight into payroll analytics so they can plan and forecast effectively

"Most businesses want to concentrate on servicing their customers, developing their staff and growing their business rather than spending the time on payroll and administrative functions," said Shelley Ng, Vice President of Product Management at Ceridian Canada Ltd. "With Powerpay Plus, we're empowering the customer to take more direct control over their payroll processes while alleviating the burdens associated with data and record keeping."

"The development of Powerpay Plus is in direct response to customer demand," added Ng. "To date, over 37,000 small business customers are using the existing version of Powerpay Web - Canada's first web-based payroll service - which solidified the notion for us to expand the solution and product capability for the mid-market."

Given the proven return on investment associated with using Powerpay Web, Powerpay Plus customers will experience a similar return-on-investment.

For instance, Peter Crushing and Hauling Ltd. reduced the amount of time spent processing payroll by 89%, from three hours per pay period to just 20 minutes using Powerpay. With that extra time, the business was able to enhance its customer service and operational efficiencies by expediting turn-around and offering same-day deliveries.

With Powerpay Plus, mid-sized Canadian businesses can better manage their payroll process needs, maintain control and benefit from a proven return on investment.

About Ceridian

Ceridian offers people and payment solutions, which result in savings up to 60 per cent for organizations of all sizes. A trusted partner to 42,000 Canadian customers, Ceridian provides a comprehensive range of solutions from payroll services, recruitment and staffing, to EAP, learning & development, and workforce and talent management. Call 1-877-CERIDIAN or visit ceridian.ca.

Follow Ceridian on: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

For further information: Donna Teggart Ceridian Canada Ltd. 905-947-7251 (c) 647-388-2464 [email protected]

Powerpay Plus


Ceridian Powerpay Plus Delivers an Enhanced Payroll Solutions Suite that Reduces Administrative Workloads by up to 40%

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Get superior service and a complete payroll solution all in one place

MARKHAM, ON, April 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Ceridian Canada announces the launch of Ceridian Powerpay Plus, an enhanced, web-based payroll solution designed to meet the complex pay and workforce management needs of mid-sized businesses.

With payroll staff of mid-sized businesses (30-300 employees) spending an average of 605 hours a year on payroll related administrative tasks, Powerpay Plus can reduce that amount of time by up to 40%, thereby freeing up opportunities to pursue business development, employee engagement and overall company growth.

Designed to relieve payroll administrators from the complexities associated with payroll systems, Powerpay Plus provides easy, cost effective, compliant payroll processing that can be combined with business intelligence analytics tools to ensure accurate and efficient operational success without headaches.

In addition to existing Powerpay functionalities, Powerpay Plus includes features specifically designed to meet the needs of mid-sized businesses, including:

Mass compensation, deduction, contribution and organizational updating tools: enabling multiple employee updates to take place in an instant

Overall ease of application use: including a newly designed, easily navigable user interface

Choice of mobile application: enabling customers to access and use Powerpay Plus from an iPhone, BlackBerry or Android mobile device

Configurable security settings: allowing for controlled access to salary and rate information and the ability for administrators to delegate and restrict overall information access so that data entry personnel see only the information they need to do their job

Powerpay Plus

Optional HR self-service: including Employee and Manager self-service for online paystub display, mobile paystubs, automation of select employee and manager HR transactions

Optional Workforce Management solutions: giving customers the ability to add (starting in June 2012) Business Intelligence analytics reporting capabilities to their packaged solution, allowing for comprehensive insight into payroll analytics so they can plan and forecast effectively

"Most businesses want to concentrate on servicing their customers, developing their staff and growing their business rather than spending the time on payroll and administrative functions," said Shelley Ng, Vice President of Product Management at Ceridian Canada Ltd. "With Powerpay Plus, we're empowering the customer to take more direct control over their payroll processes while alleviating the burdens associated with data and record keeping."

"The development of Powerpay Plus is in direct response to customer demand," added Ng. "To date, over 37,000 small business customers are using the existing version of Powerpay Web - Canada's first web-based payroll service - which solidified the notion for us to expand the solution and product capability for the mid-market."

Given the proven return on investment associated with using Powerpay Web, Powerpay Plus customers will experience a similar return-on-investment.

For instance, Peter Crushing and Hauling Ltd. reduced the amount of time spent processing payroll by 89%, from three hours per pay period to just 20 minutes using Powerpay. With that extra time, the business was able to enhance its customer service and operational efficiencies by expediting turn-around and offering same-day deliveries.

With Powerpay Plus, mid-sized Canadian businesses can better manage their payroll process needs, maintain control and benefit from a proven return on investment.

About Ceridian

Ceridian offers people and payment solutions, which result in savings up to 60 per cent for organizations of all sizes. A trusted partner to 42,000 Canadian customers, Ceridian provides a comprehensive range of solutions from payroll services, recruitment and staffing, to EAP, learning & development, and workforce and talent management. Call 1-877-CERIDIAN or visit ceridian.ca.

Follow Ceridian on: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

For further information:

Donna Teggart Ceridian Canada Ltd. 905-947-7251 (c) 647-388-2464 [email protected]

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