Manitoba's Top Employers

2021

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15 PAYWORKS INC. PRIDE IN WORKPLACE PAYS OFF BY JIM BENDER It is a simple mantra that has paid dividends for Payworks. "We started a project a few years ago to define what our focus was and what makes our employees proud to work at Payworks, and what it is that gets them out of bed each morning," says Nicole Stewart, Payworks vice-president of human resources. "The statement was 'Doing Right by People,' which gave our employees a sense of pride." That led to a number of employee- involved programs and that kind of regard for its people led to Payworks being named one of Manitoba's Top Employers for 2021. "We had the initial reaction of pure excitement," Stewart said. "It's a thrill for our staff to see Payworks recognized as an exceptional place to work and we want to shout it from the rooftops." According to its website, Payworks is "a leading expert in the field of total workforce management solutions, providing cloud-based Payroll, Human Resources, Employee Time and Absence Management to businesses across Canada." Winnipeg is the head office, which oversees 349 employees at ten branches all across the nation. The "Doing Right by People" purpose statement extends throughout the company, and includes a commitment to corporate social responsibility that Payworks has called Pay It Forward. "Our purpose means different things to different people," Stewart said. "It means doing right by our clients, by our support teams and doing right by our partners. One of the big ones for us is the community. Staff loves the chance to pay it forward to charities. Our national partners include the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada, Tim Hortons Foundation Camps, United Way and this year in honour of our 20th anniversary, we made significant contributions to several local organizations including the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre. "But there are a number of other charities that mean something specifically to our people. Each employee receives two paid days off a year to go out and spend time with charities of their choice." For an added bonus, Payworks matches employees' donations to charities, up to $400 each per annum. Furthermore, Payworks provides a competitive employee benefits package that includes free access to a TelaDoc Health program, which offers virtual health- care services to employees. The company also offers a $250 wellness benefit to go towards activities that facilitate an active lifestyle, such as sports registration fees, dance classes and so on. Because Payworks prioritizes its people and its workplace culture, engaging employees by offering referral bonuses of $1,000 each to any employee who successfully refers new recruits to the company was a natural fit when developing a recruitment strategy. "A few years ago, one of my long- term goals was to get Payworks to a place where we don't need to formally recruit new employees any more. We want to be thought of as an exceptional workplace where people want to come to work," Stewart said. "Last year, about 25 per cent of our new hires were filled by internal referrals." However, that doesn't mean there was a lot of turnover in the local staff of about 250 employees. "We do a lot of hiring because we service our clients on a one-to-one basis and our sales staff is fantastic in getting more clients," Stewart said. "So, we need more people to help us as we continue to grow." The company hires people experienced in customer service, sales, accounting, analysis and technology. Payworks is also a 2020 winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation. It was the eighth straight year it was named one of the Best Managed organizations. The criteria for becoming a member of the Best Managed program includes excellence in Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $25 million; the calibre of management abilities and practices; overall business performance and sustained growth; and financial performance. "We made Platinum again this year, which is something that we're very proud of," Stewart said. "I'm very proud of our organization and what our teams have built up." For more information, visit payworks.ca. PAYWORKS PHOTO PAYWORKS STAFF MEMBERS WITH THE WINNIPEG SIGN AT THE FORKS. It's a thrill for our staff to see Payworks recognized as an exceptional place to work and we want to shout it from the rooftops. " " — NICOLE STEWART, PAYWORKS VICE-PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES Volunteerism. That's how we pay it forward. Doing Right by People is our purpose. This is why we've created a workplace where experiences can be shared and employees are encouraged to pay our successes forward in their communities, in their own way. Follow us on social media or visit payworks.ca to learn more.

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