Tech & Innovation Blog
Life @ ADP: Wellness at ADP
Life @ ADP, Career Advice, What We Do
Wellness means different things to different people, and at ADP, we’re striving to create an environment where people can feel safe and supported.
Welcome back to Life@ADP Podcast Season Three Episode Two.
Have you had days when you felt it was difficult getting out of bed, not because you were lazy, but because mentally, it was tough? What about the times when you weren’t feeling well and still responded with “I’m good” to the question “How are you?”
May is ADP’s Month of Caring, and there arguably isn’t a better time to talk about mental health and how to care for yourself and others. We are delighted to have Amy F., Senior Director of Global HR, join us for this episode. She shares with us the importance of wellness at work and how ADP promotes it.
Amy F., Senior Director of Global HR
“Outside of my role as an HR leader, I am a mother, a daughter, and a spouse. There are many things happening in life that make me who I am as a person, and that person is connected to my work,” Amy said. “We need real conversations and real check-ins with people at work.”
Leaders and mentors at ADP understand wellness can mean different things to different people. That’s why we offer mental health resources and provide an environment where talking about mental health issues is okay.
“I’ve been with ADP for almost 28 years, and I stayed for the people and the culture,” Amy said. “Working for ADP has enabled me to do everything I want from a work perspective, but still allows me to be where I need to be.
Amy and her family
Amy also shared being open to connections at work is key to ensuring people have an environment where they can be themselves entirely. It is flexibility and culture that makes ADP a unique place to work.
Developing a culture of wellness starts with communication. When we talk about how we’re feeling and when team members take the initiative to be aware of each other’s needs, it sets the tone for everyone in the organization.
Who do you turn to when the going gets tough? Of course, our friends and family are always there to support us, but how about in the workplace? That’s why ADP also provides access to an employee assistance program (EAP), which gives employees confidential, professional support for a wide range of mental health issues, but that’s not all.
“We also offer new financial wellness sessions this year,” Amy said. “From student loans and personal debts to planning future retirement, we want to ensure that we’re leveraging the partnerships to help our associates be better.”
As we build a better workplace for everyone, let’s not forget that wellness is more than physical health. It’s also the mental and emotional state of being. Wellness means different things to different people, and at ADP, we’re striving to create an environment where people can feel safe and supported.
We hope this blog recap of our latest podcast episode was both informative and inspiring. Please stay tuned for the next episode of the Life@ADP Podcast. Thanks for reading!
Stay safe and healthy.
Life @ ADP is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music. Listen to the full episode here or on your preferred podcast player!
Interested in the unique culture and career opportunities at ADP?
Visit who we hire and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Driving Resiliency and Sustainability: We’re All Connected
Future of Work, Innovation, What We Do
Driving Resiliency and Sustainability: We’re All Connected
By Jesse W., Senior Director of Application Development
I firmly believe in leaving things better than I found them. Mindfulness around economic, social, cultural, and natural systems allowed me to develop a sense of environmental responsibility.
Last year, ADP launched the Green Business Resource Group (BRG) to join our other nine BRGs, which place a focus on diversity, inclusion, sustainability, and belonging. Green has a specific purpose of promoting how to conserve and restore our communities’ natural resources. We are driving initiatives to support ADP’s commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and target net-zero Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by 2050.
Remember how I said I believe in leaving things better than I found them? It’s groups like Green that create opportunities for me to meet like-minded associates who feel the same way.
I was thrilled to learn the community already has over 2,000+ members globally in its early stages, which means there are that many people who are putting sustainability goals first and have an interest in preserving our future. 
Since joining the Green BRG, I have learned how technologists calculate the electricity costs in our public cloud computing in Scope 3, the indirect greenhouse gas emissions that arise from a company’s value chain. This got me thinking. How can my team at ADP help these efforts?
Resiliency helps our business operate technology at peak efficiency and provides teams with a way to lower operating costs for our clients. As the Senior Director of Global Cloud Strategy, I focus on enterprise resiliency and leverage sustainability principles across the team.
By practicing resilience, the teams provide clients with lower operating costs. Sustainability continuously modernizes and improves our best technical solutions to support meaningful business outcomes.
While both practices are complex in planning, I encourage leaders to implement the concepts in team strategies and apply “thinking green” as a problem-solving approach. Further reading: Implementing Environmental Awareness Practices in the Workplace.
As ADP’s partnership with public cloud providers and private cloud use rises, we must think about efficiency gains and how our work tremendously impacts carbon dioxide emissions.
I encourage you to find a group that speaks to your principles and values. I challenge you to widen your sphere of influence and see how you impact the wellness of our world. Consider spending a few hours every month volunteering and understanding eco-friendly practices or starting a conversation on environmental awareness with another individual.
No matter your role or where you are in the globe, we’re all connected. It’s time to take on the global human responsibility of leaving a positive impact. Join me today in finding your community, and consider joining a community or advocacy group that inspires you!
#Sustainability #Enviroment #EnergyEfficiency #Leadership #GlobalGoals
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Tech & Innovation Blog
From Advertising to UX Design: How a Career Change Led to Rewarding Purpose
Innovation, Future of Work, What We Do
The start of a career change is the best time to seek learning opportunities.
From Advertising to UX Design: How a Career Change Led to Rewarding Purpose
By Rodolfo H., UX Designer
I have a question for you. Do you love your job? If you had to pause to answer that, keep reading. If you didn’t have to pause to answer that, keep reading!
As cringy as it sounds, I am grateful to say I love my job because it comes with a purpose. I took a leap of faith by making a career change in February 2020, and my innovation journey began.
My friends describe me as the bubbly, fun, always-get-the-conversation-going type of guy. What can I say? I just love meeting people, learning about what inspires them, and I have found that human minds are so powerful when you allow ideas to fill a room.
Growing up in Brazil, I remember always being intrigued by the design and new trends in the market. I graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul with a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising. Upon graduation, I spent years working in advertising, always paying attention to consumer behavior. Soon, my understanding of customer preferences and creativity led me to think about what I could do next.
That’s when I had a lightbulb moment. UX Design!
I found my passion through intuitive designs. With a solid foundation in user preferences, I was ready to transition my communication skills to the new field. As I was looking for a role that provides all the foundational next steps in my newly established UX career, ADP’s opportunity presented itself, and of course, I took it right away.
Rodolfo and his wife Luana at the Theatro São Pedro in Porto Alegre
Embracing Change
It’s OK to feel unsure and uncertain when you are changing career paths. There’s a risk and also potentially a great reward. The process can be intimidating, but don’t let this deter you. I found that connecting with your colleagues, learning the ins and outs of the business, and digging in deep with your tech stack goes a long way in setting yourself up for success in the early stages of your career change.
Joining the UX Design team at ADP was one of the best decisions I made. They taught me to create better product designs by trying new ideas. Innovative and exciting – that’s how I describe the tech hub at ADP Brazil Labs in Porto Alegre, Brazil. A variety of teams on site provide software and infrastructure development for products worldwide. Depending on one’s role, the tech stack could include PyTorch, Machine Learning, AWS Cloud, Big Data, TypeScript, Go, Java, Kafka Streaming, GraphDB, and ReactJS. Our list of technology is growing.
Embrace the unknowns. The start of a career change is the best time to seek learning opportunities. With this mindset, I have been able to build projects from the ground up in my new field.
Inspire and Get Recognized
Every day I challenge myself to go beyond a UX Designer’s role and look for learning opportunities. One recent example is the week-long Hackathon my team, and I participated in.
The Hackathon consisted of three to four hours a day brainstorming ideas and improving prototypes. By the end of the week, we stood before the judges and presented the final project.
Our idea was to create an accessible tool that helps people with disabilities find job opportunities. The ADP Brazil Hackathon committee was impressed with our product’s functionality, and I couldn’t believe it when they presented the Intrapreneur award to me! It was definitely the highlight of my career journey and the beginning of my tech innovations. Thank you for your support, Horizon Team!
I am proud of my team’s work. Together, we developed a tool that could positively change people’s lives. I especially enjoyed tackling different aspects of the project, from functionality to making a real difference. We look forward to implementing the tool in the hiring process across ADP.
Rodolfo and his family
Better Future of Work
Inspiration happens in minor ways, such as helping someone to learn a new product or exchanging ideas on a whiteboard.
My purpose lies in creating a better experience for people, and it aligns with ADP’s mission, always designing for people. I know the Intrapreneur Award was just my first milestone, and there is more to come as I build products with my team.
Be sure to keep an open eye for opportunities and proactively seek them out. Anything is possible with a group of creative people!
#Brazil #Hackathon #UXDesigin #UserExperience #CareerJourney
Do you love connecting with fellow technologists and getting recognized for creative ideas?
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Here you will find leaders who support your career growth, a community that feels like a family, and a growing innovation center focusing on the future. We work hard, but we also have fun together and humbly give back to our communities. Learn more here.
Tech & Innovation Blog
The Story of ADP Design: Data, Insights, Simplicity
Future of Work, Innovation, Why ADP
Accessible Video Controls
The Story of ADP Design: Data, Insights, Simplicity
Video: The Story of ADP Design: Data, Insights, Simplicity
Narrator: More than 900,000 businesses rely on ADP for leading HR and payroll solutions. How our products are designed is just as important as what they can do. Today, we’re going to learn why purposeful design helps our clients and their people work smarter.
JOE: So we hear the word design used an awful lot. We hear it in development. We hear it in experience. We hear it in the UI. There’s a UI element but there’s much, much more than that. What is design to you?
VIPUL: Designing for people is just part of our DNA. Our clients feeling confident in what they’re using.
BRUNA: It’s more than the look and feel. Design is also about performance.
OSCAR: We want to be 100% focused on their experience. When they come in, this is what they need to do and they should be able to do it quickly.
BRUNA: I think ADP is doing a great job on that. Trust is one of the words that clients use a lot. They trust in ADP.
JOE: That’s exactly right. If you help and can build that trust, they’re going to be able to have confidence to do their job or to crush it.
VIPUL: One of the ways you actually crush it is by being simpler. That one button that says confirm.
JOE: That’s right. How do when you’ve got good design? How do you measure that?
OSCAR: I don’t think there is ever going to be a point where you’re going to be like, this is the final design. This is it. But I think you learn over time, it’s a dynamic thing. Is this better than what we had before? Continue to improve the design. Continue to improve the user experience.
BRUNA: I think that the most important thing is really try to test it as much as possible with clients that are going to use it.
JOE: Describe a little bit about the importance of everybody being involved in that design. Is it a single UX person or UI person but really, the whole business?
JOHN: I may have an answer. And it may be a perfectly good answer to a problem, but I’ll reach out to get other thoughts. Maybe there’s a better way. You can’t just rest on your laurels. Look at COVID in the pandemic. The way our clients and our end customers operated their businesses changed.
JOE: Yeah.
JOHN: And if that changed, then our products have to change.
VIPUL: We now release much smaller, digestible features and new functionality and new things into the system on a weekly basis. And it actually makes it much more easy for us to release it and more importantly our clients to be able to accept these things and consume them, and stay up to pace with us.
JOHN: That’s what we’re here for, empower the business to go at whatever speed it needs to go.
JOE: I think that, to us, is what the modernization experience has been all about with workforce now. Guys, I’ll tell you, if I had every day a chance to get to talk with folks like you in a conversation like this, it’d be a wonderful day to start– bringing developers together with UX folks, with executives, and product people. Thank you for your contribution.
Work is having a moment. Regardless of what you call the state of the talent market, it’s clear we need a better way to work that enables everyone to reach their full potential. ADP is all about designing a better way to work. We design experiences using an integrated design philosophy and approach that leverages: Data, Expertise, and Design innovations.
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Tech & Innovation Blog
Women in STEM: Pioneering Product Management with Seema J.
Voice of Our People, Tech Trends, Career Insights
“Practice what you deliver in speech and use your products to better understand the user experience.”
Coming to ADP
Before joining ADP in August, Seema J. had worked in the technology space for over 25 years in different industries. She started with telecom and moved into media, health insurance, and information services. She has looked at various digital transformations and technology consolidations from a back-office perspective.
“Throughout my career journey, I’ve discovered my passion lies in using technology to create impactful customer experiences,” Seema said. “I ask myself: how do I use technology to solve problems? I also value mentorship and team growth, always moving forward with new ideas.”
When she came across the product management opportunity at ADP, she took it immediately. Seema’s service tech background led her to design systems from a global lens. She’s looking forward to building her career and focusing on client service.
Seema J., VP of Product Management
Power of People
Seema shared that her first two months at ADP were about absorption, understanding, and learning. She is now putting her knowledge and vision into forming a go-to-market strategy.
“Associates here always make time for each other, sharing updates and exploring tech interests,” Seema said. “I also connected with people outside my team to understand their work.”
When asked about her career journey as a woman in STEM, Seema explains she has always been interested in technology. She started with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and pursued a master’s in computer science.
That was when Seema came to her first career intersection after college: pharma or telecom, and she chose the latter. She used her experience in the industry to grow in different areas, such as long-distance billing system analysis, insights, and tools.
“I enjoy the long tenure of associates at ADP and how many transitions into different roles within the organization,” Seema said. “This allows people to gain experience in multiple areas and apply that knowledge in any teams they join.”
Seema then went back into internet products and design, specifically in chip designs, product lines, and the portal space. Her career involves creating customer experience journeys and leveraging technology to solve problems.
“My career progresses by understanding what I can learn and always searching for forward-looking solutions,” Seema said.
Systems and Cloud Technologies
Seema focuses on improving the client’s experience and services. She looks at both ends of the spectrum from the client’s and associate’s perspectives.
“My goal is to have the knowledge readily available to associates to fulfill client inquiries on time,” Seema said. “I’m working with a mix of homegrown and cloud-based technologies that provide self-service capabilities.”
Seema is also exploring chat capabilities and predictive analytics to understand client sentiments and help associates better support them.
Three Product Management Trends in 2023
Seema believes that there are trends toward digitalization and a hybrid environment where people access information on their smartphones and other gadgets quickly and easily.
1) Personalization
Personalization is becoming increasingly crucial for end-users, and many products are leveraging data to provide a more personalized experience. For example, Siri and other customized tools show how products can leverage data to improve the user experience.
2) Low-code/No-code
Seema believes that low-code/no-code environment is becoming more popular as the industry moves towards software as a service (SaaS) products. The setting allows developers to prototype and test their products quickly, getting user feedback and improving the product promptly.
3) Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Though the trend towards data is not new, Seema notes it is becoming more critical to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to gain valuable insights.
“I believe applying AI will become a standard practice in products soon,” Seema said. “I am enthusiastic about the possibilities in these trends, offering more in product management. They will continue to shape the industry for sure.”
Data-Driven, Innovative, and Fun
When it comes to the qualities of a good leader, Seema talked about the importance of innovation and adaptability, especially in the current environment where multiple workstyles exist, from hybrid to remote.
“My team comes from different backgrounds and experiences. There’s always more to learn,” Seema said. “We enjoy the team-building tool StandOut, which helps us understand each other’s strengths and how to leverage the traits.”
Seema advises technologists interested in Product Management to listen to clients and their feedback, which can be a significant input for product innovation.
“Practice what you deliver in speech and use your products to understand the user experience better,” Seema said. She describes ADP Tech as data-driven, innovative, and fun. Outside of the tech world, Seema enjoys gardening to relax.
#ProductManagement #WomeninSTEM #Data #AI #Technologies
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Tech & Innovation Blog
Life @ ADP S3EP1: Talent Market Trends and What Candidates Want
Life @ ADP, Career Advice, What We Do
“Sometimes your career may feel like a ladder and sometimes like a jungle gym, and that’s okay.”
Season 3 Episode 1: Talent Market Trends and What Candidates Want
Welcome back to Life@ADP, the podcast that offers career advice and stories from our associates and recruiters around the globe. We’re thrilled to kick off season three with our first episode, featuring Tracy S. and Glenn D. from ADP’s Talent Acquisition.
Tracy has been with ADP for 15 years, leading recruitment worldwide in sales and marketing; Glenn joined in 2016, leading recruitment for executive leadership and tech talent.
In this episode, they join our hosts, Ingrid and Kate, to share their career journeys, offer advice for job seekers, and discuss how ADP helps businesses navigate the modern workplace. Listen to the full podcast episode here.
“Sometimes your career may feel like a ladder and sometimes like a jungle gym, and that’s okay,” Glenn said. “Don’t be afraid to take on new responsibilities, learn new things, and challenge your way of thinking.”
“Be your authentic self and ask questions that are meaningful to you,” Tracy said. “This is how you get the answers and determine if the career path matches you.”
ADP Talent Acquisition
Hearing from the Recruiters
Tracy and Glenn also shared the trends in the job market and what recruiters look for in candidates, highlighting the importance of adaptability, positivity, resilience, intellectual curiosity, and a collaborative attitude. They noted that candidates are looking for good company culture, mental health support, flexibility in their work, and career progression.
“You’re seeing a shift in the market where it’s candidate-driven,” Glenn said. “While compensation is a key factor, culture has become the most predominant thing.”
Recruiters ask themselves: How will the candidates leverage positive traits into this role? They found successful employees take the time to learn, grow, and care about others across the team.
“We have a culture of collaboration and innovation here,” Glenn said. “People bring their full selves to work.”
“ADP values integrity, respect, teamwork, and innovation,” Tracy said. “Supporting each other is what ADP is all about.”
We take pride in creating an environment for associates from all backgrounds, putting diversity and inclusion into practice.
Learning and Growing Together
Glenn notes that candidates are taking the time to research the company and its culture before they even come in for an interview and are looking for consistency between what they see online and what they experience in person.
“As a large company, what can we do to help? Some of it may be environmental work, and some may be helping the communities we serve,” Tracy said. “We celebrate historical events by connecting with communities and diving into associates’ stories.”
Associates are encouraged to join a Business Resource Group (BRG) that is personal to them. For example, ADP’s International Women’s Inclusion Network (iWIN) has a mission to engage, equip and empower women to achieve personal and professional success.
From building career workshops to celebrate their individuality through outreach programs like International Women’s Month, Black History Month, and Pride Month, ADP’s talent acquisition has meaningful conversations internally and encourages external learning opportunities.
“Associates come together and share their experiences on BRG events, networking and exchanging feedback,” Tracy said. “We make sure everyone feels welcomed and valued.”
Life @ ADP is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music. Listen to the full episode here or on your preferred podcast player!
Interested in the unique culture and career opportunities at ADP?
Visit who we hire and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Voice of Our People: Build Upon the Legacy You Have
Women in STEM, Voice of Our People, Career Insights
“Connect with your family’s history and share wisdom with future generations.”
Build Upon the Legacy You Have
Amy B., Product Manager, recently celebrated her 10-year anniversary at ADP. We talked to her about her career journey, experiences with ADP, and what it was like transitioning from a non-tech career into a tech career.
We asked what she loves the most about working at ADP, and she answered “people” with a big smile. Amy shared her passion for team building and growing a product career in tech.
From Client Support to Product Manager 
Amy first came to ADP in 2012 and worked as a Client Support Specialist. She designated team mentors for new hires and provided support to both internal associates and external application users.
In the next few years, Amy worked as the Open Enrollment Process Lead and provided product training on ADP Workforce Now® new releases to team members.
“At ADP, we are always open to new ideas,” Amy said. “I value the opportunity to grow within an organization that gives so much support to product managers and technologists.”
For the fourth year, ADP is recognized as a 2023 Best Place to Work and one of the Best Large Companies to Work for by Built In, a top industry source for tech candidates to research and review companies.
A Day as a Product Manager
“Working as a product manager has allowed me to broaden my horizons by working with other product managers across multiple domains,” Amy said.
Amy enjoys learning about the scrum activities and each of our various teams. During scrum meetings, the team shares their work updates and how to make tasks more efficient.
The team demonstrates the features during the demo meetings and reviews upcoming work details in the grooming meetings. Amy always encourages her team to ask “why” when building something in the system, striving for the best user experience.
“Discussing why we do what we do with the team is important. The step better helps us understand the development work and achieving goals for clients,” Amy said. “I showcase the team’s work during demo meetings with leaders. Getting feedback from associates ensures we deliver the best for our clients.”
Amy noted that having a certification in agile or product management is not always mandatory. The drive and willingness to try something new are more critical, and there is no one straight path to becoming a product manager.
“Don’t be scared to ask questions and find somebody to mentor you,” Amy said.
Amy (right) and her best friend Eshlyn
Amy’s Lens into Building a Diverse Workplace
During Black History Month in February, we asked Amy what diversity meant to her as society moves fast, having conversations around equality and inclusion efforts.
“I remember we celebrated Black History month as a child in the church,” Amy said. “We did skits and plays about a Black/African American individual committed to inclusion and equality for all.”
To her, Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions of all public and local Black individuals who created inventions, fought for equal rights, challenged the status quo, and spoke up for all human beings.
Amy takes the celebration as an opportunity to highlight the Black culture and its contributions to our society today.
“There are community events planned to celebrate these very efforts in addition to supporting black-owned businesses and products,” Amy said.
She encourages everyone to continue protecting and teaching black history to our future generations, giving opportunities to black business owners.
Three Ways to Get Involved:
- Supporting black businesses.
- Working with or donating to a charity. For example, Black Girls CODE.
- Highlighting key black historical events in school systems.
“Our communities can build upon existing momentum to positively promote awareness of past Black historical events as well as celebrating and promoting existing Black culture today,” Amy said.
She also encourages everyone to continue having valuable and intentional conversations about their family history.
“Continue to connect with your family’s history and build upon the legacy you have,” Amy said. “It is everyone’s job to share knowledge and wisdom with future generations.”
#Diversity #Workplace #ProductManager
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Tech & Innovation Blog
Roberto S. Named ADP Inventor of the Year: This is How We Roll
Innovation, Future of Work, What We Do
We thrive on innovation and turning ideas into action. Anyone can be an inventor and an innovator.
When Roberto S. joined ADP, he never imagined how far he’d “Roll.”
He started his ADP journey by working as a Machine Learning Engineer. In May 2022, he moved from the Brazil Labs to the Innovation Lab in Roseland and was awarded the ADP 2022 Inventor of the Year.
ADP’s Inventor of the Year recognizes an associate who develops products with great features. Tech associates submit a summary of the invention to the ADP Patient Program, providing a unique solution to a challenge.
Roll is the first digital AI/ML HCM solution for small businesses, offering payroll, time and attendance, and more. Everything a small business needs for running HR & payroll in a simple chat-based mobile application. Roberto’s patents have driven Roll from an idea on a whiteboard to a real in-market offering.
“Roberto’s contributions to ADP and, specifically, Roll, has been invaluable, and how he focuses on driving technology forward and innovating to create new technology makes him so successful,” Roberto Masiero, SVP of Innovation, said. “It’s no surprise he’s been named the Inventor of the Year!”
ADP recognizes the hard work and innovative efforts that go into filing a patent application. Every inventor named on a patent application receives a monetary award for each utility and each design. Roberto was chosen based on his contributions, providing technically detailed and sound documentation.
Machine Learning in Roll
The machine learning models Roberto designed for Roll use a chat interface to interact with clients. In the process, Roberto and his team developed a variety of NLPS (Natural Language Processing) technologies for Roll in the intent classification, questioning, and answering domains.
On a weekly basis, the team meets to discuss strategic and tactical developmental ideas for Roll, including a technical paper reading session, in which they collectively brainstorm ideas to help make a better application.
“Developing technologies for Roll is a never-ending process of asking questions and learning,” Roberto said. “This is a team effort. I’m only the messenger and sometimes the guy poking everybody with links and technical articles.” On the team, he gives kudos to Guilherme G., Roberto C., Carlos N., and Juliano V.
The Team’s Patent Process
Roberto sees the patent process as a method to transform ideas into a formal document that will increase ADP’s innovative power on the market. “There is always a great team working behind the scenes to help engineers describe a solution and ensure this initial description will make it to a patent, with all the legal aspects covered,” Roberto said.
As the Inventor of the Year, Roberto encourages other inventors to keep in touch with the patent team to understand the process and give their ideas a try.
Advice for Technologists
“My career journey has been a remarkable, fun 5-year ride at ADP,” Roberto said. “If you’re considering a tech career, I’d encourage you to apply to ADP because this is where you can bring your ideas forward, receive feedback, and try new things.”
Transformation is at the heart of what makes ADP unique. With innovation rooted in our values, ADP continues to provide opportunities such as our patent program, showcasing ideas from associates at all levels.
“It is always important to ask yourself how the idea will benefit ADP,” Roberto said. “Keep your minds open and study new areas and domains. Sometimes the innovation happens in the intersection of domains of expertise!”
#MachineLearning #MachineLearning #HCM #Technologists #Roll #Inventor
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Tech & Innovation Blog
Data Privacy: The Future is Now
Innovation, Tech Trends, Career Insights
As a leader in the industry that collects a wide range of data from employees, we ensure the information is safe with us.
Say you met a technologist at a hackathon and want to connect with the person more. Instead of exchanging business cards like before, you’ll likely pull out your phone and exchange information digitally.
From LinkedIn profiles, Instagram usernames, hometown, and family relationships to mentions in articles from years ago, the internet and digital world do not erase one’s footprints in most cases.
With all information and data becoming digitalized in the 21st century, it’s time to utilize them in a way that’s never been done before. Data is not just your social media photo or where you went for vacation; it can be numbers and confidential information from financial to hospital records.
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Xiaojing W., our Distinguished Engineer who advocates for data privacy and user-respectful interactions. She shared with us some ways she keeps applications safe and secured at ADP.
Why Data Privacy is important
By Xiaojing W., Distinguished Engineer
On September 7, 2017, a consumer credit reporting agency announced that it had breached the data of approximately 143 million U.S. consumers, including customers’ names, dates of birth, social security, driver’s license, and credit card numbers. These incidents resulted in a loss of consumer trust, therefore, future business opportunities.
ADP takes pride in building applications that put customers’ privacy first with holistic security and privacy practices. In fact, our Chief Data Officer developed a holistic privacy framework instilling the privacy culture and centrally managing the practices in daily data operations. 
Here are some of our methods:
- Identification and classification of sensitive information as a part of data governance and management
- Implementation of enterprise-level and system-level data observability/monitoring
- Safeguarding information through various data security controls and advanced technologies such as privileged access management credential choices, secured APIs, file shares, and encryption through data’s entire lifecycle Implementation of Data Management Capability Assessment Model (DCAM) measurement processes to make privacy and security auditable
When it comes to creating a trusting experience for users, we have five best practices to share:
- Engage users in setting the privacy boundaries they want while getting the desired functionalities.
- Build a consistent consent model whenever we collect or use data
- Always include a system of consent receipts for auditing
- Bring full transparency and visibility into why we collect the data, how the data is processed/stored, and with whom we share the data
- Practice minimal data collection and store only the necessary data for future operations
With over 1M clients (about the population of Delaware in the United States), ADP pays more than 38M workers worldwide (about the population of California in the United States), and just in the US alone, we reach nearly 20% of the private US workforce.
As a leader in the industry that collects a wide range of data from employees, we make sure the information is safe with us. At the same time, we pay attention to the design process, ensuring a safe, user-friendly experience for everyone involved.
Here are five design patterns for creating user-respectful and privacy-aware interactions:
- Users must actively opt-in to having their data collected and used
- Users must give consent to every type of data processing activity
- Users must be allowed to withdraw their consent easily at any time
- Users should be able to check every organization and all third parties that will handle the data
- Use just-in-time data collection
Tech Trend: All about Data
Data is always changing, which means more people want ways to keep their information private. This has led to the development of new techniques that preserve user information in large datasets.
Here are four types of technologies that are getting attention in the industry:
- De-identification: we remove or encrypt PII and CII. Multiple techniques, such as tokenization, K-anonymization, and pseudo-anonymization, are provisioned within a Single Global Data Platform (SGDP).
- Differential Privacy: The idea is to add a layer of privacy by adding noise to the original data sets. The new sets make it extremely difficult to infer information about a single individual, while the accuracy of the data analysis and machine learning tasks is not compromised too much.
- Synthetic Data: is algorithmically generated data that mirrors the patterns and composition of the original dataset. Synthetic data can be significant for engineers to test with production-like data. It is also widely used for training the machine learning models used in fraud detection systems and applications with no data or hard-to-get initial data.
- Zero-knowledge proof: Utilizing cryptographic technology, a claimant can validate assertions of confidential information to its verifier without disclosing the details. By leveraging blockchain-based decentralized identity ledger, individuals and companies can easily control who has access to their digital identities. This provides trustful proof of identity, making it easier for users to manage credentials across the web securely.
You may ask, how does the new landscape in data privacy change our product design thinking?
To better understand our clients and the needs of their employees, we must have a comprehensive view of who they are (i.e., profile data) and what they do, and how that impacts their day-to-day (i.e. behavior).
By following HBR‘s new data privacy rules, our products will empower users with trustworthy technology solutions.
Our private permissioned blockchain also safeguards highly sensitive personal data while simultaneously allowing individuals complete control. This innovative technology enables ADP to craft new products and services that benefit employees and clients.
Closing Thoughts
Data privacy isn’t the Privacy Officers’ job; it’s a collective responsibility. As engineers who are often tasked with the technical aspects of securing sensitive data, we must understand the landscape of privacy-enhancing tools and technologies.
Keep in mind that we must stay up to date with the changes in the data industry as our users trust us with their information. Taking care of the trust and protecting the data should be everyone’s top priority.
#Data #DataPrivacy #WomeninStem #Automation #UserExperience
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Tech & Innovation Blog
Accessibility and Tech: Driving Change at ADP
Impact, What We Do, Diversity
“To me, ADP Tech is Complex, Nuanced, and Comprehensive.”
Before we dive in, get to know our author!
Kelsey H., Head of Accessibility, leads accessibility efforts with the mission to ensure ADP’s product teams deliver fully accessible, disability-inclusive experiences to our users. From writing a monologue to performing on Broadway, she went from studying musical theatre to becoming an accessibility professional. She enjoys hiking and bicycling with her husband and Blue Heeler dog Ollie.
Accessibility and Tech: Driving Change at ADP
By Kelsey H., Head of Accessibility
Kelsey and her husband
Coming to ADP
I came to ADP because it was an opportunity to impact the disability employment divide directly and positively. As an HCM software company, we can empower people to obtain and maintain employment through inclusivity. This is an important goal for me, recognizing a significant number of people in the disability community are un- or under-employed. Technology can be empowering – we have such an opportunity to use technology for good!
Designing for All People
I firmly believe qualifying the word “people” with “all” is important. We’re always designing for *all* people because we want to include everyone. I wish we didn’t have to qualify for that, but we live in a world where we are still breaking down barriers. It’s time to recognize our differences and learn that different ways people exist make our world work – the voices we each have bring meaning and enhance our understanding of community.
My Story – How it Began
I’m not sure if how I got here was entirely “intentional.” My path has been long and winding – it wasn’t planned, and it’s changed at many junctures. There’s something special in seeing a door open and pursuing it wholeheartedly, even if it’s not what you originally planned or saw yourself doing.
I have disabilities and medical conditions, which certainly have both indirectly and directly guided me on my path to my current career – I grew up surrounded by disabilities in a variety of ways. A big part of my background has informed how I show up as an advocate in the disability community and an accessibility professional.
I was trained as a speech-language pathologist, teacher of the deaf, assistive technology specialist, and language/literacy professional. During my career journey, I’ve worked in various sectors, such as early intervention, K-12 education, community transition, sub-acute rehabilitation, higher education, and at large corporations.
The disability community has nurtured me through every opportunity to grow, and I thrive on learning something new every day. The late Stella Young said, “Having a disability doesn’t make you exceptional, but questioning what you think you know about it does,” and truer words have not been stated.
This is not a field for “ego.” Accessibility is a space of constant learning. I arrived at this work by following the path that unfolded before me, trusting myself and the community, and always being willing to wonder, “what if?”
Leading the Accessibility Team
Accessibility is a critical and foundational aspect of the user experience.
I love conceptualizing the positive impact we at ADP can have on disability employment. There is so much work to be done in this space, and this is work that matters. It directly impacts people’s lives.
Accessibility professionals are unique – many of us are members of the disability community or have loved ones who are. The path is both great and challenging. It can be difficult to advocate for your rights and the rights of those in your community while living in the world as a person with disabilities.
The level of empathy accessibility professionals have is unmatched. I also find so much creativity, mindfulness, love, and care leading accessibility teams because the work is often so misunderstood early on that it takes strong comradery and partnership. It’s such a joy leading and growing accessibility teams!
Getting Involved in the Tech Community
At my previous employer, I co-founded their Disability-focused Employee Business Network, DIG (the Disability Inclusion Group). I was so excited to know ADP has a Disability-focused Business Resource Group (BRG), Thrive. I am currently the Vice President of North America, serving Thrive! As for conferences, I attend many – because of my certifications, I must keep up with many continuing education hours.
Here are the conferences I usually attend. I hope to see you there and if you see me, make sure you say, “hi!”
- Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference (ATIA)
- CSUN Accessibility Conference
- ICT Testing Symposium
- Disability: IN Annual Conference
- Inclusive Design 24 (#ID24)
If accessibility is new or something you are curious about, here are three pieces of encouragement I have for you:
- Keep learning – just when you feel like you’re figuring things out, assume there’s more to learn about disability and accessibility (and that’s okay).
- Progress over perfection – accessibility is never done. It’s a forever journey that makes products better, stronger, more usable, and more innovative.
- Never lose your wonder – I cannot stress this enough. Wonder about disabled people. Wonder about accessibility. Never stop asking questions, even if you don’t get concrete answers. I fear many professionals, particularly in corporate environments, have lost their ability to wonder. I think this is dangerous!
Photo credits to Disabled And Here Project by photographer Chona Kasinger
It is okay not to know everything and to sit in wonder – it reminds us life is complex and nothing is entirely sure. This is true of accessibility sometimes, too. And I think there’s beauty in working in a field that does not always have a concrete answer. Sometimes we must pave the way through a great unknown!
Leadership: Making an Impact
Kelsey and her husband
I’ve shared my journey and how I entered this impactful role at ADP. So, what does the future look like? Well, I hope to be a catalyst for people’s understanding of accessibility. Everyone has a stake in creating accessible and inclusive experiences – whether it’s due to a person or a peripheral connection. The disability community is the largest under-represented population in the world, and it’s also the one anyone can become a part of at any time.
With age often comes disability. Accidents happen that change how people navigate the world. We are a highly connected society that expects physical and digital access. I remember a non-disabled designer once telling another non-disabled designer, “You’re not designing for the current you; you’re designing for the future you.”
Disability is a natural part of any living being’s community and experience. It is a way to exist in the world. If I do nothing else, I hope I can help impact people’s understanding of disability and the role(s) they must play in making or breaking someone’s ability to show up and engage.
Listen to and learn from the disability community. Understand their experiences – include them in conceptualizing and building products. Don’t assume their needs and make choices on their behalf of them. Make mindful choices with them.
Interested in a tech career at ADP?
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#Accessibility #Disability #Community #DesigningForAllPeople #Technology
