Tech & Innovation Blog
Nicole, Senior Director of Operations, Translates Business to Technology
Women in STEM, Voice of Our People, Innovation
Nicole, Senior Director of Operations, shares how she transformed from business to product and technology throughout her career journey at ADP.
Coming to ADP
Nicole’s career journey to Tech was an evolution. She has 20 years of experience in payroll and hadn’t thought about the technology behind it when she first started. “A mentor of mine changed my thinking. She reminded me what we did was software implementation, which changed my perspectives on projects and future opportunities,” Nicole says.
Nicole’s Family
When she came over to ADP’s Global Product and Technology (GPT) group, Nicole played a role in translation between business needs, operations goals, products, and technology. “With my background in payroll, I can put processes together and execute them,” Nicole says. “I proudly serve as a liaison between business goals and technology to build great products.” She felt accomplished when another ADP associate thought she came from a traditional product background. It was a defining moment for Nicole, knowing how much she transformed into a product and technology subject matter expert throughout her career journey.
Designing for People
“STEM is the foundation of our daily life, constantly changing and transforming how we do things,” Nicole tells us. “Working at ADP is exciting!” She loves how ADP always offers a variety of new projects. “Even though we are a large corporate company, ADP values the individual voices of its people. There’s always an opportunity here to deliver impact and make a difference,” she says.
Early in Nicole’s career, she worked on a migration project for over three years with about 200,000 clients. She is currently working on projects Payroll Innovation (PI) and Next-Gen Technology. “The Next-Gen in payroll calculation and compliance is powerful. These are my favorites because they are at the core of how ADP operates,” she says.
Nicole looks for opportunities to lead others who come from similar backgrounds in operations and business sides, getting them closer to ADP’s products without feeling apprehensive. She also recognizes the value in bringing the operational and the business sides closer to technology. For those who have a traditional tech background, she makes sure they understand the impact.
ADP: Transformation to Tech
Nicole always likes to ask other leaders their thoughts on ADP’s transformation into a technology company. As an associate who’s been here for 20 years, she enjoys ADP’s blending of great service and technology. “We went from a traditional service provider to leading with technology, and eventually, we hope tech is the first thing that comes to mind in the future,” she says. “I enjoy watching the transformation, as do other long-tenured associates! Seeing them use innovative technology in new ways is inspiring.”
“I am blessed to have some incredible mentors who have shared valuable insights with me,” Nicole says. She also had the opportunity to mentor multiple talented individuals, and advocates organic mentoring relationships. “I’ve never met a leader who refused to spend time with associates. Be open and ask questions! Mentors are there to guide your learning experiences. It’s a growing process for everyone,” she says.
Everyone is a Leader
Nicole at Banff National Park, Alberta Canada
Nicole thinks highly of her associates and recognizes people’s strengths and understands how they fit in her team. She likes letting someone develop what he/she is good at, providing all the support. “I ask questions: Is that skill an asset? Do we need the skill in the team? Job descriptions for my team are detailed and crafted with intention,” she says. Nicole loves learning about people’s passion and motivation behind the tasks.
“It takes confidence to be bold and conquer the fear of leaving your swim lane,” she says. Nicole encourages STEM women to speak up and offer ideas, even if the ideas are not mainstream. As she says: “Always be prepared to back up your opinions with a clearly articulated vision for the team! It is one thing to have an idea and another thing to execute it.”
Nicole has a 10-year-old daughter who loves robotics and electronics. She loves supporting her and getting involved in a lot of youth activities at her school. “It’s great to see children get creative and passionate about technology!” she says. To her, #ADPTech is creative, human, evolving, and diverse. The elements together create a culture that is inclusive and understanding. Regardless of experience and background, people take the time to listen to one another’s opinions and ideas.
Recharge and Reset
Nicole in Costa Rica
Nicole loves to travel. She books with a company that caters to women traveling alone, and gets to meet other amazing women during her trips. Some of places she has visited include Glacier National Park in Montana, Banff National Park in Alberta, Chile in South America, Calgary, and Costa Rica. Her next trip, a fitness retreat in Bali, is coming up next year. She can’t wait!
Nicole has always been an athlete, and her trips often involve outdoor activities. “As much as I love technology, I love to disconnect and travel solo,” she says. Traveling allows her to rest and recharge. When she comes back to work, she is filled with innovative ideas and so much energy. “Not to mention, these experiences make me a better person.”
Interested in a tech career at ADP?
Click here to search for your next move and visit Who We Hire.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Life @ ADP EP4: Support from Military Experience to Corporate Life
Life @ ADP, Career Advice, What We Do
An inspiring episode for those who are interested in learning effective communication.
Life @ ADP EP4: Support from Military Experience to Corporate Life
Ever thought about what it’s like to be on active duty and work in the corporate world? What are the company’s support systems? What is the common ground between the military and business? Meet Michelle N., Global Business Consultant and an active Staff Sergeant in the National Guard.
In honor of Veteran’s Day in the United States, our podcast hosts, Kate and Ingrid, invited Michelle to share her story with us on the show. In Life @ ADP episode four, you’ll hear Michelle’s journey transitions from the military to corporate life and how skills from the military help her succeed in business. She sends powerful messages and talks about the required skillsets in her two roles.
Michelle shares how she mentors other veterans and finds a supportive culture at ADP. “The way you interact with your peers and senior leadership is crucial to success. The mindset doesn’t apply only in the military or in the workplace, but also your relationships,” Michelle says. “The greatest skill most veterans possess is the ability to perform under pressure. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be in a leadership role to have leadership qualities.”
It is an inspiring, encouraging episode for those who are interested in learning effective communication. Michelle gives advice for active-duty members and people transitioning from active duty. She also shares with us the common qualities in military service and the corporate world. “My organization skills, time management, and ability to plan are essential in both roles,” Michelle says. “Every military occupation is translatable to the civilian world.”
In the second half of Michelle’s interview, she discusses her involvement with ADP’s military business resource group (BRG). “Before COVID-19 and deploying, we were heavily engaged with veterans’ shelters. Although outside the BRG space, I was on the panel to answer questions for others who were transitioning,” she says. “I’m always looking for opportunities to give back and be a contributing source.”
Michelle, thank you for your service. We are grateful to have you!
Life @ ADP is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music. Stay tuned! Support us by subscribing to both the podcast and the tech blog.
What are you waiting for?
Learn more about what it’s like working for ADP here and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Innovate with ADP: AfroTech Conference
Inclusion, Belonging, Voice of Our People
ADP was proud to sponsor AfroTech 2021, an innovative conference for leaders in technology and business. We sat down with six ADP associates who attended the event and learned about their career interests.
Innovate with ADP: AfroTech Conference
ADP was proud to sponsor AfroTech 2021, a multicultural tech conference in the United States, bringing together leaders in technology and business. This year, the panel included a series of in-person and digital events happening during the week of November 18. The attendees got the opportunity to exchange ideas and together built a strong black tech community.
AfroTech World: November 8 – 13
“It’s about connecting and learning from a diverse group of people,” Denise J., Principal Product Manager, shared her perspective.
Dawn D.R., Senior Tech PM
Dawn D.R., Senior Tech Project Manager, believes AfroTech is an opportunity for associates at ADP to think about the future of technology. “Being able to share these ideas and have discussions with others who may have crossed the Digital Divide is special. It’s a win-win. I got to learn from a technology community with cultural similarities and served as a representation for people of color,” Dawn said. “Representation is sometimes all that’s needed to encourage someone and show his/her interest in technology can be more than just a hobby.”
Denise R., Manager of Apps Develop (middle)
“Technology is a bridge to unity, and I was excited to be part of it. I wanted to see how others use their talents to build the bridge and find out how I can share my talents as we move toward continuous improvement and growth globally,” Denise R., Manager of Apps Develop, said. She believes AfroTech is about connection, inspiration, and motivation. “It was wonderful to be a part of the group. I was ready to contribute, exchange ideas, and build a community,” Denise said.
“For me, AfroTech is a place to find acceptance and foster new ideas,” Hafeez R., Director of UX Design, said. He looked forward to discussing technology trends that impacted and enhanced the people of color’s community.
Nathaniel T., Lead UX Designer
Nathaniel T., Lead UX Designer, believes AfroTech is a culmination of hard work, perseverance, and a true testament to the community’s determination. “I was so excited to attend a conference like this. While there are few of us represented in tech, it gave me hope and encouragement when we listen, learn, share, and pass the knowledge along for the folks up next,” Nathaniel said.
“To me, AfroTech was a new experience. It was my first time attending a professional conference. I was very excited to take this opportunity and find out what makes our industry so special,” Sean G., Associate Application Developer, said. He was curious to learn how difference and diversity help innovation in tech.
Who We Are: Belonging and Designing for People
“It’s exciting to hear ADP is a sponsor of AfroTech 2021! ADP proves every day that they are at the forefront of inclusion and diversity, encouraging associates to learn from each other and be who we are,” Nathaniel takes pride in working for ADP.
When it comes to team dynamics and mentorship, Hafeez is grateful for genuine relationships with his peers and teams. The environment motivates him to take part in conferences such as AfroTech. “I am grateful for ADP as I recently took part in a management accelerator program sponsored by McKinsey, in which I learned about business strategy, operations, and leadership training,” Hafeez used the opportunity to broaden his horizon.
We offer a variety of programs and conferences to our associates across the globe. “AfroTech is one of many different opportunities that helped me fuel my growth. The GPT program I joined taught me brand new concepts and ideas about the industry,” Sean said. He also told us he met some of his best colleagues through the program.
Sean G., Associate Application Developer
“I have had the opportunity to attend numerous industry conferences and take advantage of ADP’s tuition reimbursement program. In the past few years, I have achieved two professional certifications from Stanford University using this wonderful program,” Denise J. said. “I feel like I belong when I know my opinion counts. I have also built many valuable relationships throughout the years and created life-long friendships.”
Denise J., Principal Product Manager
At ADP, we value associates’ personal growth and encourage everyone to continue learning. “There is no room for stay comfortable or stagnant, especially in technology. I have access to different learning tools and opportunities to attend conferences like AfroTech, Grace Hopper, and many more! The possibilities are amazing,” Denise R. said.
In addition, Denise said, “I learned about different communication tools from a mentor, and I applied the insights at work and in life. I’m super grateful for the resources provided by ADP! I am looking forward to what’s to come in the future.”
Hafeez R., Director of UX Design
We want to make sure every associate feels supported and performs at their best. “I am always challenged. Growth is valuable to me. ADP, once you are deemed a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in an area or topic, you can seek and offer something completely new. In the beginning, you may feel uncomfortable, but there will always be support,” Dawn said. “There are a few categories in our timesheet that always make me feel supported because I know ADP values my learning and philanthropic growth – Training & Volunteering. Seeing these options listed has encouraged me to explore personal goals and aspirations.”
In the future, ADP will continue providing training and conference opportunities for associates. We encourage our technologists to ask questions and problem-solve, investing in personal growth and learning from each other.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our tech blog! #ADPTech #ADPLife
Learn more about what it’s like working for ADP here and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Celebrate with ADP: National STEM/STEAM Day
Impact, Culture, How We Work
Consider volunteering, joining mentorship programs, and giving back to the communities!
Celebrate with ADP: National STEM/STEAM Day
November 8th is National STEM/STEAM Day! Celebrate with ADP and learn how we participated in various events, supporting technologists across the globe.
ADP associates at Grace Hopper Celebration
Supporting Young Talents & Women in Tech
ADP associates from New York and New Jersey volunteered at HackJA, a 24-hour hackathon with more than 100 high school students participating during the last school year. Our associates helped with students’ projects and reviewed the final submissions. The students were assigned challenges related to computer science and information technology. It was an excellent opportunity for young talents to participate in workshops and meet mentors from diverse backgrounds.
“I liked the different activities we could do. I had fun using VR and learning more about Python,” says Jane, a 9th-grade student. “I applied my previous knowledge at the event. I also learned how to be a group leader and split work up evenly,” says Kush, an 11th-grade student.
To encourage women in pursing tech careers, ADP sponsored three scholarships through the Women in Tech (WIT) organization, promoting STEM opportunities. We provide annual scholarships for female leaders who devote their careers to advancing technology.
“At ADP, we are passionate about nurturing and fostering female talents. We believe this is the key in moving our workplace forward,” says Melanie Shook, Vice President at ADP and executive sponsor for WIT on behalf of ADP. “These scholarship investments, through our partnership with WIT, are one way we look to advance technology talents forward.”
ADP sponsored three $5,000 WIT Campus scholarships this year, with ADP’s GPT business unit representatives attending the check award ceremony. “I am extremely thankful to have been chosen as one of the scholarship recipients by ADP and WIT Campus. This money allows me to continue my education at Georgia Gwinnett College and pay off my student loans. It also allows me to connect with many amazing women who were there to support me,” says Briana Hickson, one of the ADP Scholarship winners. Watch the full award recognition video here.
ADP continues sponsoring conferences such as the Grace Hopper Celebration by AnitaB.org and virtual AfroTech Conference happening the week of November 8th, supporting the future generation of technologists.
AfroTech Conference Sponsored by ADP
Get Inspired: Mentorship Program & The Future
We encourage our associates to keep learning and discovering. ADP started the Inspire Business Resource Group, a community mission to imagine, question, and empower. The global group has more than 3,000 associates from 30 countries who actively develop innovative ideas in conversations. The group hosts creative activities such as speaker series, inspired challenges, and innovative discussions. New members are always welcome!
ADP launched the Women in Technology Leadership (WiTL) mentoring program in 2020, providing development opportunities for women technologists. The program pairs Global Product & Tech (GPT) women from different leadership levels with three goals in mind. One goal is to advance diversity and inclusion. Another goal is to increase, retain, and develop top, diverse talents. The third goal is to create a talent pipeline for future leadership roles.
“The program provided a fantastic opportunity for women in leadership to connect and share their experiences. I found it rewarding and inspiring,” one attendee shared. “I gained valuable insights on how I handle challenges in my job. The experience brings confidence and broadens my network.”
Initiatives such as WiTL have helped ADP earn recognition from different organizations. We are named the 2020 and 2021 Top Companies for Women Technologists Winner in the Large Technical Workforce category from AnitaB.org. Readers of Woman Engineer Magazine chose ADP as one of the Top 50 US companies they would like to work for and believe it provides a positive working environment for women engineers.
Communities: Giving Back
It is about sharing knowledge and giving back to our communities. ADP’s UX team from Pasadena provided mentorship and training support to STEAM:CODERS, a California-based non-profit organization with a mission to inspire underrepresented students and their families through STEAM. Our associates invited the participants to our office before the pandemic and provided user experience research and design training as a part of the Design Thinking course.
NJIT Women Hackathon
During the pandemic, ADP sponsored a first all-female 48-hour hackathon in partnership with Major League Hacking, a 24-hour hackathon with New Jersey Institute of Technology Girl Hacks, and a national non-profit organization, Girls Who Code, supporting girls and women in the tech community.
Celebrate National STEM Day with us! Consider volunteering, joining mentorship programs, and giving back to the communities.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our tech blog! #ADPTech
Learn more about what it’s like working for ADP here and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Great Stories: From LEGO® Bricks to Data
Senior Leaders, Innovation, How We Work
ADP is in the enviable position to use our data to continue to make impactful and meaningful changes across organizations.
Great Stories: From LEGO® Bricks to Data
By Jack Berkowitz, Chief Data Officer, ADP
My kids loved LEGO® bricks when they were growing up. They’d play for hours separating the pieces to get the right sizes, analyzing what they had, and then putting them together to build massive cities. I’d watch as they’d use the structures to create stories about different places and events that would happen in the cities they built. It was exciting to see. They knew that individually, each LEGO® was important. They weren’t interesting when looked at as individual pieces. It wasn’t until the pieces were all together that they shined and were able to work together to tell a great story.
As ADP’s Chief Data Officer, I lead data and analytics management in partnership with service, product, and sales operations leaders. In my role, I have a unique lens into how we manage data across our products. ADP has the most comprehensive workforce data anywhere, and we’re able to take that data and help our clients create the stories they need to make real-time and long-term decisions.
Individually, like a single LEGO® piece, each element of data by itself means almost nothing. However, when it’s constructed together, we’re able to build stories, gain insights, take action and make informed decisions. With the right data, insights, and vision, we’re accelerating the use of data as an asset to help our clients.
When we look at our data strategy, we can break it down into four areas for our clients:
- Protect My Data: With a focus on data security and governance, we think like owners and can applaud how we protect our clients’ data. Our clients respect our processes and trust us to keep their sensitive information private. With a culture rooted in integrity, we are all privacy and data evangelists.
- Answer My Questions: ADP’s unmatched data platforms and analytics help clients make better decisions about their people. The amount of data across ADP’s platforms is astronomical. We serve data in meaningful ways for immediate evaluation, understanding, and action. For clients using ADP Human Capital Management (HCM) platforms with capabilities through ADP DataCloud, analytics help our clients explore data, get insights and benchmarks against which to compare themselves in a truly differentiated way. Without insights, it’s just raw data. ADP is committed to helping businesses take reliable insights from the right workforce data in a way they can understand and take action.
- Improve My Experience: Through our data transformation and initiatives, we are paving the way our data is used to proactively respond to client needs, solve problems that keep them up at night and help our clients make real-time decisions. We’re working on developing innovative products that use our workforce data to help organizations gain reliable insights to invoke action and achieve results. However, it’s beyond products. We continue to innovate and strategically centralize client data from their first through current interaction into one system, resulting in a better client experience.
- Guide My Future: We will expand our solutions to help shape business decisions and investments. We can identify new ways for businesses to tap into the massive ADP data set, including new use cases and user personas. For example, geographic income data may provide insights to help companies figure out where to build their next location, or this data could enrich valuation models for the investment community. The potential is endless, especially built with our commitment to data privacy at the foundation.
We’re continuously proving ADP is the undisputed leader in data. With solutions such as our award-winning ADP DataCloud, we can take our information and offer clients something no one else can. Recently, our ADP DataCloud Diversity, Equity and Inclusion dashboards won the Top HR Product from Human Resource Executive, marking the seventh consecutive year ADP earned this award. ADP DataCloud was additionally a recipient of the AI Breakthrough Awards, Data Breakthrough Awards, and Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing, owing to its powerful capabilities and latest enhancements.
The past 20 months have changed the world of work, and people’s data has never been as important as it is now. Businesses of all sizes across every industry are using (and asking for) people data at rates we’ve never seen before. There’s a massive global shift in hiring needs, patterns, and retention. Businesses need information about industry trends and their ability to match or exceed where the global workforce is shifting. Real-time people data is what drives clients’ decisions, product innovation, and the global economy. ADP is in the enviable position to use our data to continue to make impactful and meaningful changes across organizations.
I’ve never been more excited to work in this space than I am at this moment. I’m enthusiastic and focused on where we’re headed. It’s about taking data to tell a story, and it’s exciting. It’s not unlike the excitement my kids experienced when I brought them years ago to LEGOLAND® (both in California and the U.K.), where creations they made in their imaginations came to life in real-time.
Interested in a tech career at ADP?
Click here to search for your next move and visit Who We Hire.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Life @ ADP EP 3: Tips for Interviewing, How to Make Lasting Impressions, and Helpful Hints
Life @ ADP, Career Advice, What We Do
Hiring Managers want to better understand how candidates overcome challenges.
Life @ ADP EP 3: Tips for Interviewing, How to Make Lasting Impressions, and Helpful Hints
How long should your resumé be? How do you make a good impression? What to prepare for a phone interview?
Life @ ADP, our monthly podcast, answers them in the third episode! In this interview, hosts Kate and Ingrid sit down with Dave Demchik, one of our senior tech recruiters, to discuss what attributes make a top candidate. For those who are interested in a career at ADP, you won’t want to miss it! You will hear Dave discuss helpful tips for interviewing both remotely and in-person and how to make a good impression during and after the interview.
“Recruiters look for candidates who are knowledgeable in the field they are hiring. Be prepared to answer technical questions and have your tool kits ready,” Dave says. “Hiring Managers want to better understand how candidates overcome challenges.”
Dave has been recruiting for about five and a half years and shares the qualities he looks for in candidates. He believes researching and preparing are the first step to a successful interview. Candidates are encouraged to speak with ADP associates on LinkedIn to better understand ADP’s culture before entering the discussion or visit tech.adp.com, our tech careers site and tech blog. Another tip to make a lasting impression is attention to detail, including crafting relevant points on résumés. The conversation dives deeper into tailoring, formatting, and fitting résumés to specific jobs.
The discussion in episode three allows both current associates and future talents to understand what values they bring to ADP, contributing to the community.
“It’s a great time to be a part of ADP!” Dave supports the cybersecurity team, a global security organization at ADP. He is happy to answer any questions and provides his contact information in the podcast episode.
Life @ ADP is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music. Coming up next, we are going to interview one of our veterans and talk about transitioning from the military to civilian life. Stay tuned! Don’t forget to subscribe to both the show and the blog.
What are you waiting for?
Learn more about what it’s like working for ADP here and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
How ADP is Using Data to Make Our Clients—And Ourselves—More Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive
Senior Leaders, Innovation, Future of Work
ADP has a culture where you can raise your hand and suggest something new no matter your role or background.
How ADP is Using Data to Make Our Clients—And Ourselves—More Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive
By Giselle Mota, Principal, Future of Work
With more than 900,000 clients around the globe, we at ADP often notice shifts in the working world relatively early on—and that was certainly the case with the increase in corporate attention toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. To help our clients and internal teams track DEI, we launched the DEI Dashboard in December 2020, which offers insights and actionable recommendations to form more substantial teams.
Giselle speaking on TED Talk.
Getting Started: Data-driven insights
The ADP team tackles the DEI with a natural approach from a metrics point of view; we have always been a data-driven organization. By gathering time and attendance information, we can give clients helpful insights into things like managing overtime costs so they can make operational decisions. Our human resources platforms contain a wealth of demographics, including team members’ races, ethnicities, genders, ages, and disability statuses. What’s more is we help our clients understand the employee experience throughout their entire lifecycle, from interviewing, onboarding, leadership development to compensation and retirement.
Going Deeper: A push for accountability
Our team added filtering options that allow clients to get more granular with their newfound insights. One such resource is our new Candidate Relevancy app, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to help recruiters organize the thousands of résumés they receive. This tool has become critical for helping mitigate unconscious biases. We train the model to eliminate discrimination by focusing only on the skills and competencies needed for the roles. At the same time, we’ve made sure all hiring managers have access to make human decisions on pursuing candidates. The same is true with our AI-driven Chatbots that provide pre-screening functions for recruiters.
Giselle M.
Looking Inward: ADP’s journey
Our team recognized the DEI Dashboard project as transformative for both our clients and for ourselves. Like many organizations, we have long championed diversity, equity, and inclusion. But we knew there was room for a renewed and enhanced approach—and it had to begin with the people creating the DEI Dashboard.
While our Data Science team took the lead on the initial build of the platform, we brought in experts from each of our products to help us understand how we could reimagine through a DEI lens. Our goal was to expand on EEOC requirements and consider anything relevant to our clients and their employees, creating more equity across the recruiting space.
With our goals in mind, the insights we gathered from the DEI Dashboard on ADP have led to several new initiatives and processes, including surveys, mentorship, leadership development programs for underrepresented groups, and the job auditing process for discriminatory languages. Not only did we hire recruiters who specialize in finding diverse talents, but we also focused on disability inclusion, from raising standards for vendor products to rebuilding product features. ADP is committed to achieving a fully accessible user experience across our products.
What’s Next: The inclusive future of work
Giselle M.
We have continued to evolve the DEI Dashboard since it launched, and a long roadmap still lies ahead. One upcoming project is benchmarking—leveraging the unparalleled scale of ADP’s data and insights to help our clients understand how they stack up against other companies in their demographics.
My colleagues and I continue to ask questions, regularly creating new projects for ourselves. For example: Should remote and hybrid workers be paid differently apart from their in-office counterparts? How can we move beyond pay equity to true financial inclusion by giving employees the guidance they need to build wealth? We should have a lot to keep us busy!
With global and social changes happening during the last year and a half, I have seen our team move quickly and respond with solutions. ADP has a culture where you can raise your hand and suggest something new no matter your role or background. My Future of Work teammates and I are living proofs. With this mindset and institutional support in place, I believe we lead the way to a more inclusive future of work.
Interested in a tech career at ADP?
Click here to search for your next move and visit Who We Hire.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Dr. Raji, Senior Director of Data Science, creates impact with data automation and transformation
Women in STEM, Voice of Our People, Innovation
Dr. Raji, one of the pioneers bringing AI/ML to Pi-Payroll innovation products at ADP, shares her career journey and the different automated processes her team creates.
Dr. Raji, Senior Director of Data Science
Dr. Raji came from a lower-middle-class family in which both of her parents did not receive high school diplomas. “I saw their struggles, and as a girl growing up, I also faced different social pressures. Then I soon realized my love for math at school.” As she says: “That was when I made the connection in my mind, and I believed a STEM career could make a difference.”
From Bioinformatics to Automotive Industry
Before joining ADP, Dr. Raji has worked in various industries, including three years in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she worked on H1N1 Vaccine strain selection models. Her team took serology, sequence, protein structure, and phylogenetic data; they compared whether the current vaccine strain covered the virus’s dominant circulating strain. Dr. Raji took a break from Bioinformatics and later joined a Cox Automotive company called Manheim to help roll out OVE, a product providing car recommendations for online users. She also worked at a healthcare fraud prevention company called Cotiviti that focused on claim overpayment, fraud predictions, and prevention.
“When I first came to ADP, I was surprised to see the amount of data. We can produce so many innovative products from these. Every data scientist would love to work for ADP,” she says. “The second thing that surprised me was the freedom I got. The amount of support I got from the leadership teams was terrific. I got to be myself at work, knowing they welcomed innovative ideas.”
Dr. Raji and her family
Coming to ADP
When Dr. Raji joined ADP a few years ago, the company didn’t have many data scientists. She built a team of full-stack Automation Intelligence Machine Learning (AI/ML) technologists from scratch. “We call ourselves PiBrain, and we solve use cases across different business units through an advanced state of innovative AI/ML products and solutions,” she says. “I built three notable products through Digital Transformation, using AI/ML algorithms and APIs.”
“The first product involved automating digital implementation for some of our products, which eliminated manual processes and increased our net promoter scores, gave a better user experience, and increased client satisfaction,” she says. This process gave her team a more accurate data conversion process and saved costs for the clients. Dr. Raji introduced another automated compliance checkup product for pay statements, which eliminated the laborious process of scanning pay statements one by one and automating the process. The last project involved form digitization with a feedback loop that continuously learns from overrides.
Deep Learning
Dr. Raji’s team focuses on several key areas in their current work. The first product is Deep Learning, an authentication stack that identifies, extracts, and connects the documents. Another one is a Natural Language Processing stack that demonstrates transformation translation.
Her team helped build API services that take company handbooks as inputs. They used Natural Language Understanding models and elucidated answers for questions such as “What holidays are offered?” and “What is the holiday pay for full-time/temporary employees?” The responses were automatically sent back to implementation systems as callbacks to fill out the guided interview process.
Dr. Raji and her team at the Southern Data Science Conference
Giving Back to Community
Dr. Raji and her team attended last year’s GPT Connect and gave three presentations. The first presentation was open-source tools for AI/ML. Another one was Computer Vision and Deep Learning for naïve to advanced data extraction. “We also showed our Associates how to interpret Vendor Language and map those in ADP constructs,” she says.
“My team and I looked for outside opportunities to create an impact. We attended the Southern Data Science Conference in 2019, where we used data to predict human trafficking.” Her team successfully visualized and built models to predict trafficking. They identified “hubs,” where children were trafficked to and who trafficked them. An FBI director attended the presentation ceremony and found Intel helpful in targeting criminals. “The project gave me satisfaction because we worked for a cause. We wanted to make sure our knowledge continues to help others and give back to the communities,” Dr. Raji says.
One STEM Education at Innovation Academy
“People say it could be engineering, science, or math. But to me, STEM is a combination of all! It is an application of each field coming together to solve a business problem,” Dr. Raji says. She believes STEM is an applied field where interdisciplinary work is valued.
This is especially important in Dr. Raji’s involvement with Innovation Academy, a STEM school ADP sponsored in Alpharetta. “The goal is One Stem Education. I was one of the ambassadors who helped set up the syllabi and influenced the type of education students received,” she says. Dr. Raji’s love for children and STEM made this a perfect opportunity for her to have conversations about STEM opportunities. She is looking forward to planning and creating lab spaces for more talents who are interested.
Dr. Raji is also a painter. This is her work: Serene morning sunrise at St. Simon Island.
Best Advice
“We talked a lot about my background and where I came from. My life is a lesson itself. If you have a dream, don’t give up,” she says. Dr. Raji believes the secret of life is to fall seven times and get up on the eighth. For those pursuing data science, she recommends thinking outside the box and approaching problems from different perspectives. “Keep in mind being a data scientist means spending substantial time in data prep, data cleaning, deployment, and data quality checking. Patience is critical as each of the tasks is essential in building a complete model,” she says. “There will be challenges and disappointments, but don’t lose faith. Keep learning and chase your dreams.”
Dr. Raji is looking forward to inspiring more people and attracting more talents to ADP. To her, #ADPTech is innovative, supportive, and welcoming. Her team wants to mentor more women technologists and have more of them in leadership positions!
Interested in a tech career at ADP?
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Tech & Innovation Blog
Podcast Launch: Life @ ADP
Life @ ADP, What We Do, Voice of Our People
Always Designing for People.
Life @ ADP will give you a look into our associates’ stories, our culture, and our company.
Podcast Launch: Life @ ADP
ADP is proud to launch its monthly podcast Life @ ADP, sharing with you our associates’ stories, featured interviews, and working culture. Season One is scheduled to have six episodes with content from technologists, talent acquisition, and industry leaders.
We released Episode One – Life @ ADP on September 22, introducing hosts Kate and Ingrid with their ideas behind launching the podcast. Episode Two celebrates Grace Hopper and Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring Giselle Mota. As the Principal of ADP’s Future of Work, Giselle shares with us her journey to ADP, experience with the company, and impacts on the community.
Our podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google, and Amazon Music. Don’t forget to subscribe to both the show and the blog!
Learn more about what it’s like working for ADP here and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
GPT’s Jesse W. Won Built In’s Inaugural Tech Innovation Award
Lifion, Innovation, Award
Jesse joined ADP just over a year ago, and his work on the Engineering Reliability (EREL) team for Lifion had already created an impact. He shared insights on how ADP is pursuing new technologies to benefit the world around us.
GPT’s Jesse W. Won Built In’s Inaugural Tech Innovation Award
Jesse W., the Senior Director System Reliability Management, recently won Built In’s Inaugural Tech Innovation Award, honoring visionaries in tech space and making significant contributions to the world of tech.
Jesse helped created a Global Reliability Operating Model that gives developers clearer direction, more agency, and improved job satisfaction while allowing them to deliver more innovative codes to customers faster and with fewer mistakes. His contribution to ADP represents a new culture of ownership-driven outcomes rooted in document-driven engineering, self-service onboarding, and human-centered designing.
Jesse focused on his team, “I want to give credits to the teams we work with. Without them, we would not be able to execute this larger strategy.” He worked with engineering leaders from product-minded approaches to backend engineering, connecting technology capabilities to business goals. Together, they build faster and safer software.
What are some fun facts about you?
I am an innovation leader, a prop plane pilot-in-training, and a vintage Japanese watch collector.
Could you tell us about the Engineering Reliability (EREL) team?
The EREL team is a platform engineering group that builds tools and infrastructure with a vision to help enable an outstanding developer experience at Lifion. It offers capabilities for feature teams to manage their security and develop their cloud-native infrastructure. My team works with them to provide self-service incident and change management.
A vital part of this success is the Global Reliability Operating Model (GROM), a holistic approach to building complex software in the cloud. GROM has allowed software teams to work autonomously, pushing collaboration to the max and minimizing complexity within Lifion’s systems. EREL is constantly building upon its systems, focused on feedback to understand what tools and pipelines can evolve to improve the user experience.
What words would you use to describe engineers at work?
Simplify, Innovate and Grow. EREL actively measures its impact based on real data available to them within the systems. Utilizing real-time data makes this possible and provides a creative space for all engineers at work.
Jesse (right) with his family
What advice do you have for those with a focus on innovation?
Separate the ideation and inspiration from the execution allows your leadership and individual contributors to devote their full intellectual capacity towards solving problems in the most innovative way.
Don’t limit yourself to what you think is possible. Look out three, four, five, or even twenty steps ahead of what can be done right now, then figure out the north start you need and inspire your teams to meet the larger business goals.
Congratulations, Jesse and the EREL team!
Learn more about working at Lifion and make sure to subscribe to our blog!
