Twenty-five years of innovation, connection and putting people first

So… about that noise you might have heard from Winnipeg’s RBC Convention Centre back on July 5…

OK, we’ll admit it now – that was our team; over 600 of us, to be exact. But we promise that all of the cheering, music, and general merriment was for one of the very best reasons: the celebration of Payworks’ 25^th anniversary, which brought our staff together from all across Canada to the hometown where our story began!

We’ve (obviously) got lots of party pics to share, but before we do, let’s take a look back to the days when Payworks was just one entrepreneur with a vision to create a payroll company that put people first.

Where we came from

By the late 1990s, Payworks Co-Founder Barb Gamey had spent many years learning the ins and outs of an industry dominated by a few well-established international giants. And she wondered: what could payroll look like if a 100% Canadian owned and operated provider focused as much on service and community support as they did on technology?

What started as a passing thought began taking root, until Barb found herself unable to deny the call to grow something of her own for one minute longer.

Photo: Payworks Co-Founder Barb Gamey in the early days of the business.

“I remember having a conversation with my daughter 25 years ago and whether or not I should start Payworks, and her attitude was: ‘if you think it’s a great opportunity, you should go for it,’” says Barb. “And I remember saying to her ‘ok, but just so you know – there’s no plan B.’”

If you’ve started a business yourself, you likely recognize that same fear (and exhilaration!) of taking the first step towards realizing your dream… but also know all too well how challenging it can be to build something from the ground up.

“You never knew what the day was going to bring, right?” recalls Client Relations Specialist Terri-Ann Ames, who started with Payworks in 2002. “The phone was ringing, or there was a stack of faxes coming in… we wore a lot of hats, but we got the job done and had a blast doing it.”

Chief Business Transformation Officer Kevin Sokolowski, who joined the business in 2003, agrees. “It was all hands on deck getting things done. I was the developer; I was part of the customer support department as well.”

Photo: Kevin Sokolowski to the rescue!

Soon enough, Barb was hauling a desktop computer (yes, not laptop; desktop!) into the boardrooms of potential clients to not only demo Payworks’ built-in-house technology, but to also share her service vision: where a dedicated Client Service Representative would get to know each client and their business in order to serve as a true long-term partner.

As it turned out, what was most important to Barb – easy-to-use technology, personalized service, and a “pay it forward” mindset – was also exactly what Canadian businesses were hungry for in their search for reliable support. And as the good word-of-mouth about Payworks grew, so did the business:

• We invested deeply in our solutions, including a move to cloud-based payroll processing, the formation of an entire team dedicated solely to innovation, and the development of a full suite of workforce management tools (which our clients and their employees actually like using).
• We expanded our team from coast to coast and earned a reputation for top-tier service – one that’s now endorsed by 40,000+ clients strong and counting.
• And we doubled down on paying it forward, now supporting almost 300 community organizations across Canada each year (from major donations to grassroots contributions), and taking two paid days off per year to volunteer where we’re needed most.

Photo: Members of our Calgary team breaking out their garden shears, rakes and shovels to assist in preparing the garden for winter at Silvera for Seniors.

“At this point, we’ve grown by almost 400% since I started,” says Payworks President Mike Penman, who joined the business in 2016. “With that comes the excitement of making sure we have the right people in the right roles, and that they’re trained and feel good about what they’re doing. Because at times, things can go pretty fast!”

What does that mean to the cross-country team who gives their best to Payworks each day? Just ask ‘em!

“Everything we do is customer-centric – which is to say, driven by what our customers are asking for, not what we just assume they need,” says Product Analyst Adesola Omoniyi, who works out of our Cambridge, ON office. “It’s really rewarding to see that what we’re doing is having a positive impact on clients, on people in general.”

Photo: Collaboration at Head Office in Winnipeg.

“I really enjoy being part of a company that knows that we live in a diverse world, and that we do everything we can to welcome and respect everyone just the way they are,” shares Toronto, ON-based Small Business Service Support Lead Raphael Fidelis.

All the way on the opposite side of the country in Vancouver, BC, Small Business Client Service Representative Kshitiz Dubey agrees with Raphael. “It’s not like a typical corporate culture. It’s more like a close-knit family.”

Photo: Staff catching dinner at a recent round of meetings in Montréal.

Product Operations Lead Arlee Snitowski is one of the handful of original Payworks employees, having onboarded in 2001.

“Watching a female entrepreneur grow the business from the ground up, and the team that she’s hired – it’s just precious to me. Barb will be in my heart forever.”

 

“Whether you’ve been here 20 years or you’re new, the grass is green where you water it, and working here makes you want to get that watering bucket out every day,” says Stephen McKellar, Account Executive in Dartmouth, NS. “The commitment to community and people – it’s all here. You hear us talk about it all the time, but thankfully, once you’ve decided to join us, you get to live it as well.”

Photo: Our Atlantic team participating in the Great Nova Scotia Pick-Me-Up – they cleaned up over 100 lbs of garbage and recyclables from the shoreline that day!

Where we’re headed

From the day we first opened our doors, “doing right by people” has been our purpose and the key driver of our success. Twenty-five years later, this purpose remains our guide and our mirror.

“In these next 25 years for Payworks (and beyond!), I know we’ll continue being brave and courageous,” says Barb. “We’ll keep asking good questions, being supportive of one another, being flexible… and that’s where the magic happens. It’s simply a continuation of the journey we’ve been on all along.”

Photo: Our Marketing team celebrating one of its members’ recent Canadian citizenship.

“In the years ahead, we’ll keep leveraging the solid foundation we already have in place, while also experimenting and looking for opportunities to use modern technology so that we can scale faster and better for everyone – our team and our clients alike,” says Chief Technology Officer Maureen Kinnear. “We’re continuing our dialogue with users about what functionality will make the biggest difference in their day, and making sure we remain the partner and friend that they can rely on.”

Photo: Members of our Development team connecting on how to bring the greatest value to our customers.

“We’re not leaving anything behind,” says Marketing Vice President Jaclyn Christie. “We’re simply continuing to invest in what already makes Payworks unique – as a partner, employer, and good neighbour in our communities all across the country. The future is a bigger, brighter version of who and what we’ve always been.”

Photo: Paying it forward with Buckets & Borders through The Mayfair Project, helping to restore two outdoor basketball courts in downtown Winnipeg.

How we celebrated

To mark our silver anniversary, we invited our entire team from all across Canada to Winnipeg for an evening of entertainment, team recognition, reminiscing and – of course – delicious food!

Photo: The ultra-festive marquee at our 25^th anniversary celebration.

Guests entered the event space (with “welcome bubbles” in hand) through a literal memory lane of photos from Payworks’ past and enjoyed an opening reception complete with themed cocktails and mocktails, local delicacies, and the swinging sounds of the Little City Band.

We were honoured to welcome Elders Viola and Carolyn of Braving the Healing to lead us in an opening blessing, followed by performances through Folklorama. Throughout dinner, individual staff were invited onstage to accept awards for everything from sales performance to leadership and community engagement, and our leaders shared their favourite Payworks stories and their hopes for the future.

The formal part of the evening closed with the entrance of a truly spectacular cake – complete with pyrotechnics! – and was immediately followed by an absolutely bumping dance floor, once again courtesy of the Little City Band.

As the evening wound down, guests stopped by the gift bag booth to pick up a tote filled with treats from local vendors. But for the staff that joined us from outside Winnipeg, the fun wasn’t over! The next morning, they boarded a shuttle and headed over to Payworks’ HQ for a tour and some lunch before catching their flights home.

Photo: Our Atlantic team can always be counted on to make a grand entrance!

Photo: Payworks staff enjoying a catch-up at our opening reception.

Photo: Performances through Folklorama captivating the crowd!

Photo: Team members from coast to coast making new connections.

Photo: Barb with the winners of this year’s Pay it Forward Award.

Photo: Members of our Winnipeg team sharing a laugh during dinner.

Photo: Staff enjoying a BBQ lunch at the day-after HQ tour.

For many attendees, this was just the beginning of their Manitoba journey… because our President’s Circle winners left for this year’s trip to Churchill, MB just a few days later!

Want to be part of Payworks’ next 25 years (and beyond)? When it comes to great people, there’s always room for one more. Learn about opportunities to join our growing Canadian tech company and see why our people choose to invest their time and talent here: https://www.payworks.ca/about-us/careers.