When war broke out in Iraq, it was a signal for staff at Ceridian Centrefile to spring into action. Helping firms manage the effects of war and terrorism on their staff is just one of the ways the company — which started out as a division of the National Westminster Bank in 1965 working on payroll processing — makes life easier for its clients.
Morale was not good at the time when the company was sold in 1995 — less than a quarter of the then staff felt proud to work there — but, in less than a decade, the buyer, Ceridian Corporation, based in Minneapolis, has made 69% of employees feel a warm glow about being part of the operation.
Business is healthy, too, with a growth in turnover from £26.9m in 1997 to £50.7m last year, 9,000 clients and 816 staff at 13 sites across the UK. They still manage payrolls, developing online technology to streamline the processes for organisations such as Help the Aged, Woolworths and Historic Royal Palaces, as well as giving advice on tax self-assessment and work-life balance issues.
Bruce Thew, the executive vice-president, has a high profile in the company, and 89% of staff say he is full of positivity (the sixth-highest score on this measure), 73% find him inspiring and 78% put a good deal of faith in his leadership. He manages to stay in touch despite commitments to the global firm, thanks to his online chat room.
Although Ceridian Centrefile does not give time off for charitable work, its PayBack Foundation gives funds raised by employees to charities that help children with physical or learning difficulties — 63% of staff say this aspect of the firm's work is not driven by a desire for good publicity, a top 20 result, while six in 10 say it makes the world a happier place.
When they open their own payrolls on bonus month, they feel better too — the firm gives out performance-related awards from £10 to £82,000 for everyone except trainees and sales staff. They can all share in the firm's success, too, by buying stock at a 15% discount, and almost four in 10 employees have done.
The company holds Christmas parties, an annual ball and a variety of sports, family and social events.
