INSIGHTS customer spotlight: Cathy Rhoades
"1987 was the first year I went to INSIGHTS," Cathy Rhoades says. Now a payroll and benefit accountant for Gary-Williams Energy Corporation, Rhoades has attended nearly every one of Ceridian's INSIGHTS customer conferences. "I can't believe how much has changed," she says. "It's really fun to look back -- and it's fun to look forward, too. I always look forward to INSIGHTS."
About INSIGHTS
INSIGHTS is Ceridian's annual customer conference and this year we celebrate its 20th anniversary. The conference brings customers together with Ceridian experts and colleagues from around the nation. Customer surveys show that 98 percent of those who have attended INSIGHTS readily recommend it. This year's event will be held July 15-19 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.
Two decades of change
Cathy Rhoades has been in HR for 20 years. When we asked her to describe how things have changed, we found her answers to be particularly insightful.
"Well, certainly Ceridian is bigger now! But, I still have my favorite people to work with over all these years, so that says a lot. I look back at how my Ceridian reps have helped me -- payroll expenses were so high -- and Ceridian really worked with me to reduce costs. My managers just love it. They really appreciate the savings."
How has HR changed?
"Oh, a lot has changed. HR used to be all about hiring and firing and benefits. It was a fun place to be, very positive. But it's much more restrictive now -- there are so many rules, so many regulations, and they're always changing -- and there's a lot at stake. HR is a very different industry these days."
This conference strikes just the right balance. With over 100 sessions to choose from, the opportunities to gain new knowledge abound. In fact, the average return on investment for INSIGHTS is more than $2,000! (Check out the INSIGHTS ROI worksheet for details.) New this year are exercises and case studies in selected sessions, one-on-one advanced reporting, and in-depth technology and IT sessions on HR/Payroll Web and Access SQL. With the convivial atmosphere at INSIGHTS, you'll find new ways to flourish. Experience industry-focused and career-growth topics for professional development as well as industry and Ceridian certifications, featured product sessions and expanded Solutions Center hours to give you the attention you deserve. Spotlight on Cathy Rhoades
Cathy Rhoades is a lot like INSIGHTS itself: high in energy, positive, intelligent and fun. In her role as a payroll and benefit accountant at Gary-Williams Energy Corporation, she uses Ceridian HR/Payroll as well as our solutions for time and attendance and online pay stubs. Her employer, Gary-Williams Energy Corporation, is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. With operations mainly in the nation's midsection, Gary-Williams' primary businesses are refining and wholesale marketing. "I've been attending INSIGHTS for 20 years," Rhoades says. "I've missed only a couple of conferences in all that time. Right from the start, I knew INSIGHTS was right for me." The decision to attend INSIGHTS
Questioned what prompted her to attend INSIGHTS that first year -- way back in 1987 -- Rhoades laughs. "What prompted me to go?" she asks. "My boss did! Our payroll manager had just left the company, and I talked my boss into considering me as the one to assume all of the duties. He wasn't sure I could do it, so he suggested INSIGHTS. I learned so much that year. I never looked back -- and neither did my company. They could see early on that INSIGHTS really helped me do my job better." Oh, how we've changed!
Rhoades remembers very well what it was like during the early days of INSIGHTS. "It was pretty basic back then," she says. "Those first years, I think they were overwhelmed by how many people would show up. You'd go to a session and they'd run out of printouts. And then the rooms were never large enough to hold all of us, so we'd crowd around and share a computer and the handouts. Ah, those were the days." "Look at INSIGHTS now," Rhoades says. "It's so much bigger. It's become a national meeting place, a professional event that's carefully planned and really well balanced with social time, too. Plus, I see some of the same instructors over the years, which is really nice. The Ceridian representatives I'm familiar with monitor classes or work in the labs. Every year when I go to INSIGHTS, it feels like a reunion." Returning to INSIGHTS
Why does Rhoades return to INSIGHTS year after year? "My company encourages learning opportunities like this," she says. "I get to choose a conference I want to attend, and INSIGHTS has proven to be most useful for my job. "We're a relatively small company, about 300 people, and for one person to handle payroll for that many employees requires a broad expanse of knowledge. I just don't have the luxury of narrowly focusing on payroll; I'm the 401(k) administrator too. And I work with Crystal Reports and Ceridian HR/Payroll - luckily, with Ceridian's system it's easy." Long lasting benefits
"In my job, I need to know a lot about a lot," Rhoades says. "I bet a lot of Ceridian customers are like that. And that's where INSIGHTS comes in. When I go to the conference I try to learn, even if I won't use the knowledge immediately. INSIGHTS exposes me to new ideas and to new ways of doing things. That way, when I come back to my office, I look at things differently. I can handle a challenge better when something comes up. INSIGHTS is great -- there's a lot of information there. Even if you've seen something briefly, you store that knowledge away. Then when you need to take action, you know how to address it. You know where to start. "I've seen the light bulb go on so many times at INSIGHTS. To know how I can do something, or do it better, is huge for me. Unless you're exposed to this sort of conference, it's hard to come up with those ideas." Rhoades doesn't hesitate to approach her organization about attending INSIGHTS. "Even after all these years at INSIGHTS, I'm still really enjoying it. It's different every year, and yet all the good things stay the same. My company doesn't even blink when I say 'let's pay for the conference fee.' It's well worth it." Looking forward to INSIGHTS 2007
Rhoades can't wait for INSIGHTS this year. "My favorite part about the conference is always the hands-on computer classes," she says. "And this year, I want to learn about the personal time off accrual system -- I could definitely apply new knowledge." "If you've never been to INSIGHTS and you're considering attending this year," Rhoades says, "you'll be surprised and amazed at how much new information you will learn. Sometimes you sit at your desk in your office, and it's just you and your system. If you don't see what others are doing, what's new, what's coming up, then you don't learn anything. It can be frustrating. Once you go to INSIGHTS, I guarantee you'll have some moments when the light bulb goes on." Learn more about INSIGHTS at www.myceridian.com/insights2007
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