From the October 2009 issue of Ceridian Connection.

In today's challenging business environment, employees are charged with putting forth maximum effort on behalf of their organization. And as an HR professional, you're particularly aware of the need to make yourself the most valuable contributor you can be.

It doesn't have to be difficult to make yourself more visible and valuable at work -- indeed, it can actually be fun! The secret lies in becoming more visible and valuable outside the office through volunteer work, study and industry associations. Meet two Ceridian employees who have succeeded in creating excellence by contributing extraordinary expertise to the industry and to their field.

Taunya Fritzsching, CPP
Ceridian account executive
Winner of the American Payroll Association's
2009 Meritorious Service Award

Taunya began her career in the payroll industry in 1984 and has been a Ceridian account executive since 2006. Her background includes positions as a business manager, payroll manager and a payroll system administrator, so Taunya knows the industry well.

Her involvement with the American Payroll Association (APA) began in 1996, the year she joined the organization and the year she passed her first Certified Payroll Professional exam (she recertified in 2001 and 2006). Taunya recognized the importance of certification, and she appreciated the opportunity to interact with her peers. Over the years, she has held a number of positions at APA at the local, state and national level.

In 2004, Taunya was presented with the Houston, Texas chapter's Payroll Professional of the Year award. In 2006 she served as president of the Houston Chapter, and was appointed to serve on the board of directors of the Texas Payroll Conference Board as well. Her term there ends in 2011.

Taunya currently serves on the APA's Hotline and CHAMPS committees and is the president-elect of the APA's Galveston Bay Area Chapter. Taunya has taught a number of courses for the APA, including the Payroll Professional Learning Series at Tomball College from 2001 to 2006. She is currently on the APA's Fundamental Payroll Certification Board.

Taunya's achievements and her commitment to the payroll profession are a great reflection on Ceridian. Every day, she demonstrates her expertise and a high level of service to her customers, her colleagues and her peers at APA. So it came as no surprise when the prestigious APA Meritorious Service Award was presented to Taunya. The award recognizes outstanding contributions and is only one of eight awards granted in 2009.

Dan Maddux, executive director of the APA, explains how Taunya has made a difference. "Taunya's contributions to the APA are many and we deeply appreciate the support that Ceridian has given us through Taunya. We value Taunya as a colleague and friend, and for her professional demeanor and unfailingly positive attitude toward her employer, her profession, and her association."

Paul Everett
Ceridian Senior Vice President of Field Operations Support
Featured in the book How Did That Happen? Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way
Paul was recently featured in a New York Times best-selling book. In How Did That Happen? Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way, authors Roger Connors and Tom Smith tell the story of how Paul clearly aligned the linkage between his team's expectations and Ceridian's corporate priorities.

At the time, Paul ran Ceridian's HR Payroll call center. His boss expected improved service and improved operating margins. Paul wasn't surprised by this, since he'd been focusing on these two objectives already and felt like his group was making good progress. Average-speed-to-answer, a key indicator, had decreased 12 percent over the year, and costs had dropped 7 percent. So when Paul's boss gave him even more aggressive goals (one minute on speed-to-answer, and another 8 percent improvement in operating margins), Paul got concerned. How would his team be able to accomplish this?

Paul realized that only by investing money in technology and training could he meet the new goal.

He opened up a dialog with his boss in order to clarify exactly what was to be accomplished. He offered a solution that would get the team closer to its speed-to-answer goal while still meeting the financial performance objectives. Paul's boss appreciated the fact that Paul asked for clarification of corporate priorities -- and Paul was able to exceed expectations on an initiative that had at first seemed impossible to achieve.

Ceridian was pleased with Paul's actions and rewarded his abilities and initiative. Paul has gone on to become Ceridian senior vice president of field operations support, where he continues to clarify priorities, to provide leadership, and to align expectations with a team that's charged with exceeding the expectations of Ceridian customers.

It pays to explore new ways to become a stronger contributor. "Recruiters look at industry and field expertise when they analyze resumes for an open position," says Anthony Campisi, Manager of Talent Acquisition for Ceridian. "So this sort of activity matters. Extend your network. Explore your field. Volunteer locally. When you deliver great for your community, you're better able to deliver great for your organization."

Campisi is a strong believer in the power of involvement to positively influence productivity and creativity on the job. "It's absolutely imperative to join an industry association," he says. "Make the time, and then reap the benefits of sharing best practices. When you get out among your peers, you're exposed to rich pools of talent. You learn new things about your business and where it's headed. You can walk away with great ideas that might be implemented at your company. And that's powerful from a developmental aspect. It's a great way to make yourself more visible and valuable at work."