Intellio takes client care to the next level

How the IT company navigates change and supports its customers with Powerpay.

Like many companies, Intellio Capital Humain had a hard year in 2020. Cancelled contracts, changing client needs, and the challenges of moving to remote work kept Associate Director Brigitte Simard and the Intellio team very busy, and unsure of what the future would hold.

The Montréal-based IT personnel and recruiting company’s staff were exhausted by the time the holidays rolled around. In previous years, celebrating annual achievements with a Christmas party was a no-brainer. But did they want to hold a virtual party over Zoom? Would it have the same festive feeling?

The answer was yes. “It was the best Christmas party I’ve experienced,” remembers Simard. One staff member surprised everyone by playing music for the group, showing off skills no one knew they had, and getting a bit of a dance party going. The team did a company-wide cheers with their beverage of choice thanks to gift cards Intellio had sent employees. “We laughed and had a lot of fun. People were at home with their kids running around, so we were able to meet our coworkers’ children. Everyone was in loungewear. It was great.”

Expansion to support evolving needs

That human touch, positivity, flexibility, and responsiveness are hallmarks of Intellio’s approach to business – and important contributors to its success.

The company launched in 2010 to provide IT personnel support to businesses. It has grown since then and is now part of a family of companies that employs approximately 85 full-time staff in Montréal and Toronto.

Being agile and putting clients’ needs first is the focus at Intellio. The Intellio team works tirelessly to ensure the companies they work with have the right support for their evolving needs.

That client-first mentality has created expansion opportunities. When clients said they needed help with Salesforce implementation, Intellio management launched Incloud Solutions to support them with that work.

Putting the focus back on the business with reliable technology

Intellio knows that for young companies to be self-sufficient, they need the right support, and the right systems. For years, the company has been recommending Powerpay for small business payroll to its clients. Intellio has used Powerpay since day one, and notes that the user-friendly design, self-service options, attention to compliance, built-in reporting functionality, and reliable customer service make it the best choice for the company and its clients.

“In business, you need to have faith in your tools. If they aren’t reliable, imagine the errors that could occur,” says Simard. “Among other things, they have to manage regulatory compliance, so that we don’t have problems with the government. We’ve never had any problems with Powerpay, and that’s why we’ve stayed with this platform.”

Start-ups need to be laser-focused on building business viability; they often don’t have the in-house staff or expertise to manage growing payroll and HR needs, or the time to test different systems. Intellio provides the support they need and recommends Powerpay as a payroll solution because it’s easy to use and gives employees access and control over their information.

The system’s ease of use also helps to reduce the chance of errors, which is both a time and sanity-saver. And Ceridian’s support around compliance helps companies focus on building their businesses instead of worrying about making payments late or missing a deadline. That’s important for Intellio as a business, and as an advisor to its clients.

“The fact that Ceridian is active across Canada is especially helpful. With other solutions, sometimes it gets complicated when activities span different provinces. With Ceridian, that’s never a problem,” says Simard.

Having the right reporting in place is another a critical component to helping companies refine operational efficiency. And, at any size, getting the right reporting in place can be tough. Simard says Powerpay makes that a little easier for Intellio. “Some systems provide reports that are unclear or incomplete. With Powerpay, the reports are clear and concise,” she says.

A steady partner in the changing world of work

The year 2020 was difficult for Intellio. Many of the company’s clients were affected by the pandemic. Needs changed and businesses shrunk, but Intellio stuck by its clients, pivoted to their changing needs, and is now emerging as a stronger company. Intellio is proud of its team and what they’ve been able to accomplish together.

Having Powerpay and being able to count on Ceridian to provide guidance during the tumultuous and uncertain time was invaluable to both the team at Intellio and its clients. When the pandemic started, Intellio was forced to lay off some of its staff, and the company struggled to make sense of conflicting information on how to produce the Records of Employment (ROE). Ceridian provided guidance that helped cut through the noise and clarify the process. Staff received the benefits they were entitled to, and Intellio felt confident it was in compliance with its obligations.

And when the government announced the 10% Temporary Wage Subsidy at the beginning of the pandemic, the support was welcome, but the Intellio didn’t know how to proceed when filing the end-of-year tax return. “Ceridian’s specialists guided us step by step. Even with COVID-19 and all the new changes, they always shared the most current information available at the time. All the businesses that claimed the 10% Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers were audited. I gave the government the information obtained from Ceridian, and they told me everything was fine, that it was exactly what we needed to submit,” says Simard.

She adds: “When I have a problem, I don’t waste any time. I call the Ceridian customer support team. They’re trained payroll specialists who know the field by heart. Why waste time doing research when they can just point me in the right direction?”

Weathering the storm together

Intellio hopes there will be big things in store for the company this year and beyond. Simard is excited to see Intellio continue to evolve to meet its clients’ needs and exceed their expectations. As the company grows and changes, the Intellio team likes knowing they have Ceridian by their side.

“During the storm, our partnership with Ceridian was very precious to us,” says Simard. “When the storm strikes, you see who the real captains are. And Ceridian proved to be a good captain in the storm. We hope to continue to work with them because they are the best.”