Video: Jim Lord, president of ADP Canada, winner of Readers’ Choice Awards for 2026

00:00 It's not AI versus people. It's AI helping people create more value.

00:07 >> Hi there. I'm Sarah Dobson, managing editor at Canadian HR Reporter. Today I'm pleased to be speaking with Jim Lord, president of ADP Canada, winner of six Reader's Choice Awards for 2026, including payroll management, HR management, information solutions, payroll management solutions, performance and talent management solutions, recruitment solutions, software, and time and attendance solutions. So, congratulations and welcome.

00:35 >> Uh, Sarah, that's amazing. Thank you. And first I want to thank you and Canadian HR Reporter for this amazing opportunity. Uh and then the more than 2500 ADP Canadian associates that we have coast to coast because they're the ones who really create the client experiences that make winning awards like this possible. Um, you know, recognition like this is so meaningful because it comes from those clients that we serve every day. And for nearly 50 years, organizations across Canada have trusted ADP with some of their most important responsibilities, which is paying their people, managing compliance and HR, and helping them to support their workforce. And so, this award is really special because it's a reflection of that trust.

01:12 >> Absolutely. Okay. Well, let's get started. Can you talk about some of the top priorities for HR in the coming months?

01:20 >> Yeah, sure. You know, I I think there's three. I think first, it's got to be helping people build the skills that they need in this new AI driven workplace that we're in today. Right? AI is moving very quickly as we know, and organizations need to make sure that their employees feel confident using these tools to become more productive and effective. You know, according to ADP research, 24% of employees aren't using AI regularly, and surprisingly, 22% have never used it at all. So, there's a really big opportunity here. I think second it's preparing the organizations themselves for the future of work right like this means looking at the processes governance compliance and making sure the AI is being deployed safely ethically and responsibly throughout all parts of their organizations.

02:03 Um and then finally it's about employee engagement you know according to our research only 21% of Canadian workers are fully engaged at work so technology can improve productivity but engaged employees they're what drive performance and HR leaders need to continue investing in the development, great leadership, and meaningful employee experiences. And then at the end of the day, the organizations that win, those are going to be the ones that have learned how to combine good technology with a really strong people strategy.

02:31 >> Well, speaking of technology, how do you see the world of work reshaping in the age of AI?

02:37 >> Yeah, this is the question, right? Um, you know, I personally don't see that AI necessarily replaces people. I think it replaces how and where people have the opportunity of spending their time. So a lot of routine and repetitive work is going to become automated for sure which then should allow employees to focus on the things that humans really do best.

Think about judgment, creativity, wisdom, problem solving and importantly building relationships. And we're also seeing that work is becoming more skill-based. You know, historically, I think we thought of jobs as being these fixed roles, but increasingly organizations are thinking about the skills behind those roles and how those skills can be transferred across their businesses. And at the same time, AI is really introducing new complexities around things like compliance and governance and workforce management. And that's why that human oversight remains so critical because AI alone can't execute some of the high stakes HR and payroll functions with the degree of accuracy and consistency that's required. ADP Canada brings nearly 50 years of workforce expertise, global scale to payroll compliance and workforce management. And it's those advantages that separate us. So the future, it's not AI versus people. It's AI helping people create more value.

03:57 Great. Well, can you talk a bit more about how ADP Canada is helping clients with this AI shift and why you're uniquely positioned to handle the transition?

04:06 >> Yeah, it's a good question. You know, we do feel that we're uniquely positioned because we're like purpose-built for this challenge because we've been helping organizations navigate through major workforce changes for nearly half a century. And AI is creating new opportunities, but it's also creating new complexities. Payroll, compliance, workforce management, and HR processes, those all still need to be executed accurately and consistently. And what sets ADP apart is our combination of world-class data, really deep domain expertise, our global scale, and the trusted human support that we provide.

04:41 We lead the industry in innovation. We were the first to deliver uh automation. We were the first HCM to go to the cloud. We were the first to provide a mobile app. And now we're just doing it again with AI. And so our approach to AI is also very simple. We want to make work easier, smarter, and more human. And we use AI to reduce friction, deliver insights, and help people make better decisions. Uh but we always keep the human in the loop, especially when judgment matters. And that's why clients continue to trust ADP as we help them navigate through this transition. Well, in the HR and payroll business, especially as AI becomes more common, can you talk to me about the role of trust in business?

05:22 >> Yeah. Well, specifically in the HCM industry, this industry runs on trust, right? Uh when you're responsible for somebody's pay and their HR and workforce data, there's zero room for error. Employees need to know that they're being paid accurately and timely. Employers need the confidence that they're meeting their regulatory and compliance obligations. AI can absolutely improve efficiency and productivity. But trust isn't built on technology alone. You know, it's built through consistent accuracy, transparency, accountability, relationships, and that human experience we keep talking about. And I think that's why our approach has always been to combine the power of great technology with highly experienced people. And that human oversight ensures fairness, transparency, and privacy are never compromised. And at a we believe AI should enhance human judgment, not replace it. And I think that's an important distinction, especially in areas where the stakes are so high, like in HCM.

06:20 >> Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for joining us today to talk about why ADP Canada is clearly a reader choice winner for 2026 in six categories.

06:30 >> We appreciate the opportunity. Thank you.

06:32 >> And for more great video content, be sure to check out hrreporter.com.