CIPP FOREWORD
Hello all. I hope you’re keeping well.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce the CIPP’s fourth Future of Payroll Report . Research of this nature is essential in assessing what payroll professionals identify as current trends, but also, crucially, in understanding how they will develop in the future. This enables us to establish how things will progress going forward, allowing us to stay ahead of the curve. We’ll also be best placed to help with new developments in the industry while also guarding against any potential challenges.
Ken Pullar FCIPP Chief executive officer, CIPP
As always, the report is divided into four clear sections to reflect growing areas of interest in payroll.
They are as follows:
● the strategic value of payroll ● future of payments ● the importance of education ● technology.
Hopefully, they’re all topics of frequent discussion within your payroll teams and broader organisation. We had a brilliant response to the survey, which was posted online for a month, so I’d like to thank everyone who took part and fed into this important piece of research.
I hesitate to mention the pandemic, as it’s a period we’d like to forget, but it shone a light on the payroll profession and has changed how the department is perceived in many organisations. Working practices for payroll teams have shifted, as, traditionally, they had to be present in the workplace. Now, more companies are allowing payroll departments to work remotely or in hybrid arrangements. This has had a domino effect and impacted on areas such as access to information and data security. I’m really pleased to see payroll teams have been participating in strategic decision making. 64% of respondents confirmed they’ve been involved in decisions regarding the implementation of compliance strategies, while 56% have influenced choices relating to technology. This further demonstrates how the opinion of the department is shifting. The way in which people are paid is often an area of fascination. It seems that, although there’s still some reluctance to adopt pay on demand, this has lessened, when comparing the findings of this year’s results to those collected in the last survey. Could we see more companies adopting more modern, sophisticated ways of paying salaries, that are aligned with current ways of working? It’s evident that education is becoming more important within the industry. In fact, over half of respondents mentioned they’ve noticed an increase in job adverts listing a payroll qualification as a requirement. This is great news, as it shows there’s a clear path for progression and how payroll can be a career, and not just a job. The CIPP also encourages payroll professionals to secure their futures and demonstrate their knowledge by gaining an associated qualification. Technology is always a dominant topic of discussion in payroll circles, as it’s undeniable how much technology has changed the profession. The survey results indicate there’s an increased appetite for automation, with 65% stating they intend to automate more processes within the next year. I hope you enjoy reading this year’s report as much as I have. We’ll be kicking off 2022’s National Payroll Week with a roundtable event to discuss its findings and to explore the constantly shifting future of payroll in more detail. We’ve only just scratched the surface of what payroll has to offer, and I, for one, am excited to see what more is in store.
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