COMPLIANCE
The CIPP held a roundtable discussion to explore ‘the future of payroll’ as part of this year’s National Payroll Week celebrations. Kavitha Sivasubramaniam ACIPP, CIPP freelance editor, highlights what the experts think is on the horizon for the industry
Host: Kavitha Sivasubramaniam ACIPP , CIPP freelance editor
benefits and considerations l continuous change l future wellbeing initiatives l payroll careers now and in the future. The roundtable considered findings from the CIPP Future of Payroll Report 2024 , reviewing the results and shedding light on key industry developments. AI: benefits and considerations At the outset, participants round the table talked about AI and how much it’s currently being used by employers. The CIPP report found that just 6% of those surveyed said they use some form of AI within their organisation in relation to payroll processes, while 84% don’t and 10% are unsure whether they do. There was general agreement that a lot more people use AI than they realise and that there’s a lack of awareness around what AI enables, as well as what processes are already in place that include its use. Delegates agreed that more education is needed as there’s still a lack of understanding of the differences between robotic automation and AI in the industry. Those taking part in discussions were asked whether they thought attitudes towards AI in the workplace are changing. They highlighted the myth around concerns that AI would replace jobs, stating it was unlikely to become a reality. The experts suggested that there’s more work to be done to change people’s perceptions. While payroll people say they’re short of time to embrace new legislation, they said AI can help by taking on more process- driven duties and freeing up professionals for more strategic ones. It’s about learning and understanding where it can help in the workplace and what advantages it can bring, participants said. Often, people’s views are tainted by what they see in the media, but AI can help with transactional work, speed up, improve and remove various time- consuming tasks. With the use of AI likely to accelerate, participants recommended it should be treated as an assistant that can alleviate the administrative burden as payroll becomes more complex.
Experts spoke about the benefits AI can offer payroll people in particular, rather than employees. For example, it can analyse data and identify errors, improving the quality of payroll and reducing the amount of time administrators spend on reading reports, etc. It can therefore drive accuracy, making payroll more efficient. “Employers recognise payroll professionals as stakeholder managers and will never want to get rid of that human touch within their organisation” Some believed it could also be included in the customer experience, providing organisations are clear and transparent about it. The benefit of doing so includes allowing a query to be narrowed down before the customer interacts with a person, thereby ensuring a speedier process. People automatically worry about job security, said delegates, but AI can free them up to focus on what they want to do, such as looking at financial wellbeing. They believe employers recognise payroll professionals as stakeholder managers and will never want to get rid of that human touch within their organisation. Experts said payroll is often quite slow at adopting anything new due to being cautious by nature and caring about getting everything right. But building capacity within the payroll team by implementing AI frees up payroll professionals to take on more strategic roles within the business and become more than just an operational function. That’s how you reduce fear and get people on board, advised the roundtable participants. However, the upfront investment which often comes before the savings AI brings can be a challenge for the public sector. Continuous change Delegates discussed this year’s survey findings which showed that, when asked if
Attendees: Samantha O’Sullivan ChMCIPPdip , CIPP policy and advisory lead Natasha Taylor ACIPP , consultancy relationship lead Richard George MCIPPdip , director of education, The Payroll Centre Abu Choudhury ACIPP , director UK and EMEA, JGA Recruitment Group Gemma Creamer , director – permanent division, Portfolio Payroll UK & ROI Julie Lally MCIPP , managing director – payroll, Ciphr
Caine Bingham , head of data acquisition, Experian Michelle Keith ACIPP , customer operations and
transformation director, Moorepay Nick Clarke MCIPPdip , director of product management – payroll, legislation and portal solutions, Zellis Jeremy Levene , VP growth marketing, EMEA, Dayforce Eilidh McFarlane MCIPPdip , payroll manager, Angus Council Michelle Sutton MCIPPdip , head of reward, SUEZ Karen Beckett BA (Hons) ChFCIPP ,
T o kick off National Payroll Week and raise the profile of the profession, the CIPP gathered experts from the world of payroll to explore what the future holds for the industry. In-house payroll professionals, as well as experts in the provision of payroll services, recruitment and education, discussed: l artificial intelligence: head of payroll and benefits, Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust Deborah Sharpe MCIPPdip BA (Hons) , head of payroll, Historic England Michal Lodej , group editor, Shard Financial Media 2024, as people across the country held events designed to celebrate
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 105 | November 2024
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