REWARD
To be a payroll hero, you must have the ability to work well under pressure and on time is extremely important. In a YouGov study commissioned by IRIS Software Group, 36% of respondents felt anxious or stressed when there were delays in receiving their pay. In its nature, payroll can be a sensitive topic. At times, we may need to have difficult conversations or speak with people who are distressed. Getting paid accurately We’ve seen a considerable shift towards hybrid working, utilising technology and a much greater focus on mental health and on well-being. What it takes to be a payroll hero A natural talent for numbers and maths may be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of a payroll hero, but that isn’t all it takes to be an excellent payroll professional. As a payroll professional, our role is so varied that while a head for numbers is advantageous, it’s not all you need to get by. to software, systems and processes that were required. The payroll profession played such a vital role in the UK’s strategy to navigate the pandemic that we were declared as keyworkers. All the while, many of us were home-schooling our own children, adjusting to working from home and reassuring our clients and colleagues their payroll and pensions would be processed with the same efficiency and care as they always were. Even now, as a profession and as a society, we continue to face the long-term effects of the pandemic. The way we work has changed forever, many of us have more flexible working options than we did before, and we’re always braced for the next big global event. On top of this, payroll and pensions are driven by deadlines. So, whether the payroll is on a weekly or monthly cycle, submissions to statutory bodies must still be made, and employees’ pay should still land in their accounts on their designated pay date. To be a payroll hero,
you must have the ability to work well under pressure. The best payroll heroes are calm and collected, and sensitive and compassionate towards their clients and colleagues. Above all else, payroll heroes don’t take the responsibility of their job lightly, and they wear their title with pride. Adele Blackham, client services director at Dataplan Payroll, commented: “Payroll is no longer a back-office function. Whether you’re an internal payroll team or a bureau like Dataplan, soft skills, such as communication are essential. As a bureau, we have clients of all sizes, and our contacts have varying levels of experience in payroll. One minute, we may be dealing with the chief financial officer of a large corporate, and the next, a business manager of a small primary school who has no experience of payroll, because the Local Authority previously handled it. Our payroll professionals must be able to communicate at the right level to whoever they’re speaking to, while always retaining a high level of professionalism. In a highly stressful environment, it’s our job to give clients peace of mind, after all, that’s one of the main reasons they outsource.”
weekly hospitality payroll with zero-hours contracts, lots of starters and leavers and variable hours. Another, we have a large multi-academy trust, with varying terms and contracts of employment, term-time only staff, pay scales and multiple pension schemes to look at. The demands of our work are constantly changing, making payroll one of the most fast paced and exciting careers. Recently, Dataplan has introduced a career switcher programme, bringing in people from other professional services, such as banking and financial services. This is where we know they have excellent transferrable skills, such as communication, teamwork and organisation. We then provide payroll training, and the result is a very well- rounded payroll professional. Even a few years ago it would have been unheard of for someone to move from a career in banking to one in payroll, but the success of this initiative shows how our industry is evolving and gaining the recognition it deserves.
Now is the time to ‘toot our own horn’
Payroll heroes don’t take the
Definitely not just paying people Payroll has been the poor relation of professional services for too long. Now is the time to ‘toot our own horn’ and show the world that it’s not only technical skills that payroll professionals need, but also a keen eye for detail, superb people skills and the ability to keep calm under intense pressure. Payroll professionals are adaptable and take every legislative change, and even pandemics, in our stride. We keep many plates spinning with an ever-increasing number of pay elements to consider. We are the unsung heroes, working hard in the background to keep the UK paid, which is arguably one of the most important jobs there is. After all, we’re trusted with the finances of a workforce of over 32.7 million people. Even in these times of great uncertainty, where the economy hangs in the balance and we await the appointment of our new prime minister with bated breath, the one constant is that people must be paid. n
responsibility of their job lightly, and they wear their title with pride
Payroll is evolving The payroll profession continues to evolve, not only do we now deal with more legislation and pay elements than ever before, but the nuances between industries continue to play a part in the services we perform . As payroll professionals, especially as an outsourced service, we must adapt to understand the different industries we serve. As a result, we’re required to maintain a breadth of knowledge that covers the corporate, hospitality, healthcare and education sectors, to name just a few. One day, we might be looking at large
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 83 | September 2022
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