FEATURE INSIGHT
It pays to learn
There is no doubt that organisations investing in their payroll department’s learning and development will reap the rewards in the long term, says Kavitha Sivasubramaniam, freelance writer and editor
O ver the years, ‘workplace training’ has gradually been replaced with the term ‘learning and development’ (L&D), with more emphasis being placed on its importance as an employee benefit and its role within the reward package. Although the former concentrates on learning specific skills knowledge while the latter focuses on individual development and future performance, both share a common goal of improving the performance of those who participate in a programme. Broadly speaking, a L&D strategy aims to strengthen employees’ capabilities, competencies and skills, and forms a crucial part of any company’s overall business strategy. “L&D is about learning and developing the skills of people, whether employees or students or the general public,” explains Karen Thomson, payroll director at Armstrong Watson, a firm of accountants, business and financial advisers. “When a person is provided with an opportunity to learn something new that develops whatever skills they need or want as long as they move from A to B, they have transformed and therefore have undertaken some form of learning and/or development.” L&D opportunities are arguably more important for payroll professionals than anyone else within the business. After all, as those in the industry are aware, payroll has a crucial part to play in every business which goes far beyond simply being a process function. It is often integral in protecting
a company’s profits and reputation by making sure it complies with legislation, and has a huge impact on the morale of staff who expect to be paid accurately and on time. Therefore, ensuring payroll staff are adequately trained and are constantly refreshing their skills is essential to keeping a business operating efficiently and effectively. ...essential to keeping a business operating efficiently and effectively Payroll legislation is constantly evolving, and professionals cannot afford to rest on their laurels. They must ensure they are fully aware of any changes, for the sake of their organisation as well as their own professional development. “To stay at the top of the profession you cannot rely on ‘old’ or ‘assumed’ knowledge, you need to continually improve and learn to stay compliant,” says Ian Walters, learning and development director at SD Worx. This sentiment is shared by Sandra Sommerville, group human resources (HR) manager at activpayroll. She adds that, for payroll professionals who want to progress into managerial or leadership positions, L&D is of prime importance to discover how to lead a team and obtain the best
possible performance from the individuals in it. “Understanding the many compliance issues, rules and regulations is crucial, as well as gaining new industry knowledge to match team and client expectations,” says Sommerville. According to Julie Lock, service development director at HR software solutions and services provider MHR, there are five key reasons why L&D is important for payroll professionals: compliance with legislation, the development of technology, general compliance with internal policies, meeting customer requirements, and researching more efficient ways of working. But while it makes good business sense for companies to grow and invest their payroll teams to allow them to retain skills, knowledge and customer relations, there needs to be a financial return on investment. “Of course, the benefits of training should go both ways, with the skills employees gain translating into a boost for employers’ bottom lines,” says Sommerville. But Walters insists that, rather than looking at the business case for investing, employers should consider the problems of not doing so: “In an ever changing world, where the government is putting increasing responsibility on the employer through mountains of new legislation, keeping knowledge up to date and relevant is more crucial than ever." Walters observes that “The financial penalties which can be imposed on employers for non-compliance have never been so huge.”
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | September 2017 | Issue 33 44
Made with FlippingBook HTML5