COMPLIANCE
payroll possesses. And how that can be used to streamline operations and make cost savings within a business. Payroll is uniquely placed, for example, to highlight where there are high instances of overtime being performed, and to subsequently make suggestions to the company regarding whether this is a cost-effective way of running the business or if there are other, cheaper options that can be explored. It’s also amazing how interested the C-suite become when you back up the importance of payroll with facts and figures. So, make them aware of the financial consequences of not complying with certain legislation and they’ll quickly start to listen about just how important getting the payroll right can be. Getting people interested in a career in payroll The idea that payroll is due a rebrand has been circulating in the industry for some time. It’s no secret that payroll isn’t always seen as the most ‘glamorous’ or appealing career path. Around the table, there was unanimous agreement: payroll isn’t often thought of as ‘sexy,’ and this can act as a barrier, discouraging new talent from entering the field. When considering how to resolve this issue, the solution centred once again on perception and changing the common notion of what payroll is and how a career in payroll should look. Every delegate at the discussion described their payroll journey as somewhat ‘squiggly’ – unconventional, unexpected and far from the traditional linear career path. And that, in itself, is powerful. There’s a real opportunity to shine a light on these diverse and inspiring stories, showing just how varied and dynamic a career in payroll can be. At the CIPP, we see it as our role to provide a platform for payroll professionals to share those journeys. Whether through the pages of this magazine or via video stories which bring career paths to life. We believe that the more we amplify these
voices, the more we can inspire the next generation of payroll professionals. You can view some amazing payroll careers videos here: https://ow.ly/sIEl50Wr1i5. Many payroll professionals can be very humble in their approach and may not feel comfortable singing about their successes, but that’s why we need to do more work to draw it out of them and to get them confident in ‘bigging themselves up’. This will do wonders for their own self-esteem while also enticing others to the payroll profession. We also need to do more work to highlight to those outside of the industry how close-knit the payroll community is, and to share that ‘family feel’ you get when you engage with other payroll professionals or get out and about to industry events. Artificial intelligence (AI): we couldn’t discuss how payroll is evolving without mentioning it! A lot of the participants in the discussion had used AI in their organisations to varying degrees, whether that be using it intermittently or where it now forms a core part of their day-to-day roles. What we wanted to gauge from the roundtable conversation was how people are currently using it to assist with payroll operations. Some examples included using AI to: l check National Insurance numbers, which it does right at the beginning of a new recruit’s onboarding process so any potential issues can be identified and ironed out before payroll needs to be run l clarify bank account details. Where employees are using self-service, AI can perform this review at the point at which details are entered and not when it’s time to actually submit payroll and pay people, again, sorting out any problems early on in the process and avoiding last-minute scrambles for information l spot problems, such as where a date of birth seems incorrect. There are so many cases of organisations accidentally including
someone’s start date as their date of birth, and AI can detect anomalies such as this with ease. These examples show that when implemented with purpose, AI can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of payroll processes. However, the group also expressed a shared note of caution. There’s a growing trend to adopt AI just for the sake of being seen to use it, to follow industry hype rather than solve a specific problem. The consensus was clear – while AI holds great promise, it should only be deployed where it delivers real value. Blind adoption risks wasted effort and potential errors, whereas thoughtful, needs-based implementation ensures AI genuinely enhances payroll operations. The CIPP’s policy team recently responded to the AI in financial services call for evidence , which you can read in full here: https://ow.ly/Jxx450Wr1mG. “So much has moved forward so quickly, and it’s genuinely exciting to see where things are going next” A work in progress It’s clear from the discussions around the table that the payroll industry is undergoing significant change, and fast. Much of this transformation is being fuelled by rapid technological advancements, which aren’t just reshaping the way we work but also redefining the skills payroll professionals need to thrive. One consistent theme that emerged was the need to champion payroll professionals more visibly, and to ‘hype up’ the incredible work being done behind the scenes every single day. Too often, that work goes unrecognised, but it’s vital to the success and wellbeing of both organisations and individuals. Change won’t happen overnight, but at the CIPP, we’re committed to playing our part. That means continuing to amplify your stories, working with IPPE to provide the training and qualifications you need to succeed and creating opportunities to connect, collaborate and celebrate with others in the industry. Payroll’s future is here, and it’s time we embrace it, together. n
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 113 | September 2025
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