04:05 INTERVIEW
sit behind it? How are policies embedded to give us outcomes? That keeps you aware of how it all works in tandem. Second, once you have mastered a country-level payroll, consider doing payroll for more countries. Managing payrolls across multiple countries can put you in a position to become a regional leader. Third, be wary. There is always something new waiting around the corner, and if you don’t pay attention, something can go wrong. Payroll is the one job where perfection is invisible, and a mistake is on everyone’s phone by lunchtime. Finally, a payroll job gives you knowledge across multiple functions. If you are keen, you can branch out into anything you love, such as payroll accounting, customer service, compensation and benefits, compliance or payroll taxes, even if payroll isn’t where you want to stay.
Payroll is the one job where perfection is invisible, and a mistake is on everyone’s phone by lunchtime.
demands awareness of how regulatory authorities work. It means keeping an eye on the external world and on new technologies, including what this AI buzz means for payroll. It is now necessary to understand the geopolitical situation, key banking norms across geographies, taxes and legal requirements. Payroll has become so multifaceted that it needs to be recognized as a function in its own right, not just an activity under finance or HR. That is the conversation I want to keep pushing, with employers, the GPA and universities. GPA: What would you tell a person just starting out in payroll in 2026? Vijaya Nair: First, learn how to do payroll at a country level, in detail. Systems can do all the calculations but understand how you would do payroll without them. What regulations
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GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE ISSUE 28
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