MY CIPP REWARD
Payroll: let’s get strategic
Andrew McAulay FCIPPdip, head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) payroll, Illumina, highlights some key areas of focus for payroll professionals wanting to get involved in more than ‘pure payroll processing’, who are looking to make strategic change
I ’ ve worked in payroll for more than 20 years across multiple roles, sectors and companies in both an in-house and an outsourced capacity. During that time, I’ve also covered various payroll-adjacent functions such as global expenses, benefits, pensions and human resources (HR) administration. In the past five to ten years, I’ve noticed a shift in the payroll industry and it’s a highly positive one. Businesses are now starting to appreciate how important payroll is to their success. Not only do we ensure all employees get paid accurately and on time, but we also guarantee compliance with legislation. We make sure audits go smoothly, support our colleagues in HR, finance, benefits and pensions, as well as the wider business, and support new entity projects. And this is just scratching the surface. With artificial intelligence potentially handling some of the more administrative functions we look after, it will be important for payroll departments to highlight the added value we provide to the business, so we must take more control of the areas we already manage / support. All of this has resulted in a greater need for payroll professionals to not only be experts in the processing of payroll and related technical legislation, but also for them to develop a broader range of skills to secure their places as key stakeholders within the business.
It’s important to remember, however, that not every payroll professional wants to develop their career beyond the traditional, linear payroll path as some are more than happy with being experts in purely processing payroll. I’ve found that having these type of dedicated payroll professionals is key to a successful payroll team / department as they get the business as usual (BAU) work completed smoothly, and they’ve been a key factor in the recent success of promoting the industry. Previously, payroll career pathways were more limited than in other departments, and growth opportunities appeared to come only from leaving to join a payroll department at a different company, not from progressing internally. In recent years, as the industry has gone from strength to strength, there are more opportunities to follow a clear UK payroll pathway or to expand into regional / global payroll departments. The opportunities for those wanting to progress up the payroll ladder have increased. With the potential rise of more payroll / global payroll director opportunities down the line, there’ll be the need to demonstrate an even wider array of skills to succeed in these roles and to drive payroll forwards. As the remit of payroll roles expand, so does the need to look beyond legislation and processing. For me, the main areas to focus on are:
l managing (both team members and senior leaders) l time management and delegation
l project management l vendor management
l customer service l communication.
Managing You need to be an effective leader to ensure the payroll department is highly engaged and focussed, and to maintain high standards. On top of that, you must be able to manage ‘up’, meaning the needs and importance of the department are heard at the right levels, so payroll becomes a key stakeholder in the business. Tip I spend significant time with senior leaders in other departments, such as HR and finance, so that our payroll voice is regularly heard.
Time management and delegation More senior roles have many time
constraints which differ to those seen in the traditional payroll cycle. With projects, team leadership duties and meetings, it’s important to manage your time effectively and to work smarter. Being able to successfully delegate is equally important to allow you to focus on more strategic work.
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | September 2024 | Issue 103 50
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