REWARD
W orking alongside hundreds of payroll professionals, I must have heard it said a million times that we never get a thank-you for getting it right. We’re an industry which always strive to get it right, first time, every time, yet we’re not typically elevated unless it’s National Payroll Week or awards season. We are people who deliver process, rigour, compliance, great customer service, care, commitment and – let’s face it – our businesses wouldn’t keep their people if we didn’t pay them properly. But we rarely get our moment in the sun to shine brightly and promote our departments and the fantastic work we do. So how can we change this? Doing good I’ve been working with social inclusion charity Enable Scotland, which helps people with learning disabilities to lead more inclusive lives. It has nearly 3,000 people working across the country who are passionate about the work they do, and the cause has captured my heart too. So much so that in September, I threw myself off a 120-foot crane and ziplined over the Clyde in Glasgow to raise money for the charity. As a profession, it got me thinking. The benefit of doing good is something that employees today are looking for. I’ve seen lots of studies about differing generations and their motivators for purpose and flexibility ranking high alongside pay. So how can payroll fit in with that agenda, other than signing themselves up to join me on the zipline? Well, payroll departments across all businesses process calculations and deductions, so give as you earn (GAYE) sits perfectly here. I’ve rarely heard of GAYE webinars being delivered which educate people on the benefits of it. Most people don’t think about actively participating in GAYE unless there is an event or something internally raised about the topic, but charity partners massively benefit from GAYE contributions and the tax benefits are great. If more people were educated across businesses, I’m sure a greater number would sign up to donate a couple of pounds from their pay every month. If everyone participated, it could be a huge swing of revenue for organisations like Enable. Through doing good and educating people on GAYE, payroll departments can drive these activities. If payroll leads the way in every industry, it’s another active
“You are payroll and people love that you pay them, which holds you in great stead to seek help from departments like marketing to get your education campaign off the ground” opportunity to promote the department and accelerate its position within business. Corporate social responsibility and equality, diversity and inclusion agendas are high on the board’s list of priorities, especially from a reporting perspective. Payroll has the data in this arena and the support, but if education on GAYE relates to charity volunteering, these elements contribute to the businesses strategic agenda and can equally motivate employee engagement. If people feel good about the work they do, they are more inclined to be motivated, engaged and stay. A plan of action So, could more be done to educate your employees and through that education drive elevation of your payroll department? It doesn’t even need to be through webinars or in-person meetings. Payroll professionals could create videos and content which could be rolled out across onboarding for new employees, at all team meetings or at middle manager meetings. Creating a campaign of education and driving the execution of that campaign across business helps to promote the department. If your team is shy, engage a ‘big personality’ at your organisation to help you deliver the content. Keep it punchy and impactful and try, if possible, to engage the people in the room (or the virtual room) by asking them to participate in raising their hands. Engaging them checks if they are listening. Ask for their feedback after your sessions, as this could drive the agenda for the next set of sessions you and your team deliver. Rotate the presenters so that everyone in the payroll team who wishes to be ‘in the sun’ gets their opportunity.
There are amazing personalities in our payroll community, so perhaps you could ask a professional to join you as a guest. You are payroll and people love that you pay them, which holds you in great stead to seek help from departments like marketing to get your education campaign off the ground. So now you have the idea, how can you put this into action? Here are some tips: l start with a clear plan for your campaign, let’s use the example of GAYE to begin with l create your vision and get the right approvals and departments involved. It could be marketing, communications or human resources to support l set your dates. You need time to make sure you’re in everyone’s diary and if its being delivered virtually, it may take time to get the technology set up l create your content. What are you going to share to capture the audience and educate them? GAYE may need some detail of what the organisation does to have impact, so perhaps the charity could participate or share its content l create your invitation and make it fun and engaging to get people to come along. I’ve always found a 30-second video advertisement with an executive encouraging people to attend always made people smile and boosted numbers l practice. Get honest feedback on your content and energy levels from the session. If you need help, get the energy levels to support to engage the audience. Only through practice can you command your craft l enjoy delivering your session. If just one more person contributes to GAYE you will make an impact, though I bet you will get many more contributions l don’t forget the feedback. Ask for people to share their thoughts with the team l Remember, little and often. People don’t have the patience for long sessions when they have a full workload. My top tip would be to always make the content punchy, and if you have 15 minutes of content, leave five minutess for questions and feedback. Everyone always loves having time in their day, so giving your audience time back ensures it ends on a a positive note. Finally, never forget to highlight the incredible work that your department does for your business. Remind the audience that they are always welcome to say thank you for paying them accurately every pay period. n
49
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 104 | October 2024
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker