PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
# Be Payroll Clare Jackson, MCIPPdip, human resource (HR) transformation and operational excellence lead, Allianz Insurance , tells us about membership and studying with the CIPP
Can you describe your payroll journey to us so far? This may sound very familiar, but I fell into payroll around 30 years ago when I decided to do a bit of ‘temping work’ which was very popular back then. The recruitment agency I registered with needed someone to work for two weeks as annual leave cover to run its payroll for the whole of the UK. I worked my way up to payroll supervisor and ended up staying there for 11 years. This led me on to various payroll roles running in-house, bureau and fully managed payroll services in both the public and private sectors. I started with LV in 2013, becoming payroll manager and then moved onto Allianz in 2020. I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone and became a guest speaker at the Reward Conference on the topic of the apprenticeship levy when it was introduced in 2017. It’s important to seek out these opportunities and learn that you can do more than you think with a subject you know a lot about, which leads to getting over the dreaded ‘imposter syndrome’ I’m sure everyone has felt at one time or another. I’m currently working in the HR transformation and operational excellence team on any change projects, which often involves payroll-related items and leading sessions for several departments in the company. Why did you choose to become a member of the CIPP? I was studying for the Foundation Degree in Payroll Management and membership with the CIPP gave invaluable support with face-to-face / email communications and online resources. I also wanted to be part of a professional organisation which works very closely with HM Revenue and Customs and other governing bodies, to make a real difference to the payroll industry. What membership benefits have you used or enjoyed the most and how have they helped you? I keep up to date with any changes and legislation updates by reading the weekly News Online email, along with Professional magazine. I find the Advisory Service Q&As section particularly helpful to refresh on anything I haven’t come across in a while or to confirm my thinking is correct. I have also attended the ‘special interest groups’ in person
to contribute and I post questions online for information from payroll peers on any projects I may be working on, also responding to others to share my knowledge and experience. This is a great resource and builds your network with other professionals in payroll, pensions and reward. How would you describe your experience of studying with the CIPP? I started studying with the CIPP in my 30s with an eight-year- old child, so time to focus on studying was challenging. Time management was very important, so I knew how much I wanted to achieve on each module. I ensured I had some days off to focus on family and friends too. It’s important to keep up your social activities when studying to boost you, ready for the next module. What advice do you have for someone thinking of studying a qualification with us? You won’t regret it and it certainly opens doors on your career path. The CIPP segments each module very well and there’s a great deal of support and various resources to help you. It’s hard work but if you put the time and commitment in, the feeling of the achievement when you graduate is fantastic. What does working in payroll mean to you? My role changed earlier this year and although I’m still in HR, I now work on change projects in our transformation and operational excellence team. This has involved me leading on projects to introduce an electric car salary sacrifice scheme and on payroll changes for our benefits alignment project. As I work for a global company, my change work has involved liaising with colleagues from Allianz Germany and Australia and it’s great to collaborate in this way. My role still has elements of payroll, ensuring any change is streamlined and aligned with our UK and global strategies. My background in payroll will always be valuable because it touches so many areas: HR, pensions, benefits, reward, finance, tax and procurement, to name a few. I enjoy making a difference to the moments that matter and payroll certainly matters! n
12 | Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | February 2024 | Issue 97
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker