FEATURE TOPIC
going into schools and colleges, teaching young people about payslips and financial wellbeing and sparking the idea that payroll is a career, not just an administrative task. We also need to continually bring creativity into how we present the profession, so festivals at conferences, storytelling and even music. If we can inspire them to see payroll as purposeful, impactful and future-focussed, they’ll want to be part of it. EG: We need to showcase the real impact payroll has on people’s lives and businesses. It’s not just about numbers, it’s about trust, compliance and ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time. We should highlight the career progression opportunities, the blend of technical and people skills involved and the increasing role of technology in shaping the future of payroll. Offering apprenticeships, mentoring schemes and speaking about payroll in schools, colleges and universities can help raise awareness. Most importantly, we must tell our stories, so how we got here, why we stayed and what makes the profession rewarding. KK: The pay professions are often overlooked, yet they remain the backbone of every organisation. Like many others, I found my way into payroll through a different path – initially working in administration and then a finance role. It wasn’t a deliberate choice at first, but once I stepped into the world of payroll, I quickly realised its depth, complexity and critical importance. What keeps professionals in payroll is more than just numbers. It’s the satisfaction of solving intricate problems, mastering ever-evolving compliance requirements and supporting colleagues in a deeply tangible way. To attract fresh talent, we must rethink how we present the profession. It’s time to move beyond outdated terminology and rebrand payroll as a dynamic, strategic career path. We need to showcase its complexity, technological evolution and central role in organisational success. Payroll demands a diverse range of skill sets: tech-savvy minds, strategic planners, empathetic communicators and detailed-oriented thinkers. This isn’t a back-office function. It’s a forward-facing, future-ready profession. With the right messaging and exposure, we can inspire the next generation to see payroll as a career with purpose, impact and endless potential. RW: I believe the UK is already ahead of the curve when it comes to supporting payroll professionals. Many other countries don’t
have professional bodies which provide training, resources and recognition for careers in pay. These organisations, along with industry leaders, should continue to promote the profession and work strategically with educational institutions to inform students and young people about the variety of roles and career pathways available. Expanding outreach through social media is another key opportunity. Platforms like TikTok, and popular media outlets such as LADbible, can help make payroll more visible and relatable. Ultimately, it’s about connecting with people, and sometimes in unexpected ways. The recent spike in interest in payroll, sparked by a Love Island contestant who worked in the field, is a perfect example of how storytelling and visibility can inspire the next generation of pay professionals. Q: Why do you think the pay professions don’t seem to have the same kind of appeal as other similar professions such as human resources (HR) or accounting? AG: Because up until Covid, payroll was invisible. When it goes right, nobody notices. When it goes wrong, you’re the first person to hear about it. HR and accountancy have long been positioned as strategic, while payroll has been boxed into the back office. But here’s the truth: payroll is just as strategic, if not more. It’s the biggest cost line in most organisations. It drives engagement, compliance and even the health of the UK economy. We need to highlight that story and keep elevating payroll to the strategic level it deserves. EG: I think one of the main reasons is visibility. Payroll tends to operate behind the scenes, and while it’s critical to every organisation, it doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. Unlike HR, which is often seen as people-focussed, or accounting, which is viewed as strategic and financial, payroll is sometimes perceived as purely administrative. It’s actually a complex, fast-paced profession which blends legislation, compliance, technology and people skills. There’s also a lack of awareness about the potential progression paths and opportunities within the industry, which means it’s rarely promoted as a first-choice career. Changing that narrative, by showcasing the impact, innovation and progression available, can help shift perceptions and attract new talent. KK: Payroll has long been perceived as
a routine function, quietly ticking away behind the scenes ensuring everyone gets paid. Yet beneath that surface lies a world of complexity: intricate legislation, evolving systems and crucial stakeholder management. And that’s before we even touch on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI). The truth is that payroll suffers from a visibility problem. Its machinery turns reliably each month, but its value often goes unnoticed, until something goes wrong. For years, the profession lacked a clear identity or structured qualification pathway, making it harder to attract new talent or position payroll as a strategic career choice. That’s changing. With the support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, we’re beginning to reshape how payroll roles are advertised and understood. I’ve seen a shift in the demographics of applicants simply by making small, intentional changes to language and qualities. And visibility? It starts with celebration. During National Payroll Week, our team hosted an awards ceremony with categories like ‘innovation’, ‘continuous improvement’, and ‘customer hero’ – not the kind of accolades traditionally associated with payroll, but exactly the kind that reflect its evolving identity. Payroll is no longer just about numbers. The rebrand is underway, and it’s long overdue. RW: I think this comes down to payroll not always being a standalone department in organisations, often falling into HR or finance. There’s also a common belief that much of the work will disappear once AI gets moving and if that doesn’t do it, offshoring the function will. But if voices with influence can share that this isn’t the case, we stand a good chance of improving the the profession’s reputation. Q: What more can we do to highlight the different skill sets and talents needed for the vast variety of roles available in pay? AG: We need to broaden the narrative. Payroll isn’t ‘one-size-fits-all’. It’s compliance, technology, analytics and people skills. Some pay professionals are brilliant with numbers, some thrive on systems and robotics and some are natural communicators who can calm a stressed employee at payday. Highlighting those pathways and creating visible role models who represent different strengths is key. That’s why qualifications like our new Level 5, which covers AI and payroll robotics, are so important. They show the
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 115 | November 2025
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