ADVERTORIAL
When I grow up, I want to work in payroll
Dudley Barber, head of client experience at Moorepay , talks about how technology is changing the face of payroll, making it an exciting industry to work in
W hat do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we’re all asked as small children and answers usually include a doctor, firefighter or even a superhero. But there’s never been a child who’s aspired to be a payroll professional. At least, none that I’ve heard of! Despite this, I’m sure you’ll all agree that superheroes and payroll professionals have more in common than people may think. The pandemic really amplified the important role that payroll professionals play and it’s undoubtedly an exciting time to be working in payroll. ‘Why?’, I hear you ask. Well, the payroll industry has come on leaps and bounds in the adoption of modern tech in recent years. Here at Moorepay, we’re working tirelessly to build automation at every turn. And what does that mean for individuals working in payroll? Significant time savings enabling them to invest more energy into other more strategic areas of payroll. And as technology transforms the payroll industry, roles in payroll are continually developing and evolving. So, let’s explore some of the career paths that might present themselves and the skills and competencies needed to be successful.
the payroll industry. When working in client payroll you’re surrounded by payrollers and consequently, your payroll knowledge tends to increase through osmosis. Many payroll providers invest heavily in staff training so there’s plenty of funded development opportunities. For example, to ensure best practice and compliance with complicated and fast-changing legislation, we provide CIPP qualifications with funding support from Moorepay, mandatory and voluntary internal eLearning courses and internal management programmes. Finally, individuals working for a payroll provider are also exposed to more opportunities to diversify their skill set – like working in implementation, sales, support or management. So, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, high-energy working environment where you can learn, innovate and be recognised, working for a payroll provider may well be your best move. What are some of the career opportunities when working for a payroll provider? When you consider the career paths available, they can be split into three broad areas: ● payroll processing ● developing the software ● leadership. I interviewed two members of the Moorepay team, Ines and Emma, to gain a snapshot of their experiences. Emma Marsden recently joined Moorepay as a senior payroll advisor and she’s one of the first graduates from our newly formed academy. This is an initiative I set up to invest in our people from day one and accelerate the learning and development of new recruits. This ensures we’re setting them up for success and they’re delivering a service that’s in line with the Moorepay values. Emma felt it was a great introduction to the business and has equipped her with skills beyond payroll, such as how to deliver a great client experience and get the most out of our payroll software.
Ines Fernandes Da Silva joined Moorepay’s product development team in 2021 as a payroll product associate. She’s responsible for our legislation roadmap and enjoys the challenge of working in the background on new features for the software, which will improve everyone’s experience. Ines firmly believes that through working at Moorepay, individuals not only acquire the technical skills needed to succeed, but they also benefit from working alongside colleagues with extensive payroll and commercial experience. I joined Moorepay in 2021 as head of client experience and was new to the payroll sector. From my perspective, regardless of the sector you’re working in, the same fundamentals apply in order to be successful. For a business to run effectively it’s about getting the three pillars right: people, process and technology. Our number one priority is to deliver an exceptional customer experience and clearly, our employees are paramount to this. Our colleagues have a real desire to deliver excellent customer service and we continually conduct customer focus training for all our operational staff.
In-house v as a service Firstly, there are two very different
What’s next for the payroll professional?
The progress of artificial intelligence and technology opens up a real opportunity for payroll professionals. It isn’t about ‘taking over jobs’. It’s about freeing employees up from the burden of administrative tasks and enabling them to drive operational improvements to provide the best possible service. Consequently, as time goes on, the payroll profession will only get more rewarding with the support of better technology. I’m sure you’ll all agree you never quite know what’s around the corner. However, what’s certain is the demands on payroll will grow and change, and the requirement for committed, qualified and skilled payroll professionals will continue. n
environments for payroll teams – in-house or as a service. At Moorepay, we provide a payroll outsourcing service to thousands of customers. If you’re a payroll professional, you’ve most likely considered working for a large payroll bureau at one time or another and there are lots of benefits to pursuing this career path. Firstly, working on multiple accounts keeps it interesting. Payroll professionals will gain experience of processing thousands of customers. Clearly, each customer has different needs which means you must keep your skills sharp because you never know what the next question will be. Secondly, working for a payroll provider can help to keep you at the forefront of
31
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 88 | March 2023
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker