Building a professional network becomes invaluable in these moments. Whether through industry associations, LinkedIn groups, WhatsApp groups or relationships with trusted advisors, having colleagues to consult with transforms potential crises into manageable challenges. Communication: The Unsung Hero Skill Often overlooked but critically important is how we communicate about mistakes and their resolutions. Those supporting payroll, whether it’s IT, Finance, HR, or leadership, can only help prevent future issues if they understand what went wrong. “If you’ve flagged the same issue three times and nothing’s changed, perhaps you need to change who you’re telling, not what you’re saying,”
from Global Payroll Day 2025 might be this: your development as a payroll professional isn’t defined by avoiding mistakes but by how you respond to them. Each error contains within it the seeds of improvement, for your processes, your knowledge, and your resilience. You might consider (or already have) implementing these practices: Maintain a personal “lessons learned” document to track challenging situations and their resolutions (Your self-high-five moments!) Approach errors with curiosity rather than self-criticism Despite what Kev or Karen from Accounts said about their cousin’s experience., don’t let second-hand rumours cloud your judgment. Create your list of ‘who to ask when...’ people. Create robust documentation for unusual situations to benefit future team members (and even for
needs to become a presentation to their director with concrete examples of business impact.” Document patterns of recurring issues, quantify their cost in time and potential compliance risk, and present solutions rather than just problems. Get help in drafting that message. If you feel your concerns are falling on deaf ears, consider reframing your message or finding another set of ears! Remember that most stakeholders genuinely want to support payroll excellence; they may simply not understand the urgency or implications until you special place in the payroll hall of fame for those who can explain a complex calculation error without using the phrase “it’s complicated” fifteen times or making the finance director’s eyes glaze over. Growth Through Imperfection The most valuable lesson translate it into their language. There’s a
advises one Payroll Operations Director.
“Sometimes your perfectly crafted email to IT support
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ISSUE 12 GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE
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