REWARD
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In the penultimate article in the series on ensuring neuroinclusivity in the entire employee life cycle, Cybill Watkins MCIPP, Product Legislation Manager, Zellis, explains how to support neurodivergent people considering taking a payrolling training course or qualification PART 5: QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
M any years ago, qualifications weren’t a priority for payrollers. Or they were saved for those going into management. Training was done ‘on the job’ and in the company’s specific way of working. But times have changed. Training, although still sometimes completed ‘in-house’ by a team leader or manager, has become much more readily available externally. This has, in part, been prompted by technology, as training can be offered remotely, and the internet provides access to a wealth of guidance and advice. I was glad when I started a job in payroll that there weren’t any qualifications I had to complete, as I failed at school and didn’t complete my college courses. This was because I couldn’t learn from books. I needed practical examples and repetition. I had no personal ability to study at home. And all of this can be completely attributed to being neurodivergent. I was told repeatedly that I was clever, but I was just being lazy. I struggled to sustain constant learning over a long period of time and worked full-time from my teenage years, suffering with poor health on top of it all.
Throughout my professional life, I’ve been desperate to gain a degree. I previously took a two-year Higher National Diploma, but as with all my college courses I never completed it – so three years of study seemed well off the table. However, I do still dream of that elusive degree. In today’s world, there are so many ways neurodivergent people can be supported in both informal, in-house training and through professional qualifications. Barriers are slowly being removed, allowing us to bring our amazing brains into the educational world. This means that a neurodivergent person is more likely to gain a formal qualification. Gone are the days where the training is static, and a one-size-fits-all approach is taken. Everyone needs a foundation on which to build their career. Neurodivergent people learn differently, so the type of course and training they embark on must be selected to best match them and their needs. If, for example, the individual struggles with constant year-on-year study, they could consider a course which is broken down by level, allowing for long breaks between sections. It was while I was
completing my qualifications that I found my niche, and what has defined my career and personal brand. Training Training is usually delivered in short bursts and may last for a day, half a day or even an hour. Just because training is shorter doesn’t mean that there aren’t considerations regarding how to support those partaking. Qualifications The decision to take up a formal qualification isn’t a small one. For the employer, there’s the cost (if the employer is funding it) and consideration of the time and support the employee will need to achieve the best results. The employee will need to consider cost if the employer doesn’t fully fund the qualification. They’ll also need to consider the time they’ll need to dedicate to learning, research and completing the qualification. Most people will require a great deal of study time, which could even match the number of hours they already work. They then need to assess whether they can cope with the additional pressure both mentally
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | May 2025 | Issue 110 30
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