REWARD
Alison Walker, academy payroll manager and Jennie Anderson, academy payroll supervisor What can a typical day look like for you both? “Every day is different but typically we’ll train the team on Fourth’s payroll / human resources system, along with payroll legislation. We’ll also support trainees with end-to-end processing of dummy payrolls. Once the trainees are confident, they’ll
Rob Slater, current payroll trainee “A few months ago, I was looking to challenge myself and steer my career in a different
direction. I saw the vacancy for
the academy and thought, there it is.
I’ve been in the academy for three months now and I can genuinely say it’s great. Every day I’m learning something new, as well as receiving support from the rest of the bureau. “My expectations from the academy are to help me prepare for my future within payroll, with assistance and guidance from people more experienced than myself, and to expand my product and legislation knowledge.”
eventually process live payrolls. This involves ensuring they deliver accurate calculations, meet payroll deadlines and that everyone is paid on time. Our main processing days are at the start of the week, so towards the end of the week our ‘classroom environment’ comes to full fruition and we deliver legislation training, covering all aspects, including statutory sick pay, Alabaster payments, tax, National Insurance and all that’s in between. “We also look after the well-being of the trainees, making sure they feel supported and are enjoying the role.” What do you love most about your job? “We love how the trainees come from various professions, industries and educational backgrounds, providing interesting characters, stories and knowledge to fill our days. We have an enormous sense of pride in the specialists who have come through and are currently going through our academy. We watch them go from strength to strength, to become knowledgeable payroll specialists. This gives us enormous job satisfaction.” What challenges do you face in the role? “People learn at different paces and require different training styles. We like to use the VARK method and ensure we deliver training to suit everyone’s style. When we do a training session, some people can struggle and are quite hard on themselves if they don’t grasp a topic straight away or as fast as the others in the group. People’s toughest critics are often themselves. There’s lots to learn and it’s not a quick process.” How does the CIPP support with the academy? “Having the CIPP alongside us throughout the journey is an amazing resource and is without doubt one of the best tools we have to guide the students through all aspects of payroll. The online classes and resources makes it feel like we have another person in our academy with us.” What should a trainee expect from six months in the academy? “In the time a trainee is with us in the academy, they’ll get: l a safe learning environment l 100% full support in all aspects of their needs l encouragement to fulfill their own potential with minimal distractions, a clear routine, a positive atmosphere and varied approaches / formats of teaching. “It’s a fantastic starting block for their new career, with the biggest cheerleaders behind them. They’ll be supported through their CIPP qualification, and our teaching is aligned with the CIPP, embedding that knowledge into them. They’ll be supported day to day as they learn all aspects of the role and any curve balls that come their way. Our trainees also get all the brews, biscuits and chocolate they desire at month end.”
Caroline Jerdin, payroll specialist, the quality team “When I first joined Fourth, I was very apprehensive as I was undertaking a complete career change, but they made me instantly feel welcome and
supported. They gave me the correct tools, time and guidance to become a payroll specialist and explained what was expected within the role. The support doesn’t stop when you leave the academy. Training is continued outside of the academy on a regular basis, ensuring each payroll specialist’s knowledge is up to date. “The academy set me up with all the skills required to work within a fast-paced payroll bureau, being able to deal with customers’ payroll and pension queries. I also learned where to go to expand my payroll knowledge. The academy has opened my eyes to the payroll opportunities within Fourth (e.g., payroll supervisor, etc.) and we’re all encouraged to apply for these roles. “Take the leap and join the academy. Payroll offers trainees a professional career in an expanding area of the business, with so much potential to move along the career ladder. The academy is great, you’re in a fully supported role while obtaining a professional certificate, and as a bonus, you end up making some excellent friends.”
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 93 | September 2023
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