MY CIPP
How did you start your payroll career? I couldn’t decide what career path was for me and I’d had three administration roles before I fell into payroll at the age of 21. I completed a paper application form, sent it off, got an interview and then found out at the end of the interview that I’d been successful. So, I went to work at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council as a payroll officer, paying weekly paid home helps, school dinner ladies and caretakers. My career progressed and I became deputy team leader, then team leader for a short while before having my son. After almost ten years, I moved to Birmingham City Council and went back to being a payroll officer as I found it challenging being a mother and working full time. Again, I moved up the ladder to senior payroll officer and then to deputy team leader before returning to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. This time, I joined an HR and payroll shared service team, which comprised of end-to-end recruitment and payroll. Then I was asked if I would like to complete my Foundation Degree with IPP Education and three years later, I graduated. A role soon came up at the CIPP as a part-time advisory officer, so my story continues.
apprehensive to say the least. Luckily, the interview went well, I got the role and started work on 1 November 2013. On my first day, I was actually at graduation, picking up my degree and celebrating with my peers. I recall getting a call from my new boss, welcoming me to the CIPP. The past 11 years have gone so quickly. How time flies! What’s a typical week for you? Well, it’s always interesting! The questions we receive from our members range from being easy to answer to the complete opposite – incredibly challenging. We support each other within the team, and share our knowledge and expertise so that we can offer a five-star service to our members. What skills does an Advisory Service team member need? Our questions are always diverse and unusual, but our goal is to support and help our members, so listening and understanding questions is a vital part of the job. You need the ability to digest and process information from guidance and legislation, then feed this back to members in an understandable way, so being a good all-round communicator is an essential part of the role too. I have also encountered many changes within the Advisory Service team, so it’s essential to embrace new challenges which allow the team to grow. It’s exciting
to see how the team has transformed from two part-time advisers to a team of six. What does your role at the CIPP mean to you? Where do I start? I’m very passionate about payroll and 11 years at CIPP is the longest I have ever stayed in a role. I’m very proud to be the longest standing member of the Advisory Service team. Every day is a school day as they say, so you learn something new or different every week or month. I love helping our members and I get a buzz when I can help them in a small way or even just in a supportive way. I particularly love speaking to our regular callers because you build up a rapport and get to know them, and vice versa. The nicest comment I received was when a member called me a "payroll angel". If I ever went on the television show Mastermind, my specialist subject would be statutory payments. My role at the CIPP has developed considerably and is more diverse now than when I started. As membership has grown, so has the number of calls and emails we receive. Considering payroll is getting ever more complex with new legislation and changes to existing legislation, I see my role developing further in the future. As an organisation and team, we must learn to work with innovative technologies and embrace change within the payroll industry. o
How did you join the CIPP’s Advisory Service team? When I applied, I was nervous and
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 106 | December 2024 - January 2025
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