PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
# Be Payroll Ellis Rees ChFCIPPdip, strategic account director – UK and Ireland, ADP, shares his personal experiences of membership and study with the CIPP
Can you describe your payroll journey to us so far? I left school unsure of what I wanted to do. I was sitting in a local employment agency discussing what options were open to me as a school leaver, when I was approached by their managing director who suggested I work in their finance department. I accepted this and my day-one job was to manually calculate a payroll on an old manual system. I had intended to build a career specifically in finance, not payroll. After two years there, I went on to work in a large service company, as a payroll manager. Unfortunately, it had a fairly ‘low ceiling’ in terms of career development. I felt working in a software house would help develop my career. I applied for, and got the role of, payroll specialist at ADP (Automatic Data Processing) in their new managed service department. At the time, there was only one client and my job involved data keying and dealing with client queries. Although this felt like a step back, in hindsight it was a key step in my development into the role I have now. Roll forward thirty years, and I’m now a strategic account director with ADP, who have allowed me to develop my career and to undertake qualifications, such as the CIPP Diploma, in 1995. Why did you choose to become a member of the CIPP? I joined the CIPP when it was called the BPMA (British Payroll Managers Association). This was when I was payroll manager in the service organisation. This was before the time of Google and there was a lack of good payroll / legislation updates available. I needed somewhere to help me work my way through the mounds of payroll legislation and the BPMA offered this. How has your membership helped in your career? It’s been invaluable as a resource to support my work through the qualifications, online and in-person events, the policy groups and the Advisory Service. It means that when clients talk to me, they know I have the knowledge and support to help them. What membership benefits have you used or enjoyed the most and how have they helped you? Recently, the BeConnected and Annual Conference and Exhibition (ACE) events. I had the opportunity to present at the ACE 2023 event, and although I was a bit nervous, I was honoured to speak to my peers. Following each of these events, I have presented back to my organisation, and ADP has valued my insight as well as the added narrative that this gives.
What are your hopes for your future career? For me, moving towards the twilight of my career, I want to spend more time promoting the industry within my organisation as well as outside it. I feel 40 years of payroll has given me so much, it’s time to give back. What advice would you give to those new to the payroll profession, just starting out in their careers? Not to always look at payroll as a linear career. Moving up in a career is fine, so from payroll specialist to senior to manager, but be aware there are other career options available which are less linear, such as project management, consultancy, implementation, etc. As Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper of the Amazing If said at the ACE 2023 conference, “The best career advice is not always a straight line.” How would you describe your experience of studying with the CIPP? I studied the CIPP (BPMA at the time) Diploma in Payroll Management a while ago, but I felt the course was really helpful as it didn’t cover solely payroll, it also included very useful management skills and tips on how to interact across departments. This is still as relevant today as it was in 1995 when I passed my Diploma. I also valued the interaction with other payroll professionals and our tutor during my studies.
Why was it important to you to gain this qualification?
It really helped me to springboard my career. It was recognised in our industry and employers knew a certain level of qualification had been obtained. What advice do you have for someone thinking of studying a qualification with us? Really, for anyone who has been out of education for some time, not to worry too much. Speak with others who have also undertaken study and when you qualify, promote this in your organisation. What does working in payroll mean to you? I see the big difference we make in people’s lives, particularly during the current financial turmoil. Payroll has changed so much over the years, and more responsibility has been devolved to us, which has made our industry integral to the success of our organisations. n
14 | Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | April 2024 | Issue 99
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