FEATURE TOPIC
What is a good strategy for building an effective professional network? Andrew McAulay: You need to be proactive in building an effective network. Reach out to other payroll professionals and be willing to talk about your experiences, share knowledge and tips and ask questions. Be open to trying lots of different ways of networking, such as breakfast seminars, CIPP events, software partner events, LinkedIn or conferences. Be willing to engage with professionals from a broad array of companies / industries / sectors and different work experiences. Also, encourage others to join in too; the more people you can network with, the stronger the network will be! Karen Beckett: For me, a good strategy is to be open to all possibilities. You can find good connections in some of the most unlikely situations or with someone you thought you didn’t / wouldn’t have anything in common with. For example, working within the NHS, I wouldn’t have initially considered having links with the global payroll world. In fact, I have a number of connections with people working in that environment, and we have a lot in common and are able to share our experiences and support each other with problem solving. It’s worth taking a step back and remembering that payroll and reward in any environment faces the same challenges, even if the detail is not exactly the same. You can learn a lot from everyone working in the payroll and reward world. Maria Mason: It is important to build a diverse professional network, both within your business and externally, to enable you to continually develop your own skill set and expertise while maintaining a strong understanding of the payroll market / industry. Building an effective professional network is crucial for career growth and opportunities, and there are some simple strategies to help you: l be genuine and approachable. Authenticity attracts genuine connections. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and listen actively l keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. Follow payroll and industry leaders to stay informed about changes. Engage with posts by sharing your knowledge and insights l attend conferences, webinars and seminars. They are great for meeting people in your field and expanding your knowledge and network l follow up with your network regularly.
Send a short message or email sharing an insight or following up after a meeting l be willing to assist others without expecting immediate returns. Relationships take time to build l join professional groups and bodies like the CIPP. They offer a wealth of expertise and opportunities to participate in relevant payroll forums and discussions l seek a mentor. There are great mentors in the payroll industry who can guide you and offer career advice. Sarah Smith: I became a member of the CIPP when I started studying for the Foundation Degree in Payroll Management. I look back with what I know now and I honestly can’t believe what I missed out on. I didn’t take advantage of any of the benefits and I didn’t attend any events. Now I’m part of the policy team and going to face-to-face events is my favourite part. I had no idea how amazing the payroll community is and that there are so many other professionals with the same passion. The amount of knowledge in one room is scary at times, but everyone is always willing to share tips and best practices. Yes, it’s great to build a network on LinkedIn to celebrate and support each other, but there’s nothing like getting to know someone and looking forward to a catch-up at the next event. “You need to be proactive in building an effective network. Reach out to other payroll professionals and be willing to talk about your Which soft skills and behaviour should professionals develop to support building effective relationships? AM: Payroll relies heavily on our relationships with other teams, as a lot of our data comes from our human resources (HR) partners, and we provide a lot of data to our finance partners, so making sure those relationships are strong is a key part of a payroll department’s success. The soft skills I would recommend are being a good and effective experiences, share knowledge and tips and ask questions”
listener, so you better understand the needs of others. Try to be positive so payroll is included in discussions early, as we are then seen as a proactive, positive and helpful team, effectively supporting the business and other teams. Also, be proactive, go out to other areas to see how things are working. Understand if there are areas that can be improved (both ways) and where payroll can help. Always look at process improvements and bring other teams into that process, so they better understand payroll and how we can work better together. Be a clear communicator so that you consistently get your message across successfully. KB: The obvious one is communication. Being a good listener as well as being able to share information effectively are key skills for all payroll and reward professionals. Other essential skills are respect and understanding. Respect is essential as this shows that you want to learn from others. Everyone in the profession offers different skills and knowledge. Without each one in the many areas of payroll and reward, the profession would not be able to function effectively. Likewise, understanding that each person has different expertise and knowledge helps to broaden your own understanding of the profession. Payroll and reward are complex; you need to be able to draw on people’s expertise as one person cannot know everything about pay and reward. MM: By developing your soft skills and behaviours you can build strong, effective relationships that contribute to a positive and productive work environment. Key skills that will ensure you are seen as a great all-rounder and payroll leader include: l communication: actively listen and pay attention to what others are saying. Show that you understand and respond thoughtfully. Be clear and to the point to avoid misunderstandings. Show empathy and share the feelings of others to build trust and rapport l collaboration: teamwork is key – strive to work well with others, share responsibilities and support your colleagues. Be open to new ideas and adaptable to change l professionalism: reliability is crucial for payroll. Always be dependable and follow through on commitments. Act with honesty and uphold strong moral
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 107 | February 2025
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