GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE
67
Any payroll specialist can tell you how frustrating it is that the greatest ambition is to be invisible to employees and leadership because when the job is done perfectly, no one is interested in payroll. The three trends listed above have the opportunity to lift payroll out of obscurity and into the light. Q: In previous issues of 04:05 and through the GPA’s Phoenixed podcast we’ve looked in depth at payroll transformation - done right and very wrong - what is the recipe for a successful system migration? L: This is a great question! Ultimately payroll transformations are done wrong when they are compressed into unfeasible timeframes, and this typically happens when there is a lack of understanding of the complexity and risks of these projects. I see three phases that are particularly at risk: 1. Functional design: specifically, laying down and documenting the payroll calculation rules that are applicable to all impacted populations, writing them in a structured document and having them signed off by the payroll / HR lead. So many large organizations have a complex history of industrial relations and local/regional agreements that go back decades. These rules sometimes change from employee to employee. Knowledge about these rules can be hidden away in paper archives or – worse – in the heads of experienced payroll specialists
Improving the employee experience: employees experience payroll via their payslip but also through the multiple channels via which they interact with the company regarding their employment relationship. Technology has increasingly been adopted in this space to provide employees with a coherent set of tools that are accessible anytime, anywhere, allowing them to access services and obtain answers to queries. This “front end” combines interaction through technology (portals, apps, ticketing systems) and human interaction for “moments that matter” in order to give employees the best experience possible. Leveraging the power of data: This is an area in which so many companies have been experimenting, and in my mind, no one has found the magic bullet yet. It is clear to everyone though that payroll is one of the most relevant sources of information for any organization. Companies are combining this data with information sourced from production systems, time and attendance, employee performance, productivity and engagement and harnessing the power of big data analytics and AI to provide answers to business questions coming from the C-Suite.
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