FEATURE INSIGHT
reactions aren’t always good when you’ve worked on the same level and then they’re suddenly reporting into you. “You can sit down and explain the situation, that you have a job to do, that you might not always agree and that it’s nothing personal. They can agree on the surface, but the way they handle it in practice might not be so good.” Building respect as a leader is key to those challenges, according to Gibson, and that often means admitting when you’re in the wrong. She says: “One of the things I always say to my team is, ‘Look, I might be responsible for the decision making, but I’m a member of this team and I’m not always right.’ If I’m wrong, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and admit it.” Equally important is respecting your team and their knowledge. Gibson says: “Sometimes my team will put me back on the straight and narrow because I’m not as close to the nitty-gritty as they are. They can prevent me from making a huge faux pas sometimes. It’s about working through things together as a team.” Giving credit where it’s due and acknowledging good work is essential in building a culture of respect and ensuring employee engagement. Gibson explains: “People can go unnoticed even though they’re doing a great job, and while you’re dealing with issues you can take them for granted and forget to give them a pat on the back. But that acknowledgement can make the world of difference to them and motivate them for the future, whereas if they don’t get the recognition they deserve and become invisible then they’ll start to look elsewhere. “Also, if you don’t give praise where it’s due, their confidence can suffer, and they start to wonder whether they’re doing a
good job after all.” Of course, every function has its own set of unique challenges. So, what are the specific requirements of a payroll leader? “You need to be a logical person with a steady head but also try to think outside the box and think of the different scenarios,” says Gibson. “You need strong organisational skills and to be cool in a crisis, because you can come up against major obstacles like system faults. There are also challenges like regular staff absence. On top of that you need good analytical skills and to be a good problem solver. “ ...coping with the pressure is another essential leadership skill However, as well as the day-to-day running of the department, there is also the wider organisation and the function’s standing within it to consider. Gibson explains: “It’s important to be a payroll champion, as the work we do so often goes unrecognised. The payroll leader needs to constantly build relationships with internal facets within the organisation, reporting to finance, reporting to pensions, reporting to human resources [HR], and so on. Part of that relationship building is raising the awareness of the importance of the payroll function. “For example, I’ve been in a situation where HR has come to me and asked for certain reports because they are looking at implementing an integrated system. I’ve said I can go one better, and if they give payroll a place round the boardroom table for major decision-making, where
it belongs, not only can I produce the information, but I can also explain the analytics around it and the impact of what it is we’re aiming to do.” So, no pressure then! Actually, coping with the pressure is another essential leadership skill. “You can take too much on”, warns Gibson, who observes: “There are situations where you know something needs to be done and although you should delegate, it can be tempting to do it yourself, especially if it needs turning around quickly.” With the ubiquity of mobile devices and the ‘always on’ culture, there’s always the temptation to constantly check emails out of work hours, which, Gibson warns, can lead to burnout: “You can feel on duty 24 hours a day because you have to be available if there’s an emergency. It is a challenge, and you have to be disciplined.” Gibson points out that HR can be an added source of pressure, because there are a lot of devolved responsibilities: “You’re responsible for your new starter inductions, for return-to-work interviews, for staged return to work after absences, for one-to-ones, appraisals, personal development, processes and disciplinaries. You might be involved in a redundancy situation or a restructure. All of those things can be stressful, and not only have you got those, but you’ve got the day job to get on with as well! “Things can be ticking along quite nicely and suddenly there’s a challenge.” Not surprising, then, that Gibson says in summary: “Don’t believe anyone who tells you they find leadership easy. It’s far from easy!” n
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | November 2018 | Issue 45 42
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