Feature insight - a good payroll professional
messages on the importance of saving in order to make it effective,” he says, adding that in this respect the team are responsible for helping people change and form better habits. Core skills The ability to calculate payroll manually is a fundamental skill which is often forgotten about, according to Pullar. “Often payroll professionals will hear the phrase ‘it’s just pushing a button’ and with software developments it is true that software makes payroll processing simpler, allowing more time for data analysis and payroll strategy development,” he says. “But what happens when that software goes wrong? Or when an employee is questioning their payslip and deductions? The payroll professional has to have the knowledge and skills to understand what the software has calculated and why to communicate to the employee.” Simone Booy, head of payroll services at The Church of England, has worked in payroll for around thirty years and also thinks this an essential quality for professionals to have. “As payroll and pensions are all about calculations a payroll or pensions person would benefit from having a mathematical approach and numeracy skills, this would greatly reduce potential manual errors and give a better understanding when completing manual calculations,” she says. However, there has been a change in the skills required to be a good payroll and pensions professional as other agendas such as technology and the need to be a good communicator of more complex legislative arrangements have changed how the role is delivered, according to Hodson. “We will never get away from the fact to deliver the operational aspects of the roles well you need to have a strength in being able to work accurately and efficiently; however, this skill also lends
quite often left to your own devices to ensure that everyone is paid accurately and on time. “Every so often there are cases within the media about payrollers, I won’t call them professionals, who have defrauded an organisation through ‘ghost’ employees,” says Pullar. “As a payroll professional, you should have the integrity to ensure that this does not happen within your organisation.” Karen Thomson, payroll director at Armstrong Watson, a firm of accountants, business and financial advisers, agrees that dedication and integrity are key personality traits that a good payroll or pensions professional must have. “Empathy also plays a part; remember the employee doesn’t always understand payroll, tax etc,” she says. “Supporting all your customers is key; employees and the employer.” Another key attribute linked to integrity is confidentiality since an individual’s pay is private and confidential, according to Booy. She says that regardless of the size of the salary or who the payroll is being run for, personal details should be securely stored, and payroll should not be discussed openly. Elaine Gibson, education director at CIPP, believes the skills required will depend upon the level of role they have responsibility for or aspire to, but in term of personality traits says “a good sense of humour, coupled with an excellent level of written and oral communications skills are vital to underpin the technical skills and knowledge required. “Professionals are not just calculating payroll which relies on excellent technical skills, some are leading teams and supporting organisational strategy. A payroll and/or pensions professional needs to be multifaceted to run or work within today’s busy environment. “An industry professional will need to be a well-rounded individual to include excellent technical skills and self- awareness. An individual’s traits can have a positive or negative impact and so self- awareness is vital so that you can gauge how your behaviour impacts on others.” Pullar also believes that time management is imperative in payroll and pensions due to the deadline driven nature of the role and the dependence on line managers and others within the organisation to submit information required in a timely manner.
itself to being able to numerically identify when something just doesn’t ‘feel’ right.” He adds that this is often overlooked but a skill that is desired to identify movement in data or trends can help detect errors and shape decisions. ...important to be honest and to have integrity, particularly within payroll... Professionals need to have a solid understanding and interest in legislation as well, since much of payroll revolves around this, pay as you earn (PAYE), National insurance contributions (NICs), pensions. “Legislation is constantly changing, and each year there is something new for employers to contend with,” explains Booy. “Organisations and workers rely on us to know about changes in advance and to ensure they are implemented.” The right attributes Payroll can be very rewarding, but it can also be frustrating because when someone’s pay is calculated incorrectly, it does not matter how the information was received or from whom, payroll will always be held accountable and will be expected to resolve any discrepancies, admits Booy. For this reason, someone going into the payroll field will need to be confident, approachable and understanding. Communication and timing are key, she says, and as the first port of call in a pay crisis, professionals must be prepared to deal with delicate matters. And to be successful in any profession it is also important to be honest and to have integrity, particularly within payroll, says Pullar. “You are the one person within the organisation who has access to every single employee’s personal data and details of their pay, and potentially other financial information depending on the benefits package offered,” he explains. “Everything within your role is entrusted to you in confidence, and it is essential for your success and for the wellbeing of the organisations employees that you do not break that confidence.” In addition, you are entrusted with an organisation’s biggest expenditure, and
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 39 | April 2018
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