COMPLIANCE
Can you provide details of any issues, needs or gaps identified within your organisation which have kicked off payroll projects? My very first exposure to payroll project work / management was when the organisation I worked for acquired a new company, and we needed to move the payroll for an EMEA country with 200 employees from a local payroll vendor across to the regional payroll provider. I had no idea where to start and the timeline was very tight – we only had four months until we had to go live with the new payroll provider. The main steps were to: l identify the stakeholders involved l devise a timeline and make a note of key milestones l get all the necessary information from the old payroll provider, put it into the right format and send it to the new payroll provider l check and validate every piece of information and every report. Shortly after, I was involved in another project which involved merging more entities and payrolls, aiming to reduce administrative burden and cut costs in the long term. The reduction in the number of legal entities would provide enhanced visibility, allowing us to identify and eliminate more risks and to comply with complex global statutory and financial reporting requirements. When handled effectively, a legal entity rationalisation can lead to multiple benefits. These include, but aren’t limited to: l improved future profitability and financial results through better alignment with current business strategy l reduced administrative costs l reduced intercompany transactions l increased tax benefits and / or efficiencies l improved statutory reporting and compliance l increased transparency of payroll operations and financial reporting l a clarified risk profile of the legal entities.
Often, companies won’t hire a specialist project manager for payroll projects as tight deadlines can mean there’s insufficient time to hire someone. There may also be no budget available for additional recruitment. These can be factors as to why payroll professionals are brought onto project work. What challenges have you encountered during project work? The biggest challenges posed by payroll projects are dealing with tight timelines and managing change effectively. This is especially true when there are multiple departments and stakeholders involved. Communication is key in making any type of project a success, as this can be instrumental in gaining employee buy-in and ironing out resistance to change. Resistance to change will be familiar to most managers who have introduced new ways of working to an organisation. However, viewing change resistance as an opportunity rather than a challenge can help in creating strategies to overcome any opposition. One concrete strategy here is to invite the people who are resistant to the proposed changes on to the project team. This will mean they feel listened to and empowered, so that they end up supporting the change as opposed to resisting it. “Payroll project work is one of the most exciting parts of the job” Can you provide any general tips on how to handle a payroll project? Payroll professionals must have soft skills, and mostly, these come with experience. Payroll is evolving quickly, as lots of companies are adopting new systems and technology, while also streamlining processes. For this to happen, payroll professionals need skills relating to project management, time management and change management, on top of the core payroll skills and knowledge. Can you provide any hints regarding change management and tight deadlines? Effective change management involves
both employees and stakeholders, actively bringing them along on the change process, and addressing any concerns they may have, while providing clear communication. This significantly improves the chances of any changes being successfully implemented. The stakeholders involved in the project must understand the need for change and fully support it. They must develop a detailed plan outlining the specific steps, timelines, resources and responsibilities needed to successfully implement the proposed change. One of the frequent struggles I’ve seen has been the lack of resource needed to support the change. Historically, I’ve had to simply ‘make do’ with what we had available and maintain a positive attitude. Other challenges posed by change management include: l resistance to change l a lack of communication, transparency and / or collaboration l unrealistic expectations. Time management is critical in payroll project management. My personal approach includes scheduling an hour a day to spend on project work, completing the tasks set up within my project tracker file. I review all outstanding tasks and deal with each according to their level of priority. During this time, I also send reminders to any third parties and stakeholders involved, and set tasks for my team, while reminding them of the relevant deadlines. Deadlines are crucial in achieving a successful outcome. Payroll professionals are accustomed to deadlines for the purposes of daily payroll operations, so this should come as second nature to them. What’s your key takeaway from being involved in payroll project work? Payroll project work is one of the most exciting parts of the job. It isn’t stress-free, as you must deal with deadlines and understand how to manage change, but I think it’s an enriching experience. It influences and improves your decision-making, problem solving, stakeholder management and technology skills. Having the privilege of being involved in payroll project work has given me more confidence in my abilities as both a manager and a payroll professional. It has encouraged me to think outside the box and on the spot, finding solutions more quickly. n
How did you get involved in project work?
As a payroll professional, it’s important I’m involved in any payroll-related projects. This is because those who work in payroll understand who the key stakeholders are and what the relevant legislation states. They also know where current faults and issues lie and how to make processes more efficient and accurate.
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 112 | July-August 2025
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