REWARD
Max van der Klis-Busink MCIPP, Owner, Passion For Payroll, DJs his way through the year that was 2025 in payroll, sharing the ‘greatest hits’ of the pay professions
F or pay professionals, wherever in the world, there “ Ain’t no mountain high enough .” I’ve travelled the globe over the years, across Poland, Ireland, England and the United States. We speak a universal language: the rhythm of payroll. We share a true passion for our craft and a relentless commitment to deliver. We share a rhythm – a song, if you will. So, let’s turn up the volume, look back at our challenges and achievements and cast an eye toward 2026. Because if one thing’s certain, it’s this: payroll never stops. As the great Freddie Mercury once said: “The show must go on.” We aren’t ‘ Forever young ’ Let’s face it – and I say this with love, not malice – payroll is an ageing profession. We’ve built incredible expertise over decades, but the average payroll team today is stacked with people who’ve been doing this since before cloud computing was a thing (me included). That’s both a blessing and a risk. A blessing, because the depth of knowledge is astounding, we can spot an error in a tax calculation from three metres away. A risk, because we’re not seeing enough new talent coming in to learn from us before we retire. If we don’t tackle this head-on, we’ll wake up one day and realise we’ve lost a generation of hard-earned wisdom. And no bot is going to magically fill that gap overnight. We need to raise our profession as a go-to career for young people who bring fresh perspective. Digital natives, with purpose. And what better purpose than keeping the world paid, feeding Governments with a wealth of data and supporting global business growth? We need to rally around the #ChoosePayroll movement and make our profession visible. While initiatives have started, we need to level up. I’m in. Will you meet me and the CIPP? As Snow Patrol would say: “Just say yes.” Tech hype vs. spreadsheet reality We’ve all been serenaded with sweet promises of artificial intelligence (AI), application programming interfaces, machine learning and seamless automation. And yes, we’re starting to see benefits.
But during my travels this year, I’ve asked a simple question: “Next to your email, dear payroll friend, what else do you have open?” Guess what? It’s spreadsheets. Reality is a mixtape. So, while we’re singing “I’m walking on sunshine” about AI, many of us are still neck-deep in macros from the Stone Age. We shouldn’t be afraid of what awaits us in 2026, when AI becomes part of our daily work. We need to be adaptable. Ready to rethink, unlearn and use our experience to evolve. This is how we gain organisational credibility and elevate our core deliverables: payments, payslips and filings. No, AI won’t replace us. But if we ignore it, we risk becoming irrelevant. Come on up. Rise to the challenge. AI needs our actual intelligence. And we likely need AI to unlock our full potential. To payroll providers reading this - go beyond slide decks plastered with “AI” buzzwords. Work with us. Co-create actual use cases which address our day-to-day struggles. Don’t let us become “ Dust in the wind. ” “Artificial intelligence needs our actual intelligence” ‘Welcome to the jungle’ Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, once said, "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man." That’s payroll. Every cycle is different. New legislation shows up too frequently, and that’s okay, it always has. But please, just involve us earlier and give a heads-up. Thankfully, Governments are starting to recognise the critical role of payroll thanks to efforts from organisations like the CIPP, The Netherlands Institute for Registry Payroll Accounting (NIRPA), PayrollOrg in the United States and The Association for Payroll Specialists (TAPS) in Australia. Every new Bill, updated tax threshold or legislation change is an opportunity, not a burden. Let’s embrace this complexity as a gift (okay, we’ll still
moan about it sometimes). But we can use it to demonstrate agility, add value and increase relevance. ‘A sky full of stars’ We don’t want to be the ones ducking away from the camera at a concert, for the wrong reasons. In fact, we shouldn’t duck and run at all. We should step into the spotlight and embrace our leadership role. But what skills do we need? The fundamentals will never change: l understand compliance l know your data l deliver accurate, timely payroll. But to elevate our role, we must go further, so be a status quo breaker. I hate the phrase, "We’ve always done it this way." That’s so 1990s. Let’s constantly challenge ourselves and encourage our teams to come up with ideas that have no box at all, and aren’t just ‘outside the box’. It’s scary, but essential. We must evolve. We must also develop business acumen. Why do human resources and finance get seats at the table? Because they made themselves business-critical. Payroll can do the same. Understand how your work affects the bottom line. Leverage your data to provide insights which matter. ‘Don’t stop believin’ Payroll is more than just a (very large!) line item on the profit and loss statement. It’s a global, local, complex, strategic force powered by extraordinary people like you. So, thank you for every:
l payslip double-checked l compliance crisis averted
l time you explained gross-to-net for the millionth time without throwing your keyboard out the window. We’re not just getting people paid. We’re building trust, shaping business decisions and helping the world move forward. So, here’s my first track for 2026: ‘ Simply the best’ , because that’s exactly what our profession is. Wishing you a brilliant festive season and an even brighter 2026. Thank you for being you. n
You can read more about Passion For Payroll here: https://ow.ly/Ouvg50XrByb.
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 116 | December 2025 - January 2026
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