FEATURE TOPIC
This issue, Jerome spoke to: l Ian Hodson MSc ChFCIPPdip , director of people and culture, Housing 21 l Maria Mason MCIPPdip , partner, business services and outsourcing, payroll, BDO l Clare Warrington MSc FCIPPdip AFHEA , head of payroll and human resource (HR) administration services, Culina.
Which skills do payroll professionals need to develop to progress the ‘data-driven’ agenda many organisations are aspiring to? Ian Hodson: As payroll professionals, we come from a background of being around numbers, balancing and reconciling. However, using data in a more transformative than operational sense is a skill which doesn’t always come naturally and may need some additional development support. The ability to conduct data analysis and cross-sectionalise sets of data to drill down into identifying trends is important, as it means those trends can be visualised for others, using presentation tools and data platforms. Payroll colleagues also need to be able to identify which statistics will make the strongest point to the audience, as we can often lose clarity through presenting too much and lessening the impact. In addition, we must adapt a continuous improvement approach to data presentation and be horizon-scanning for tools and software which will support analysing and presenting data. A final point to note is the ability to be structured and organised in terms of data organisation and storage. We often wish to compare and analyse the present point in time with those in the past, and it’s vital we structure data records in a controlled way that will allow this. Maria Mason: From pay, benefits and hours to recruitment and retention, payroll teams already own most of the key data required by businesses to help drive growth and deliver value. At the same time, organisations acknowledge the vital business insight and value that payroll teams and data can drive. Often, however, the reporting we provide is delivered after a payroll has been processed and staff have been paid, leaving little room for the business to make meaningful change. For payroll professionals to truly shape decision making, we need to foster the skills and technology to deliver improved,
influence strategy and decision making? IH: The main difference between operational reporting data to influencing through data is the ability to write the narrative around the data. For professionals, report writing is again a skill to be developed, along with structured templates which can show a considered proposal, discussion or commentary to the data being presented. Having standard templates within the department that consider analysis in respect of equality, alignment to organisational strategy and financial implications will help form behaviours to influence decisions and change. It also helps if, as part of the data-driven reporting, professionals are clear on what decisions they’re asking to make, what impact we can expect to see and how it can be measured. MM: Seeing beyond the operational standpoint to deliver strategic value comes from a broader understanding of the business objectives and a robust and enquiring mindset to rethink the data-led insights. The key to this is collaboration across objectives, plans and data. By working with other departments, payroll professionals have an opportunity to feed into and shape reporting, also offering strategic insight and forward-looking perspectives, using past data to inform future progress. Payroll teams need to find improved reporting methods to deliver analysis which is aligned to the business strategies. Reporting needs to be aligned with C-suite priorities and supported with the right software and tools to deliver the insights required. By providing more real- time reporting – which can be achieved through good workforce management software or through increased processing cycles through payroll software – payroll departments can start to drive key information for the business, ensuring payroll’s profile is raised. CW: Payroll professionals need to focus more on reporting tools which are easy to use and produce real-
real-time reporting, at the point data is collated, enabling businesses to make impactful, real-time decisions in a timely manner. We also need to improve the way we deliver efficient and effective communication and reporting to the C-suite. With the right software and tools, payroll departments can deliver the analytics needed and begin to talk the language those in the C-suite understand. Payroll is evolving, becoming less entrenched in process and more concerned with innovation, strategic thinking and data management. In time, all payroll departments will benefit from platforms that incorporate artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation and self-service functionality, so it’s hugely important that payroll professionals are open minded and embrace analytics and technology. Clare Warrington: Payroll will need to be experienced in Excel and reporting to pull out data into dashboards and key performance indicators, which can be used to drive the organisation’s agenda and empower managers in making decisions. Professionals need to ensure they keep up with the changing technology and the latest methods of dashboard delivery, as we’ve seen these platforms develop and change over the last few years. “Payroll is pivotal to all organisations, and payroll professionals have the benefit of liaising with most How do payroll departments make the transition from producing operational reports to providing data which can areas of the business, particularly finance and human resources”
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 95 | November 2023
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