At a recent GPA roundtable - sponsored by Ceridian - a host of industry leaders considered the question, How can Payroll become an influencer?
Our experts began by discussing the impact of COVID-19 and the exemplary response of Payroll professionals to the unprecedented pressure exerted on them. It was agreed that for a period of time, both within companies and externally via sites like Linkedin, there had been an increased level of recognition for the work that Payroll does.
GPA wondered whether the temporary recognition was a double-edged sword and, in particular, whether the unsung heroes label was unhelpful. There was a consensus that the industry had risen to the occasion and coped and reacted with the impact of the global pandemic extremely well despite the elevated risk caused by ever-changing parameters.
We determined that it was wrong to assume that other people - senior leadership or other areas of the business - understand the complexities of the operation we’re running and just how much hard work went into making sure “the plane stays in the sky” and ensuring that employees felt as little disruption as possible. Payroll professionals made the transition into remote working seamless and continued to supply the same accuracy and timeliness.
However, the danger of this is that our professionalism means we will be taken for granted until the next problem arises. This is the time to harness the recognition we have had and highlight the continuing challenges Payroll faces. One valuable suggestion was to be proactive and “beat the drum for payroll every month”, driving home to other departments everything we have worked at, overcome and achieved.
Openness and clear communication were recurring themes believed to play a role in the influence Payroll as a profession currently has and in the future changes we can help bring about. It was suggested that we can be more compelling in the way we present information and consider making the language we use more accessible.
On a micro-level - within businesses - our payroll leaders made positive gains once they put ‘faces to names’ by sharing achievements and creating profiles so that colleagues who had never met learned more about one another, across geographies, and felt they knew who they were reaching out to going forward. Payroll is a hub of information and intelligence and it is important to build networks and connections to capitalise on this.
Across departments, the importance of changing the dynamic to become part of the conversation from the outset was emphasised. Being privy to key information rather than playing catch up when errors occurred would be a change for the better. Participants in the roundtable had worked towards this by fostering an open door policy; encouraging people to come to Payroll for surgeries fostering learning, rather than solely to fix problems. And making Payroll a tangible part of the onboarding process to meet new starters and tell them what we do.
On the issue of putting payroll into a corporate shared service centre vs the innovation of making it its own department; we recognised that as automation continues to drive a change in the way we work, it is increasingly the knowledge held by payroll professionals which makes us influential. Automation will inevitably decrease payroll transaction work so our future is not transactional, the future of Payroll is expertise. As the evolution continues, we will no longer need payroll clerks, we will need to recruit subject matter exerts.
We can look to Sweden for their example of promoting excellence in Payroll by providing dedicated qualifications at Payroll colleges and offering starting pay at a higher level than accountants, for those who specialise. Specialist training will familiarise younger people entering the industry with processes that coming of age in the automation generation might otherwise keep from them. And on a macro-level, it would boost recognition and respect for Payroll.
Payroll needs a seat at the table before we can contribute to and influence bigger issues and communication plays a big part here too. Payroll is at the heart of so many data points that can help inform business decisions. We can make our value felt by pushing ourselves forward with an ongoing dialogue about our contribution and find the right channels of communication internally to get Payroll voices heard at the highest levels, in words that are clear to understand.
About Ceridian
At Ceridian, we create innovative technology that organisations around the world use to attract, develop, manage, and pay their people. Our award-winning Dayforce solution helps our customers manage compliance, make better decisions, build great teams, and drive engagement with their employees. Ceridian has solutions for organisations of all sizes.
Ceridian. Makes Work Life Better™
www.ceridian.com/uk
At a recent GPA roundtable - sponsored by Ceridian - a host of industry leaders considered the question, How can Payroll become an influencer?
Our experts began by discussing the impact of COVID-19 and the exemplary response of Payroll professionals to the unprecedented pressure exerted on them. It was agreed that for a period of time, both within companies and externally via sites like Linkedin, there had been an increased level of recognition for the work that Payroll does.
GPA wondered whether the temporary recognition was a double-edged sword and, in particular, whether the unsung heroes label was unhelpful. There was a consensus that the industry had risen to the occasion and coped and reacted with the impact of the global pandemic extremely well despite the elevated risk caused by ever-changing parameters.
We determined that it was wrong to assume that other people - senior leadership or other areas of the business - understand the complexities of the operation we’re running and just how much hard work went into making sure “the plane stays in the sky” and ensuring that employees felt as little disruption as possible. Payroll professionals made the transition into remote working seamless and continued to supply the same accuracy and timeliness.
However, the danger of this is that our professionalism means we will be taken for granted until the next problem arises. This is the time to harness the recognition we have had and highlight the continuing challenges Payroll faces. One valuable suggestion was to be proactive and “beat the drum for payroll every month”, driving home to other departments everything we have worked at, overcome and achieved.
Openness and clear communication were recurring themes believed to play a role in the influence Payroll as a profession currently has and in the future changes we can help bring about. It was suggested that we can be more compelling in the way we present information and consider making the language we use more accessible.
On a micro-level - within businesses - our payroll leaders made positive gains once they put ‘faces to names’ by sharing achievements and creating profiles so that colleagues who had never met learned more about one another, across geographies, and felt they knew who they were reaching out to going forward. Payroll is a hub of information and intelligence and it is important to build networks and connections to capitalise on this.
Across departments, the importance of changing the dynamic to become part of the conversation from the outset was emphasised. Being privy to key information rather than playing catch up when errors occurred would be a change for the better. Participants in the roundtable had worked towards this by fostering an open door policy; encouraging people to come to Payroll for surgeries fostering learning, rather than solely to fix problems. And making Payroll a tangible part of the onboarding process to meet new starters and tell them what we do.
On the issue of putting payroll into a corporate shared service centre vs the innovation of making it its own department; we recognised that as automation continues to drive a change in the way we work, it is increasingly the knowledge held by payroll professionals which makes us influential. Automation will inevitably decrease payroll transaction work so our future is not transactional, the future of Payroll is expertise. As the evolution continues, we will no longer need payroll clerks, we will need to recruit subject matter exerts.
We can look to Sweden for their example of promoting excellence in Payroll by providing dedicated qualifications at Payroll colleges and offering starting pay at a higher level than accountants, for those who specialise. Specialist training will familiarise younger people entering the industry with processes that coming of age in the automation generation might otherwise keep from them. And on a macro-level, it would boost recognition and respect for Payroll.
Payroll needs a seat at the table before we can contribute to and influence bigger issues and communication plays a big part here too. Payroll is at the heart of so many data points that can help inform business decisions. We can make our value felt by pushing ourselves forward with an ongoing dialogue about our contribution and find the right channels of communication internally to get Payroll voices heard at the highest levels, in words that are clear to understand.
About Ceridian
At Ceridian, we create innovative technology that organisations around the world use to attract, develop, manage, and pay their people. Our award-winning Dayforce solution helps our customers manage compliance, make better decisions, build great teams, and drive engagement with their employees. Ceridian has solutions for organisations of all sizes.
Ceridian. Makes Work Life Better™
www.ceridian.com/uk