I am personally inspired by people that get things done, make processes more efficient, produce more with less and provide customer service excellence, particularly when under pressure. And also those who influence the long-held beliefs of others for the better, through sheer will and determination.
When I first started working in the payroll industry around 20 years ago, there was a negative overtone coming from some payroll departments. I heard things like “Nobody appreciates what we do”, “Poor old us, we should be more respected than we are.”
Whilst these sentiments may have been justified, lamenting the position of the victim has never been an effective agent of change.
The problem with this is you get what you pitch for. Your colleagues pick up on this vibe, and the payroll team is tiptoed around for fear of upsetting them, and they end up being treated in exactly the same way that they are bemoaning.
So if we want the payroll profession to be seen differently, we need to start thinking differently. We need to let our colleagues and our employers know that payroll can add tangible value to an organisation. While our number one priority will always be to ensure staff are paid correctly and in a timely manner, the payroll profession can deliver so much more to the business operations than the traditional payroll processing function.
A payroll operation that is running best practice payroll delivery is providing business intelligence to the management team, allowing them to make informed decisions. They are providing employees with useful information, allowing them to more effectively manage their finances.
An effective payroll team also understands how technology can be applied to the function to provide seamless processes, low risk and credible data to all stakeholders.
Our clients who are operating their payroll department in this manner do not identify with being victims, being unappreciated or ignored. They are a vital part of the management team who are sought out when evidence and information is required to successfully manage a business.
They are heralded as payroll professionals who positively affect employee morale, effective communication and the financial bottom line.
And rightly so.
If you have any questions regarding this please feel free to contact me at tracy@austpayroll.com.au.
Tracy is the founder and chief executive officer at the Australian Payroll Association and the director of Payroll HQ.
