The rise of the Payroll professional
The Payroll Advisory Co consists of a team of professionals who tackle the world of payroll and all the complexities within the industry. There’s an elephant in the room we want to address when it comes to representation of our sector. It's time to transition from referring to the professionals in the field as "superheroes" or "unicorns" and embrace the concept of the "payroll professional."
Here are some essential truths:
If your key payroll personnel are irreplaceable, unable to take leave, feeling undervalued, delivering subpar customer service, or hoarding critical business knowledge without transparency, it indicates poor business practices and a lack of business continuity. Moving away from this model is crucial.
The culture within your payroll team might be mired in an "operationally siloed victim" mentality, but it's time to change. This often stems from a lack of a professional framework, inadequate capacity and capability, or a misalignment of responsibilities. Understanding the end-to-end process and dependencies, focusing on compliance throughout all operational silos, and aligning the employee experience are critical.
Innovation is often hindered by disengagement and scepticism, and it requires a professional approach. It's not about finding unicorns or superheroes; it's about implementing change management plans and acknowledging that payroll systems in 2023 have limitations. Resistance to change and a lack of vision can lead to project failures.
To summarise, we want to encourage a shift towards recognising payroll as a true profession. Instead of seeking unicorns or superheroes to join your payroll team, take a more comprehensive approach to your payroll strategy. Just as no one describes their accounting or legal counsel in such terms, it may be time to consider a more professional perspective.
The Payroll Advisory Co is hopeful 2024 is the year when genuine payroll professionals can be confidently employed.