Unsung Heroes: Are you showing your Payroll department the love they deserve?

by Conor Flynn, Digital Content Manager at CoreHR

Ask 10 business leaders what the most important function of their organisation is and you might well get 10 different answers, but what are the odds one of those answers will be ‘the Payroll Department?’

But when you think about it, Payroll is really at the heartbeat of every organisation. Sales, marketing, product, customer service, and many other areas are all absolutely crucial, of course, but if your people aren’t getting paid correctly and on time the walls will very quickly begin to crumble!

So are you showing your Payroll people the love they really deserve? Here’s a gentle reminder about just why your Payroll department are the unsung heroes of your organisation.

They make sure everyone gets paid

First things first, it sounds obvious but it’s worth repeating; without an effective Payroll department all the wonderful efforts of the people throughout your organisation will be for naught. Payroll mistakes, inaccuracies or errors impact your people where it matters most – in their pocket. Your employees may well be a patient lot, but too much funny business with their pay cheques and they’ll be making a beeline for the nearest exit.

The overall satisfaction of your employees owes a lot to the hard work of your Payroll department.

They help drive employee engagement

That being said, there’s a lot more to Payroll than just processing the pay cheques. A modern Payroll department can play a central role in empowering and engaging your employees, if you give it the scope to do so.

If your organisation is stuck using old methods, manually filling out forms and using time-consuming, outdated systems then you’re not getting the most from Payroll, nor are you giving Payroll personnel the opportunity to shine.

But by embracing modern Payroll software, your Payroll department can transform from a purely administrative function into one that plays a key role in putting employee engagement high on the agenda. Mobile tools that give employees anytime, anywhere access to their payslips and important documents, gamification, and increased flexibility are all the things today’s employees are looking for, and your Payroll department can give it to them.

They’re multitaskers

Managers often talk about needing their staff to be able to multitask, without really putting much thought into exactly what that means. Is it managing multiple deadlines? Dealing with a wide variety of people? Switching between a variety of roles?

In the case of Payroll professionals, it’s all of that and more. Working in Payroll means juggling a huge amount of deadlines, managing large volumes of queries from employees, working on multiple projects at any one time, and doing it all without interfering with timely Payroll processing. Payroll employees are true multitaskers, and they deserve to be appreciated for it.

Showing your love

Of course, you may already be a huge fan of your Payroll team and know just what heroes they are. In that case, how do you show your love for them? There’s a virtually never-ending list of employee benefits you can, and perhaps already do, offer – all fantastic ways to attract great talent and show your people that they’re appreciated.

But that’s likely company-wide, what about Payroll on its own? That’s more about how you prioritise the Payroll department, the kinds of resources you give them, and the opportunities you give the team to show you what they can do.

Those working in Payroll often get mired down in painstaking admin tasks, when they may be much better utilised looking at the bigger picture and contributing to strategy and growth. Modern HR and Payroll software can automate many older manual processes, giving your employees the time and flexibility they need to make such contributions.

A pat on the back here and a ‘Well Done’ email there are good ways to show your Payroll people that they’re appreciated, but give them the chance to grow and make meaningful contributions and they’ll really feel loved.

About the author
Conor Flynn is a blogger and content creator at CoreHR, where he covers everything from emerging industry trends to the latest in HR technology. He loves a well-crafted headline, a clever tweet, a well-placed stat and a good dose of engrossing copy. Follow Conor’s latest writing at the CoreHR Blog.