The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals

School leavers

Meet 17 year old Adam Harris who, with the help of CIPP qualifications and training, hopes to be working as a Payroll Manager in Australia in ten years time or sooner.

Adam sees a future in the profession and thinks other young people should definitely consider it “School leavers should be thinking about payroll as a career, it’s not boring as most people think and there is a lot of potential when looking to working abroad and earning a good salary”. When asked how he would describe his knowledge of payroll so far, he says interesting, challenging and enjoyable.

The profession of payroll has received, in the past, an unfair reputation of not being that exciting. This could not be further from the truth; Adam says the appeal with payroll is that it isn’t boring “There is so much more to payroll that meets the eye, it’s a challenging career because of all the government legislation. It’s not a job you can do plodding along, it’s demanding and you need to understand the changes so you can do the job properly”.

So why is 17 year old Adam so attracted to payroll? He knows where he wants to go and what he needs to achieve it, “I started working at the CIPP during half terms and at the time I was determined to have a career in engineering. I found out early on this wasn’t the career for me and I slowly became more interested in payroll. As I have always had an interest in maths I wanted to find out more, and the more I found out about payroll the more I want to do it”. With most 17 year olds not knowing what career path they will take at this stage, it’s refreshing to speak to one who has a clear direction and purpose. The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) encourage payroll professionals to lead the way within their profession with qualifications and training.

Adam understands that qualifications are key to getting him to where he wants to be “In five years time I hope to have an NVQ Level 3 in payroll and the Foundation Degree in Payroll Management, then I would like to start my Master’s Degree in Business and Payroll Management”.

Elaine Gibson is Associate Director of Payroll Qualifications at the CIPP, she believes that payroll is not only a service but a skilled profession which needs to be taken seriously and nurtured. Elaine says “The payroll department should be seen as a skilled area capable of providing up to date and accurate financial and demographic information”. Already Adam understands how important qualifications and CPD are to be successful in payroll and how capable it will make him. Elaine points out that “above all such education will ensure the individuals’ knowledge is up to date and learning does not stop after a qualification has been achieved”. This is an important point to remember with the dynamic nature of payroll, it would be more costly for a career of a payroll professional not to keep up to date with legislative changes.

So what are the main benefits of taking a payroll qualification? Elaine lists many such as individuals growing academically and professionally. There is also an ability to apply knowledge more effectively, bringing knowledge to colleagues and becoming more confident. Already having a set career path it’s hoped Adam will achieve his goals and excel, but how difficult will it be to work in payroll in Australia?

Not that difficult according to Frank Smits, Service Director at ADP he says there are endless opportunities when looking to work internationally, he says “As a result of the ever increasing globalisation of the business environment a career in payroll is no longer limited to just the UK.” This will come as good news to Adam and to younger people entering payroll, this exciting profession can take you over the world. So what qualities do payroll professionals need to succeed at this? Frank highlights that “…it is important to develop strong communication skills and process management skills as well a solid understanding of the cultural differences that exist across the globe.”

Frank goes onto highlight that “More and more UK companies now operate on a truly global basis and as result they have to pay their staff across the globe. A large number of these organisations nowadays utilise Shared Service Centres, global Outsourcing Providers, or global payroll platforms and this has opened a new career path for UK payroll professionals interested in global opportunities.”

To work in payroll individuals need passion, enthusiasm and an aptitude to learn. The CIPP is proud to have so many fantastic members who are so passionate about payroll and setting such a high standard for the profession. Knowing there is one more enthusiastic future payroll professional is pleasing news.