Competency framework

Supporting the organisation

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Manage Terms and Conditions

Apply the organisational policies for the payroll, understand the parameters for different types of employees

Recognise the payroll implications of different types of employees and work with others to draw up necessary organisational policies

Examine, comment and advise on the organisational policies which are in place, consider the implications of the different types of employment and report on the effects of strategic changes to these

Communicate with Others

Maintain communication channels as necessary

Open and maintain all necessary communications channels within and outside the organisation

Advise on the communication channels necessary between the payroll function and internal and external business

Manage Risk

Monitor regularly the relevant legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements and their implications for their area of responsibility, including the consequences of non-compliance

Regularly assess risks to health, safety and security using the results to promote and improve practice

Ensure there is support from key colleagues and other stakeholders for the assessments and evaluations of risks and the procedures used to mitigate them

Manage projects

Discuss and agree the key objectives and scope of the proposed project and the available resources with the project sponsor(s) and any key stakeholders

Assist in the implementation of the project plan

Apply to project sponsors to take responsibility for projects related to payroll

Development of the project plan

Effectively implement the project plan

Participate in or lead corporate projects unrelated to payroll and which would have organisational benefits to the employer

Effectively implement the project plan

Report/provide an update to project sponsors

Producing the payroll

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Operate the Payroll Cycle

Co-operate with the creation of the procedures, processes and policies which are designed to ensure payroll is produced in accordance with corporate needs

Create the procedures, processes and policies for the payroll cycle including a programme of continuous improvement

Ensure that there is a policy in place, agreed with colleagues on the senior management team, which sets out the procedures, processes and controls for ensuring compliance with standards and timetables

Provide innovation for improvement programmes

Assess Earnings, Benefits and Deductions

Establish a process by which payroll will implement organisational remuneration policy

Create the procedural policies necessary to implement organisational remuneration policy

Work with senior management and as part of a reward and remuneration team to create policies with regards to all aspects of employee reward and remuneration and related issues of tax-efficient reimbursement of expenses and benefits in kind

Make Absence and Specialist Adjustments

Implement corporate absence management policies and procedures as they apply to payroll, deal with any and all complex absence issues which are not appropriate below this level and ensure controls and checks are in place in respect of all payroll related absence entries

Create policies and procedures, which put into action corporate policies on absence management and administration

Agree on strategy with senior management in respect of absences, salary sacrifice arrangements and other complex employment pay and benefits in accordance with the prevalent legislation

Apply end of year procedures

Carry out the year-end process in so far as is required by the organisation

Ensure the year-end process is completed within corporate and statutory requirements and timescales

Work with the organisation's managers to devise and implement a corporate approach to year-end planning and how resources will be planned to enable the organisation to meet its responsibilities for completing all year-end activities

Managing Payroll Information Systems

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Operate and Control Payroll Systems and Practice

Maintain a sound payroll system whether it is through an in-house system, a payroll package or a payroll service provider

Understand the design of payroll systems and processes whether it is through an in-house system, a payroll package, payroll service provider or managed service provider

Ensure a sound payroll system is in existence whether it is through an in-house system, a payroll package or a payroll service provider/managed services provision

Actively define development proposals

Manage Technology

Recognise opportunities for introducing technology or using existing technology for different purposes 

Identify the approach(es) to and current use of technology within their organisation and any plans to discard or introduce technology or use existing technology for different purposes

Review the approach(es) to and current use of technology within their organisation and propose plans to discard or introduce technology or use existing technology for different purposes  

Scope and Design Software Requirements

Work with others to determine the requirements for their area from new systems / software

Clearly identify the changes required

Use the Information Systems Strategy to formulate the statement of requirements and clear documentation of changes

Ensure there is an up to date Information Systems Strategy

Define the strategy

Managing the Payroll Function

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Provide an Effective and Efficient Payroll Administration

Operate effective, efficient payroll systems, which feed into organisational Management Information Systems and meet audit and security standards

Devise effective, efficient payroll systems which draw on the supply of relevant, clear and unambiguous data from the organisation, produces prompt and accurate payments to employee and others and which feed into organisational Management Information Systems, meeting all audit and security standards

Confirm that effective, efficient payroll systems are in place to feed into organisational Management Information Systems and to meet audit and security standards

Manage Budgeted Resources

Provide information to and work with others to prepare a realistic budget for the respective area or activity of work

Evaluate available information and consult with others to prepare a realistic budget for the respective area or activity of work and submit for approval

Confirm their financial responsibilities, including the limits of their authority, with those to whom they report

Defining and agreement of budgetary proposals

Promote Payroll

Co-operate with the creation of procedures, processes and policies designed to promote the payroll function

Create the procedures, processes and policies to promote the activities of payroll within the organisation

Raise the profile of payroll internally within the organisation

Ensure that there is a policy translated into procedures and processes for promoting the activities of payroll within the organisation

Raise the profile of payroll internally and externally

Identify and Manage the Customer and Supplier

Put in place as required service level agreements with internal and external customers and suppliers

Review continually any and all service level agreements in place

Attendance at SLA meetings

Advise on any and all service level agreements in existence or to be put in place for both internal and external customer groups

Lead person for the payroll provider at SLA meetings with the ability to agree on changes and future developments

Managing the Payroll Staff

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Encourage Innovation

Motivate members of their team, including themselves, to identify ideas for new products and/or services and improvements

Establish and operate a fair and open method for considering and selecting initial ideas for further development

Ensure that there is a fair and open method for considering and selecting initial ideas for further development

Continual analysis of further development

Provide Leadership in their Area of Responsibility

Communicate the objectives and operational plans for their area to the people working within their area

Create a vision of where their area is going and clearly and enthusiastically communicate it, together with supportive objectives and operational plans, to the people working within their area

Create a vision of where their area is going and clearly and enthusiastically communicate it, together with supportive objectives and operational plans, to the people working within their area and recognised throughout the organisation

Recruit Staff in their Area of Responsibility

Manage an effective recruitment process and be actively be involved in the recruitment process

Manage an effective recruitment process and be the lead recruiter in the recruitment process

Manage an effective recruitment process within the agreed budget and provide authorisation for recruitment as necessary

Allocate and Monitor the Progress and Quality of Work in their Area of Responsibility

Confirm the work required in their area of responsibility with their manager and seek clarification, where necessary, on any outstanding points and issues

Work with the Payroll Manager to plan how the work will be undertaken, seeking views from people in their area of responsibility, identifying any priorities or critical

Confirm the work required in their area of responsibility with their team and their manager and seek clarification, where necessary, on any outstanding points and issues

Plan how the work will be undertaken, seeking views from people in their area of responsibility, identifying any priorities or critical

Confirm the work required in their area of responsibility and communicate this within the team

Approve plans ensuring they meet budgetary requirements

Provide Learning Opportunity for Colleagues

Promote the benefits of learning to the organisation and make sure that their willingness and efforts to learn are recognised and that formal support is given to continuing professional development activities

Promote the benefits of learning to the organisation and make sure that their willingness and efforts to learn are recognised and that formal support is given to continuing professional development activities

Provide guidance on courses available/appropriate

Promote the benefits of learning to the organisation and make sure that their willingness and efforts to learn are recognised and that formal support is given to continuing professional development activities

Provide budgetary approval for staff to attend courses as necessary

Manage Themselves and Their Development

Evaluate, at appropriate intervals, the current and future requirements of their work role-taking account of the vision and objectives of their organisation

CPD recording

Evaluate, at appropriate intervals, the current and future requirements of their work role-taking account of the vision and objectives of their organisation

CPD recording

Evaluate, at appropriate intervals, the current and future requirements of their work role-taking account of the vision and objectives of their organisation

CPD recording

Supporting the organisation

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Manage Terms and Conditions

Understand and apply the employer’s policies and key conditions as they relate to the member’s team.

Recognise the management implications of different types of employees and work with others to review and recommend amendments or new organisational policies

Examine, comment and advise on the organisational policies which are in place, consider the implications of the different types of employment and report on the effects of strategic changes to these

Communicate with Others

Maintain communication channels in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Listen to and understand the perspectives of others and, where appropriate, propose solutions.

Open and maintain all necessary communications channels within and outside of the organisation. Build on consensus and keep staff informed of new directives.

Promote and advise on the necessary communication channels, ensuring that sensitive information is protected.

Manage Risk

Monitor regularly the relevant legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements and their implications for their area of responsibility, including the consequences of non-compliance

Regularly assess risks to health, safety and security using the results to promote and improve practice

Ensure there is support from key colleagues and other stakeholders for the assessments and evaluations of risks and the procedures used to mitigate them

Manage projects

Discuss and agree on the key objectives and scope of the proposed project and the available resources with the project sponsor(s) and any key stakeholders

Assist in the implementation of the project plan

Apply to project sponsors to take responsibility for projects related to pensions

Development of the project plan

Effectively implement the project plan

Participate in or lead corporate projects unrelated to pensions and which would have organisational benefits to the employer

Effectively implement the project plan

Report/provide an update to project sponsors

Administering pensions

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Operate the Pensions Cycle

Co-operate with the creation of the procedures, processes and policies which are designed to ensure pensions is produced in scheme requirements and corporate needs

Create the procedures, processes and policies for the pensions cycle including a programme of continuous improvement.

Ensure that there is a policy in place, agreed with colleagues on the senior management team, which sets out the procedures, processes and controls for ensuring compliance with standards and timetables

Provide innovation for improvement programmes

Assess Earnings, Benefits and Deductions

Establish a process by which pensions will implement organisational remuneration policy

Create the procedural policies necessary to implement organisational remuneration policy

Work with senior management and as part of a reward and remuneration team to create policies with regard to all aspects of employee reward and remuneration and related issues of tax-efficient reimbursement of expenses and benefits in kind

Apply cyclical  end of scheme year procedures

Carry out the cyclical and scheme year-end process in so far as is required by the organisation

Ensure that cyclical and scheme year-end processes are completed within corporate and statutory requirements and timescales

Work with the organisation’s managers to devise and implement a corporate approach to cyclical and scheme year-end planning and how resources will be planned to enable the organisation to meet its responsibilities for completing all year-end activities

Ensure compliance

Operate within the required pension compliance and disclosure standards.

Review and ensure that compliance and disclosure standards are fully met.

Identify and understand disclosure and compliance standards, oversee their implementation and cascade understanding to relevant parts of the organisation.

Managing Pensions Information Systems

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Operate and Control Pensions Systems and Practice

Maintain a sound pensions administration whether it is via an in-house system or bureau.

Understand the design of systems and processes in terms of pensions administration.

Ensure that sound pensions systems or processes is in place.

Actively define development proposals

Manage Technology

Recognise opportunities for introducing technology or using existing technology for different purposes 

Identify the approach(es) to and current use of technology within their organisation and any plans to discard or introduce technology or use existing technology for different purposes

Review the approach(es) to and current use of technology within their organisation and propose plans to discard or introduce technology or use existing technology for different purposes  

Scope and Design Software Requirements

Work with others to determine the requirements for their area from new systems/software

Clearly identify the changes required

Use the Information Systems Strategy to formulate the statement of requirements and clear documentation of changes

Ensure there is an up to date Information Systems Strategy

Define the strategy

Managing the Pensions Function

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Provide Effective Efficient Pensions Administration

Operate effective, efficient pensions processes, which feed into organisational Management Information Systems and meet audit and security standards

Devise effective, efficient pensions systems which draw on the supply of relevant, clear and unambiguous data from the internal and external organisations, produces prompt and accurate record-keeping, calculations and, where appropriate, payments to the scheme member and others (thereby feeding into organisational Management Information Systems and meeting all audit and security standards).

Oversight ensuring that effective, efficient pensions systems are in place to deliver fit for purpose pensions management and that meeting audit and security standards and statutory and regulatory requirements.

Manage Budgeted Resources

Provide information to, and work with, others to prepare a realistic budget for the respective area or activity of work

Evaluate available information and consult with others to prepare a realistic budget for the respective area or activity of work and submit it for approval

Confirm their financial responsibilities, including the limits of their authority, with those to whom they report

Defining and agreeing of budgetary proposals

Promote Pensions

Co-operate with the creation of procedures, processes and policies designed to promote pensions.

Create the procedures, processes and policies to raise the profile pensions within organisations.

Ensure that there is a policy translated into procedures and processes for promoting pensions generally within organisations

Raise the profile of pensions administration internally and externally.

Identify and Manage the Customer and Suppliers

Put in place, as required, service level agreements with internal and external customers and suppliers

Review continually any and all service level agreements in place

Attendance at SLA meetings

Advise on any and all service level agreements in existence or to be put in place for both internal and external customer groups

Lead person for the pensions provision at SLA meetings with the ability to agree on changes and future developments

Managing the Pensions Staff

Competency

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Encourage Innovation

Motivate members of their team, including themselves, to identify ideas for new products and/or services and improvements

Establish and operate a fair and open method for considering and selecting initial ideas for further development

Ensure that there is a fair and open method for considering and selecting initial ideas for further development

Continual analysis of further development

Provide Leadership in their Area of Responsibility

Communicate the objectives and operational plans for their area to the people working within their area

Work with senior managers to create a vision of where their area is going and clearly and enthusiastically communicate it, together with supportive objectives and operational plans, to the people working within their area

Create a vision of where their area is going and clearly and enthusiastically communicate it, together with supportive objectives and operational plans, to the people working within their area and recognised throughout the organisation

Recruit Staff in their Area of Responsibility

Manage an effective recruitment process and be actively be involved in the recruitment process

Manage an effective recruitment process and be the lead recruiter in the recruitment process

Manage an effective recruitment process within the agreed budget and provide authorisation for recruitment as necessary

Allocate and Monitor the Progress and Quality of Work in their Area of Responsibility

Confirm the work required in their area of responsibility with their manager and seek clarification, where necessary, on any outstanding points and issues

Work with managers to plan how the work will be undertaken, seeking views from people in their area of responsibility, identifying any priorities or critical

Confirm the work required in their area of responsibility with their manager and seek clarification, where necessary, on any outstanding points and issues

Plan how the work will be undertaken, seeking views from people in their area of responsibility, identifying any priorities or critical

Approve plans ensuring they meet budgetary requirements

Provide Learning Opportunity for Colleagues

Promote the benefits of learning to the team and make sure that willingness and efforts to learn are recognised and that formal support is given to continuing professional development activities

Promote the benefits of learning to the team and make sure that willingness and efforts to learn are recognised and that formal support is given to continuing professional development activities

Provide guidance on courses available/appropriate

Promote the benefits of learning to the organisation and make sure that willingness and efforts to learn are recognised and that formal support is given to continuing professional development activities

Provide budgetary approval for staff to attend courses as necessary

Manage Themselves and Their Development

Evaluate, at appropriate intervals, the current and future requirements of their work role taking account of the vision and objectives of their organisation

CPD recording

Evaluate, at appropriate intervals, the current and future requirements of their work role taking account of the vision and objectives of the organisation

CPD recording

Evaluate, at appropriate intervals, the current and future requirements of their work role taking account of the vision and objectives of the organisation

CPD recording

Competence

Performance Levels

Customer focus

Commercial awareness

Results delivery

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Building experience to develop a full portfolio of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques required to operate at a “proficient” level in payroll and/or pensions administration

Demonstrates the core level of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques required to operate without supervision

Recognised as having substantial specialist knowledge and experience in the application of this competence

Customer focus

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Understanding customer requirements

Understands and checks customer needs and issues

Understands and helps to define customer requirements

Uses experience and awareness of other payroll solutions to inform, challenge, and define the scope of work

Acts as a communication channel with customer decision-makers

Managing customers

Understands and operates within the agreed procedures

Keeps customers up-to-date and informed

Acts promptly to resolve customer problems

Manages stakeholder expectations

Breaks down internal barriers to meet customer needs

Reviews and refines existing procedures to deliver a better quality service 

Sustaining customer    

relationships

Supports and develops positive team working behaviour with colleagues

Demonstrates skills in building consensus and resolving conflict

Manages processes to maximise the team’s decision-making potential

Adapts style to help others see alternatives not seen by them up to that point.

Commercial Awareness

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Influence and Impact

Structures arguments logically with supporting facts

Tailors approach to meet the specific concerns and requirements of others

Identifies who should be involved and when, and does preparatory work to get buy-in

Builds consensus to resolve conflict

Uses a range of approaches to win active support and commitment of the true decision-makers to a desired course of action

Enables others to address issues using approaches/perspectives which they would not normally follow

Communication

Listens actively to others and reflects what is said to ensure mutual understanding

Presents ideas effectively in one-to-one or group situations

Communicates with people at all levels and from varying backgrounds

Uses the most appropriate techniques and approaches to elicit necessary information

Uses experience and sensitivity to win over challenging customer groups.

Propose new ideas and development

Managing Others

Contributes significantly to group processes

Supports others and encourages positive behaviour in others

Manages group situations to move towards target outcomes

Uses others’ support to create delegated workflows

Secures agreement from groups in apparent conflict

Manages joint project teams from different corporate cultures

Results delivery

Associate Member

Full Member

Chartered Member

Achievement Drive

Works to meet goals set and deliver nature and quality of what is required for payroll/pensions administration service

Sets own goals and targets and seek feedback to improve own capability

Sets challenging goals for payroll/pensions function which reflect key priorities

Planning & Management

Plans and manages own time and ensures payroll/pension deliverables are completed within timescales and budget

Works in one or more stages of delivery

Competent use of payroll planning, appropriate for size and scale of different payroll/pension services

Manages customer effectively, meeting objectives, deadlines, budgets, through team members under own control

Reviews and advices on payroll/pension services plans

Advises on delivery design and implementation of payroll/pensions administration and management services

Managing Risk

Manages low risk/low complexity payrolls/pensions administration

Identifies and shares issues likely to impact on own performance and customer satisfaction

Pro-active in seeking advice on achievement phases in payroll/pensions delivery

Manages medium risk/high complexity payroll services/pensions administration

Identifies/quantifies and manages issues impacting on the delivery of a payroll/pensions administration and management

Manages high complexity payrolls/pensions administration and management involving substantial dialogue with internal/external customers

Quality assurance

Complies with government legislation, company and customer quality standards and processes

Constantly measures the quality of own deliverables in the context of team deliverables

Proven track record of meeting customer expectations

Disseminates customer feedback and satisfaction

Leads internal/external customer-partnered reviews of quality assurance

Increasing customer

confidence in payroll/pensions services

Demonstrates ability to explain benefits of payroll management to customers

Demonstrates ability to explain pensions administration and management to customers

Delivers evident and consistent value to customers in all payroll/pensions related services

Advises internal/external customers on long-term implications of payroll/pensions issues to their business goals