Mandar Naik
Head of Payroll at LKQ Euro Car Parts Ltd
Why did you become a member of the CIPP?
In February 2019, I became a CIPP member as part of the Foundation Degree for Payroll Management qualification degree.
How has this membership helped you in your career?
The membership has allowed me to nurture my abilities and skills as a payroll professional.
CIPP has encouraged me to execute my duties more effectively as Head of Payroll – UK and Ireland.
Has allowed me to put the knowledge that I gain on a regular basis, into practice within my workplace. Enabled my employer and the Payroll Department to gain recognition over the past year. Internally – across UK, Ireland and Europe. External - Global Payroll Association (GPA) nomination and CIPP’s Payroll Assurance Scheme Accreditation to LKQ Euro Car Parts.
Can you describe in 3 words what your CIPP membership means to you?
Empowering, Strength, Identity and Pride
What is/has been your favourite/most useful benefit of your membership and why?
Quite a lot of them, however a few stated below:
- CIPP’s Professional Magazine – allows me to keep myself and the team updated with everything that’s going on in the world of payroll on a monthly basis. Reading this magazine in detail, highlights queries from all payrollers that CIPP’s Advisors answer in their Q&A section, along with articles on Compliance, Upcoming/Proposed legislative changes, Pensions news, Cautioning employers and many more…
- Advisory service – This I’m sure might certainly be one of the favourite benefits of CIPP membership! Having someone to speak to, that can guide and point you towards the right direction, when in doubt or before you implement any changes within your company, its just fantastic! At times, one needs to just bounce off some ideas and who better to speak to than CIPP’s advisors. Especially 2020, wherein there have been so many CJRS updates, advisory service has been at the forefront to guide all members through the transition
- Frequent/Daily Newsletters – I personally eagerly wait for these daily CIPP Newsletter. These newsletters most certainly keeps all payroll professionals (including myself) be well prepared in advance with any forthcoming changes following any recent announcements by HMRC or anyone else. Any news announced that can impact us is then discussed during our next team call that enables knowledge is shared and relevant steps can be taken to capture these changes accurately.
What course have you studied/are you currently studying?
I’m currently pursuing Foundation Degree in Payroll Management and by March 2021 I’ll submit my last Work Based Project assignment.
In addition, have also completed two courses: Gender Pay Gap, CEO Pay Ratio
Can you describe your payroll career/journey to us so far?
I completed Master’s in Human Resource Management (MA-HRM) affiliated by CIPD in 2010. Started working as Payroll Coordinator in 2011 and was then promoted to Payroll Manager in 2013. Due to business requirements, I was then moved into HR role focusing on Business Partnering in 2016. Since July 2018, I’ve been Head the Payroll Department – UK and Ireland now.
Since becoming a CIPP member in Feb 2019 and enrolling myself to the Foundation Degree in Payroll Management, I’ve been nominated for Global awards in 2019 and 2020 and CIPP PAS accreditation for my employer, all within less than 2 years.
CIPP’s course and qualifications has given me the platform that I needed to develop my professional career and has effectively bridged the gap I had for around 4 years within my payroll career.
How did you first get into payroll?
As all payrollers would say, you just ‘fall into’ payroll.. I’d like to think I was one of them too. I always tend to say that Payroll becomes quite emotional especially on payday. I think having robust methodologies to deal with human emotions and resolving them, allowed me to explore and love payroll. For anyone that’s wondering what’s payroll about, I’d like to say that if you have a passion towards, providing services to employees (come what may), payroll is your career. #bepayroll
CIPP and their qualified trainers helped me immensely in gaining payroll knowledge in less than 2 years itself and each month, my confidence just kept increasing (it still does..)
How has studying this qualification/training course helped you in your career so far?
Immensely! As one might notice, in Feb 2019, I only commenced with my membership and here we are in less than 2 years I have achieved:
2019 – GPA nomination for Payroll Manager
2020 – GPA nomination for Payroll Manager
2020 – CIPP Payroll Assurance Scheme (PAS) Accreditation to LKQ Euro Car Parts
In addition, I’ve also ensured that not just me, but the team and the company benefit from my qualification and training courses such as Gender Pay Gap and CEO Pay Ratio
I’ll also be ensuring that 2 more subordinates within my team are CIPP members within the next few months too to give them the similar platform too.
What advice do you have for someone who is thinking of studying a qualification with us?
Most important quality one should have is - Passion towards Payroll!
Whilst studying and each time you complete a module workshop, tutorial, assignment completion, you can most certainly notice that your confidence level gets stronger and stronger. This includes while dealing with pay queries, audits, discussing with key stakeholders within the business too such as Directors, HR and Finance Heads, CEO, CFO, Fleet and many more…
CIPP’s qualification are designed to ensure, you become an effective Payroll Manager. It changes the way one thinks and one’s ideas automatically becomes more strategic than just what one would learn in day-to-day payroll. All of these aids in benefiting yourself and the company too.
Dedicating yourself completely and having a good well-balanced schedule between your professional and educational life must be your top priority whilst perusing the qualification.
Lastly, I’m sincerely THANKFUL (and always will be) to CIPP for nurturing my knowledge to develop myself as an individual and a payroll professional. If it wouldn’t have been for CIPP, I wouldn’t be what I am today 2 years ago. To everyone out there thinking of become a Payroll Professional, CIPP is what you need! Trust me.
