01 October 2024
National Payroll Week last month was a much-deserved celebration of the dedicated professionals who keep the world of work running smoothly – in other words, you! Jerome Smail, freelance journalist, spoke to members of the payroll industry to discover what drives their passion for payroll and why they take pride in their essential role within the business landscape
This issue, Jerome spoke to:
Rob Evans MCIPP, head of payroll UK & Ireland, TMF Group
Jessica Garcia, manager, national payroll / business services & outsourcing, BDO
Elham Madahzadeh Zaroghi, payroll administrator, Historic England
Jeanette Mosedale MCIPP, payroll manager, Housing21
Clare Warrington MSc FCIPPdip AFHEA, CIPP chair
What has kept you working in payroll?
Rob Evans: I started / fell into payroll in 1980/81. I was an invoice clerk for a construction company called John Mowlem in a village outside of Stevenage call Knebworth (more famous for outside pop concerts in the late ’70s and ’80s). I was the youngest person in the office and the lady in the cashier’s office which handled the payroll for the workers on the building sites in the area left, so I got volunteered.
I very quickly found I enjoyed the work, especially the tight deadlines as all the employees were paid weekly and the work was all manual using tax tables and National Insurance tables, working out the denominations of notes and coins needed to make up the pay, then putting the pay into the envelopes.
So, from falling into the role, I fell in love with payroll.
I have worked on or managed payrolls for most of the London boroughs, Hertfordshire County Council, the Supreme Court of the UK, the Civil Service, housing associations, schools, colleges, large retail clients, hospitality, telecoms, banks and finance institutions and legal companies.
I also have done every job in payroll from processing payrolls, onboarding new clients and building their payroll and service, helping the sales process, completing tender documentation, demonstrating the service, setting up an outsourced payroll company, finding and moving the teams to new offices and implementing new software.
I have also made so many friends in payroll who remain friends today and have people who have worked for me who still send thank you messages for helping them on their journey, congratulations on achievements or birthday and Christmas messages, even though we don’t see each other anymore as we have moved on.
Jessica Garcia: I fell into payroll, much like many others in the industry. After studying business management and moving from Spain to the UK with very basic English, I tried various jobs before landing my first payroll role with a recruitment agency. I quickly realised I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of payroll and the blend of technical skills, legislation and the human touch.
Joining BDO over six years ago, I found an inspiring group of payroll professionals who deepened my appreciation and admiration for the profession.
Elham Madahzadeh Zaroghi: Payroll is a really rewarding job! Every day, there’s something new to learn and to add to your knowledge. I enjoy working with numbers and payroll offers a sense of satisfaction in ensuring everything balances correctly. Also, communicating with people and helping them with their enquiries makes me happy!
Jeanette Mosedale: Although like most people I fell into payroll, once I was in it, I was happy to stay. There are a lot of challenges and even more so now with new legislation and, unlike people’s perception, we don’t just turn up, press a button and, hey presto, payroll is ready!
Clare Warrington: I started in payroll, then ‘wages’, when I left school on a youth training scheme (YTS) and at the time had no idea what payroll was all about. However, I loved it. I love the variety of work, and each day is different. It’s not just pressing buttons; it’s helping people, giving guidance and advice and making a difference to employee engagement in an organisation.
What keeps me in payroll is the wide range of career options you have, from payroll to human resources (HR) to benefits and rewards; there are so many directions you can progress in.
No two days are the same and that’s what makes it interesting, challenging and rewarding.
What makes you feel proud of the profession?
RE: The resilience of payroll staff: no matter what is thrown at us, we get the job done and normally with a smile on our face at the end of the day.
When Covid hit in 2020 I think payrollers came to the fore. There were almost hourly changes to the furlough scheme, but still we adapted and we got the UK paid. We worked long hours, there were ‘issues and tissues’, but we prevailed. We were made key workers, which is when I think the government finally realised payroll is important and we don’t have a magic button.
JG: Payroll professionals have been undervalued for a long time. We often hear quickly when something goes wrong, but rarely receive praise for processing a perfect payroll. Despite this, we continue to strive for perfection.
We are proud and meticulous professionals who understand the importance and impact of carrying out our roles to the best of our abilities, ensuring we are agile to the constant changes we face while facing challenges with a dynamic approach, utilising technology to gain efficiencies and mitigate risk.
EMZ: Payroll plays a vital role in the smooth operation of any organisation and in ensuring employee satisfaction through accurate and timely payment. I take pride in knowing that my work contributes to both important objectives.
JM: We are supporting people in ensuring they are paid correctly and on time. It’s fantastic when a colleague doesn’t understand their pay or their tax and I
can help them to understand and resolve their query.
CW: The dedication and commitment that payroll drives – working to strict deadlines in a pressurised and challenging role, but not stopping until the job is done and the Bacs files are sent.
Seeing the graduates each year on stage celebrating qualifications and achievements, knowing the hard work that’s been undertaken while often working in a full-time role.
What is the highlight of your career so far?
RE: Receiving Payroll Manager of the Year in 2014 and Payroll Team of the Year in 2017 from the CIPP were great personal achievements, along with being in the Reward 100, and now 300, every year. There was also being nominated for awards and winning Bureau Lead last year.
But the most pleasure I get is from receiving thank you messages from former colleagues for getting them started in payroll or helping them grow, as well as from clients who appreciate my efforts to deliver a first-class payroll service. Ultimately, we in payroll can impact a company or employee’s productivity, mental health and family life if we don’t do our job correctly, so we always need to be 100% on our game.
JG: Joining BDO and meeting Maria Mason has been the highlight of my career so far. Maria is the most inspirational payroll professional I’ve met and has become my mentor and friend over the past six years.
Being part of the change she’s driving at BDO and in the industry makes me very proud of the payroll profession. Her passion and ambition have inspired me, and I now see that hard work and dedication can take me as far as I want to go in this field.
EMZ: Every day in payroll presents new opportunities for learning and I never find it boring. The continuous growth and variety in the work have been the most rewarding aspect of my career.
JM: There have been many highlights but having an opportunity to work in Barcelona for eight weeks was really exciting, so not only working but being able to spend time in such a lovely city.
CW: Being elected to the CIPP board in 2020 by its members, then becoming chair in April 2023, has been the proudest moment of my career – being able to make a difference in the payroll profession and represent our members.
Also, looking back on my career starting on a YTS and the progress I have made to my role today as head of HR shared services.
How can payrollers develop their skill set and keep it relevant to the demands of the job?
JG: Being part of an industry that’s always changing and driven by legislation, it’s crucial to stay up to date. As payroll professionals, we need to be proactive with our learning. Fortunately, there are many free resources available, like Professional magazine and News Online, and HM Revenue and Customs’s free webinars.
Professional qualifications, such as the Payroll Technician Certificate or the Payroll Management Degree, are very useful. They not only improve payroll knowledge but also help professionals progress and stand out in the payroll field.
It’s also important to have payroll managers who mentor and share their knowledge with junior professionals, providing them with the tools to keep learning. Networking with other professionals and attending industry events are fun ways to stay current while meeting inspirational leaders who
can offer different perspectives and valuable insights.
EMZ: Continuous learning is essential in this career. CIPP training courses and learning from experienced colleagues are excellent for expanding your knowledge and skills. There are many resources available online for anyone dedicated to advancing in this field.
CW: Become a CIPP member and take advantage of the benefits available. Keep your knowledge up to date and relevant by attending training and update sessions, networking at the many events throughout the year and collaborating with like-minded people.
How would you encourage new people into our industry?
RE: Every company needs a payroll solution, whether internal or external, so for the foreseeable future the future is bright for payrollers to have a fantastic career. Payroll provides a great opportunity to learn about your ability to multitask, build a growth mindset attitude and organisational skills. Every day in the payroll world can be different.
Payroll was previously very much a transactional function and while this is still the case, with the improvement in tech it’s becoming so much more. For instance, a lot of the data a business needs to plan its future is within the payroll arena, such information in relation to the gender pay gap and future workforce costs.
Ultimately, you can be a key person in ensuring a business can deliver its core service aspirations; paying people correctly will keep them focused on the company’s main objectives.
Payroll is not just processing someone’s pay, it has many guises. Payroll professionals are the conductors of a business; everything comes off us. We set the beat and flow of the organisation. We are a key communication tool of a business, as well as controlling a vast array of the data a business needs.
JG: Payroll, like many other professions, has seen major changes in the past decade thanks to technology. However, it’s an industry that will always need payroll professionals to interpret information and provide that essential human touch.
Payroll offers a fascinating job with many different elements, making it suitable for a variety of people – from those who love numbers and Excel formulas to sociable professionals who enjoy building strong relationships.
Throughout my payroll career, I’ve found that payroll professionals are very supportive and approachable. They’re always ready to help, especially those new to the profession who are keen to start a career in payroll.
EMZ: I started my career in finance as a payroll administrator with Historic England one year ago and I am determined to continue in payroll because it’s highly rewarding. Knowing that what you do has a direct impact on people being paid accurately and on time is very fulfilling. Also, payroll is an essential function in any organisation, so there will always be job opportunities available.
JM: Payroll is not dull. There are many changes to come as companies explore ways of working, such as artificial intelligence and new benefit packages that attract the right people. Such changes often need scoping, with payroll being asked to contribute, especially where there is an impact on pay. It’s exciting to be involved in new projects and seeing them through to make a difference.
CW: A career in payroll has so much to offer and is very rewarding. There are many paths you can take and lots of opportunities to progress in your career.
This article featured in the October 2024 issue of Professional.