National payroll week highlights important skills for the profession
The role of a payroll professional is multi-faceted with communicating, collaborating and connecting at the core, according to the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA). The three Cs make up the theme of this year’s National Payroll Week, presented by the CPA, taking place across the country Sept. 13 to 17, 2010.
“Communicating, connecting and collaborating all have interconnectivity to them,” said Steven Van Alstine, vice-president, compliance programs and services at the CPA. “It’s about making the presence of payroll known within the organization in an effective manner as possible.”
Communicating
Communication is a very crucial part of the payroll professional’s job since they communicate on a daily basis with a wide range of individuals, said Van Alstine. Dealing with a person’s pay is a very sensitive issue and it helps to be a good communicator and to be aware of the audience you’re working with, he said.
Paying attention to more than just spoken communication will also help payroll professionals deal with employees, said Rhonda Scharf, owner of On the Right Track Training and Consulting in Manotick, Ont., and keynote speaker for National Payroll Week.
“People get very emotional when it comes to their money and we need to be aware that they are not necessarily speaking logically,” she said. “Listen to the tone, look beyond the words, read their body language and don’t jump to any conclusions. Make them feel valued.”
Collaborating
Collaborating means looking at the shared interests between payroll and other departments, not just each specific position, said Valerie Cade, author of Bully Free at Work and professional speaker who will be speaking across Canada during National Payroll Week.
“You have to figure out what’s important to the other person and appeal to their needs first,” she said. “Be the first to extend the olive branch.”
Working together with employees, managers, HR and other departments is an important part of payroll, said Scharf. Everyone needs to collaborate to make sure legislation is followed, time sheets get in on time and everyone gets what they need without stepping on anyone’s toes, she said.
“Payroll requires good collaboration in terms of dealing with internal and external stakeholders,” said Van Alstine. “They need to bring a payroll perspective into the many discussions they have with other bodies.”
Connecting
Connecting is really making a true connection with each person you deal with, said Scharf. They may be in foreclosure or be faced with other severe financial hardships and need your compassion, she said.
“It’s about not getting frustrated, realizing employees are people, not numbers, and have understanding for their situations,” she said. “Don’t pre-judge them or roll your eyes, really connect with them because payroll is more emotional than anything else in the workplace.”
Payroll doesn’t just have a “back room role” in an organization, and keeping connecting top of mind can show payroll is accessible, said Van Alstine. Payroll should seek to reach out to employees on a regular basis and stay connected with them. Knowing people’s personalities and how they work will help payroll professionals connect with them, said Cade.
“People are either relationship or task-based and fast or slow paced,” she said. “You should be able to modify your approach toward somebody in order to truly connect with them.”
National Payroll Week is a great way to raise awareness throughout an organization, said Van Alstine. Payroll can do things like puting a message on the pay statements about payroll week. Offering special activities — with cake, of course, to draw people in — can also help boost awareness, he said.
“Employees will get the chance to meet the members of the payroll department,” said Van Alstine. “That lends itself well to communicating, connecting and collaborating and it helps people recognize the role payroll plays in everyday life.”
Another idea is to have a questions campaign during payroll week, said Cade. Put up posters with “Did you know?” statements around the office and educate the staff. Payroll can also do some more creative things like “A day in the life of payroll” video and show it one day during payroll week with food and cupcakes, she said.
“The point of it all is awareness, but it has to be fun and palatable,” she said.
Payroll week is a great opportunity for payroll professionals to really take pride in what they do and reflect on their job, said Scharf.
“It’s an opportunity for payroll to really sit back and realize ‘This is my week, I have a great job and I’m proud of what I do,’” she said. “There’s secretary’s day and teacher’s day, but this is your week.”
It’s also a good time to think about goals and personal aspirations, getting involved with associations and looking into professional designations, said Scharf.
Having National Payroll Week every year is very important in raising the profile of payroll within the community, said Van Alstine.
“We know what we do internally, but this gets payroll outside of the department,” he said. “Payroll is responsible for $700 billion annually in wages and benefits, so outreach like this is critical in helping the role be recognized for the significance it has within every organization.”
