Thriving and attractive isn’t often the first thing you might think of when talking about a career in payroll. The industry has often been looked at as the slightly boring but necessary cousin of HR and finance functions. However, I’m happy to see that is now beginning to change. With the help of organisations in the payroll industry and bodies like the Global Payroll Association and the CIPP, people are starting to wake up to what the industry can offer as a career. An exciting, stable and secure career choice.

Last month the payroll industry came together to celebrate National Payroll Week and I was reminded why I love this industry so much. A supportive, dynamic sector that appreciates its own value in helping businesses function in the best way possible.

Powerful payroll
If you’ve ever had an issue with pay, whether it’s been incorrect or not on time, you know the importance of having a strong and passionate team in payroll. Effective and accurate payroll has the power to unlock endless opportunities within a business, whether its growth in new markets or retaining the best talent. At the heart of these opportunities sits powerful payroll teams, responsible for keeping important cogs turning every month, and keeping employees happy and paid.

Working in the payroll industry means working for one of the most important industries in the country. Not only is it responsible for getting people paid correctly and on time, it’s also responsible for the collection of income tax and national insurance contributions for the UK Government – with £345 billion being paid to public funding every year. The industry is perhaps one of the most crucial functions to the running of a steady business and funding public departments.

Careers in payroll
If you ask many people in the payroll industry how they came to be in it, many will confess they ‘fell’ into their roles, but they’ll also mark how it’s been a fulfilling and exciting career move that they don’t regret.

As part of the new campaign ‘Payroll is a Career’ from the Global Payroll Association, we asked people across the business at ADP UK about their careers in payroll and what makes it an attractive career choice.

Job and career security is more important than ever before, throughout the pandemic and now in a cost-of-living crisis, a secure career choice is one of the most sought after attributes today’s workforce is looking for. Payroll can offer security in a way that many other industries can’t. Hayley Jacobs, Client Services Manager, ADP UK commented: “It is a secure career path – with lots of career progression opportunities. We are here to make sure employers and employers get the pay they deserve and have earned. You can start from just entering hours, to eventually moving up to manage the whole of payroll on your own.”

As Hayley mentioned, the possibilities are endless when it comes to payroll careers, with progression opportunities at every level. Professional development courses and qualifications keep the industry learning and moving, ensuring payroll professionals are up to date with the latest technology, compliance and legislation. “You end up with different opportunities and different challenges, constantly throughout the year,” says Amy A’Bear, Enterprise Sales Leader, ADP.

Join our thriving industry
There are many routes into a career in payroll, whether you’re taking your first steps in the working world, or considering a career change – the industry is made for hardworking, enthusiastic people, with great communication skills. The payroll workforce is full of talented and ambitious individuals, working in varied and dynamic roles, but many people associate payroll with numbers and think you need to be good at maths to succeed in the industry. In short, that’s not true. In fact, there’s loads of misconceptions of what jobs in the industry can look like, which makes it hard for people to realise the possible career opportunities.

Graham Wylie, Vice President of Marketing International, ADP UK, advice on starting out in payroll is: “Make sure you’re excited about the task in front of you. Secondly, think about the skills required – you don’t have to be good at maths, as there is a lot of software to do the analytics for you today. You do have to be organised and up for a challenge every month. Thirdly, speak to people who work in payroll and find out what the industry involves. There is such huge demand for talent, and therefore great opportunities to get started. At ADP, we have an Academy to bring people into the industry.”

Start now
Think a career in payroll might be for you? What are you waiting for! For more information on careers in payroll, visit the GPA’s Payroll is a Career website. For current open vacancies at ADP, go to: https://jobs.adp.com/locations/uk/