Training in Payroll Dept.

Kayla Warren, ADP National Accounts

Training improves job performance, motivates employees, raises quality scores and retains employees says Kayla Warren, senior account manager with Automatic Data Processing, Inc. Three components needed to succeed in payroll are education, training, and development. Training for a current job is the short-term process. Developing skills and knowledge to perform job tasks is the long term process for training.

Education can be acquired through APA courses, PayTrain, resources from BNA and other reputable information providers, and from some APA guides. Education is the medium-term process which gives employees the knowledge and skill for their next job.

The payroll position is an important job with compliance and liability issues and without training a lot of key information will go unnoticed. Software training is very important. Often venders have software training classes and can provide on or off-site training. Another option is for payroll departments to send one person to class for training and have the trained employee train others in the department. Soft skills training is needed for time management, stress management, customer service, and conflict resolution.

Training is job enrichment, according to Warren. Higher-level employees should take advanced APA courses, obtain CPP certification, supervision skills and especially project management skills training BEFORE the project starts. After education is development.

Development is a long-term process and takes preparation for multiple jobs over time. Management skills, presentation skills, communication skills, negotiation skills and team building are key skills in employee development. Warren said to especially develop presentation skills regardless of how many people will be present to see one. Mentoring helps to pair employees with newly learned skills with employees who have experience in the field. “The best mentoring programs allow learners to spend most of their time doing the work not simply observing the work,” Warren said. It was suggested that the payroll department team up with the training department to create a relationship. Another good relationship is to have is a mentor in HR and payroll or a buddy in benefits. These mentors can share knowledge with you. But you should first establish your training needs.

The last two important factors are strategy and budget. It helps to have a strategy to get a budget—ask for 10-20 percent over the amount needed. Warren believes that if you have a plan, you have a 98 percent chance of succeeding.

By Brigitta Robinson