Workshop: Payroll and Human Resources as Partners

May 21, 2009

Speakers:
Ronald L. Moser, CPP, Supervisor, Human Resources, Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Schools
Sondra Dougherty, CPP, Director of Support Services, Orange County Department of Education

A Natural Partnership: Payroll and HR Working Together

Think of the payroll and human resources departments “as a marriage without the benefit of divorce,” Sondra Dougherty, CPP, director of support services for the Orange County Department of Education, said during a discussion about the advantages of creating a partnership between payroll and HR.

Dougherty and Ronald L. Moser, CPP, HR supervisor at Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Schools, said the main reason for a partnership is natural: the mission of  both departments is to take care of employees. This requires that they sometimes share information, which can cause apprehension, Moser said, so the departments need to build trust in each other.

When a partnership begins, payroll and HR need to “understand each other’s roles both professionally, functionally, and organizationally,” Moser said. This will help departments that may not realize there are more commonalities between them than some might think, he said. 

Involving others when building a partnership is a good first step, Moser said. Effecting change and exchanging ideas interdepartmentally can also help foster a partnership, he said. 

“In a perfect organization, communication and good partnering is going to start from the very top,” Dougherty said, although that is not always the case. Change can also come from the bottom or the middle, she said, adding that one should not wait to reach out to another department. A good way to involve either HR or payroll is to have “team meetings” where each department brings a topic or need and the departments can learn how to assist each other, she said. 

If payroll and HR employees can learn what it’s like to “walk a mile in each other’s shoes,” it can help them to understand each other and work together, Dougherty said.
Achieving a functioning partnership between payroll and HR will not be easy, Moser said, but it will aid in efficiency by reducing errors and ensure timely transactions. It also can streamline processes for both departments, which should lead to more satisfied customers: the employees.