The payroll process is a pretty important system in a company. Employees want to be paid correctly and on time, and from a company standpoint it’s important that proper records and financials are maintained. Payroll can be a beast, even for small to medium-sized companies and it may just be the biggest headache your business has right now. So, what’s the solution?
There are a few ways that you can make payroll smoother and more seamless for your company, thereby alleviating the issues that are currently plaguing the business.
Hire Dedicated Payroll Staff
The first tip is to hire dedicated payroll staff. Small companies, in particular, are often guilty of passing off this responsibility on someone who already has several other duties outside of payroll. Because payroll is so important and can be time-consuming, your business may have reached the point where dedicated staff is necessary. That doesn’t mean you need a payroll department; it may just be one employee that is in charge of it.
Make Sure the Staff is Well-Trained
If you’re going to hire dedicated payroll staff, you also need to provide them with ample training. Throwing people into a new role and expecting things to work without issues isn’t realistic. And keep in mind, training isn’t usually a one-time thing; it should be ongoing. Each time new elements, software, tools, or processes are added, training needs to happen again. Even training as a refresher is a good idea.
Use the Right Kind of System
The tools, software, technology, and system you use will also have a huge impact on how smoothly payroll operates. What may have been okay when you first launched your company is no longer adequate. A company needs change, technology evolves, and it’s important to stay abreast of these developments. If you’re shopping around for new payroll software you want to be sure that it’s easy to use, simplifies the process, speeds up the process, and eliminates the odds of mistakes being made. It should also be possible to integrate it with other software being used.
Get Rid of Paper Systems
For those companies still using paper payroll processes, it’s time to embrace the future and switch to paperless. This will instantly streamline the process, eliminating redundancies and confusion. This includes things such as timesheets, paper pay stubs, paychecks and so forth. Moving to an entirely digital and paperless format will prove to be one of the best changes possible.
Sync the Pay Schedules
If you currently have different pay schedules for different employees (full-time vs part-time) or different departments, this adds an unnecessary amount of work and confusion. Instead, look to sync all schedules.
Taking the Confusion and Stress Out of Payroll
Payroll can cause a fair amount of confusion and stress, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. There is no need to accept it as a reality, however, as there are simple solutions you can embrace that will ensure it is smoother and more seamless. Change shouldn’t be scary and, in this case, it can make a huge, positive impact.
