After 22 years working in payroll, across both military and civilian roles, I can honestly say that if I had the chance to go back and choose my career all over again, I would choose payroll. Every single time.
I’m proud to be part of the payroll profession, and I think it’s fantastic that we have National Payroll Week, a chance to stop, recognise and celebrate the people and the profession behind something that touches everyone.
Two decades of payroll, and I’d do it again
I’m fortunate to be Head of Payroll Services at Ascend, a role I genuinely love. I’m proud of the team around me and the way we live our values every day. The people I work with make what we do even more rewarding.
But what makes payroll special to me goes beyond the organisation I work for. It’s the payroll community.
It’s a network of people who are always willing to share knowledge, help each other, celebrate each other’s successes and lift one another up. Whether it’s acknowledging someone’s achievements, sharing experiences, supporting someone through a challenge or celebrating industry awards, there is a real sense that we’re all in this together.
And that is something worth celebrating.
Bringing the next generation into payroll
I hope we continue to encourage school and college leavers to see payroll as a genuine and rewarding career choice. There are so many routes in, from apprenticeships and graduate opportunities to learning on the job and building a career through professional development. Our own Maddison shared what that route looks like day-to-day, and it’s a great read for anyone weighing up their options.
Payroll is so much more than simply processing the pay. It’s technology, legislation, data, finance, people, problem-solving, compliance and communication, all at once.
And now, we have a new teammate
Just as other industries are embracing the opportunities that AI brings, I think it’s only right that payroll does too.
I don’t see AI as something to fear or as a replacement for our profession. I see it as a new teammate, something that can help us work smarter, question the way we do things and free us up to focus on what people do best.
People, technology, knowledge and collaboration, together, have the potential to take payroll to another level. And perhaps most importantly, I believe that combination can help us build new and exciting payroll careers, attract the next generation into our profession and raise the profile of payroll far beyond our own wonderful community.
Payroll, every single time
So, this National Payroll Week, I’m raising a glass (Baileys, one cube of ice) to 22 years in payroll, the amazing people I’ve met along the way, the team I have the privilege of working with today, and the future of our profession.
If I could choose again, it would be payroll, every single time. Happy National Payroll Week.
Want to talk payroll? Get in touch with the Ascend team or find out more about who we are.
