A lot goes into running a business, whether you’re just starting off or have been at it for years. One of the chief tasks involved in keeping any business afloat is managing payroll.
Employees have to get paid, but the laws of various places disagree on how much they need to get paid. This can be a lot to keep track of, especially if you’re running an international business.
That’s why one of the best investments you can make is hiring a payroll director. Their job is to manage the pay of a company’s workers, freeing you up to focus on other aspects of management.
So, how do you find a good payroll director? Are there any specific traits you should look for? The answer to that is yes.
There are actually a few things you should keep an eye out for, and we’ll outline some of them below.
1. Skill with Numbers
The most obvious qualification for a payroll director is having an understanding of math and numbers. Between overtime, part-time, unpaid vacations, and all the other ins and outs of a typical workplace, things can get pretty confusing.
It should be noted that the math itself isn’t the main issue as much as time is. Most of the math will consist of addition and multiplication and other things you’ve probably learned before high school.
The bigger issue is time management. The more employees you have, the more numbers there are to crunch. And it needs to get done for every pay cycle.
2. Communication
Whether they’re talking to customer or employees, payroll directors need to be able to connect. In some cases, and especially if your company is international, you’ll need to find someone who speaks multiple languages, or at least is willing to learn other languages.
If you’re running a company that operates in several different countries, it might make sense to hire several different payroll directors, or a larger payroll staff, to help oversee everything.
3. Laws
Aside from numbers, a payroll director is also going to need to know the laws involving working conditions and pay rate. Again, the larger your business, the more complicated this is going to get.
For this reason, it might be a good idea to ask applicants about legal situations and how they would deal with them.
4. Experience
While it’s true everyone has to start somewhere, you may want an experienced payroll director. The great thing about experience is that it lets you know the potential employee will, to a large degree, know what they’re doing.
Thus, many of the concepts you may have to explain to an amateur won’t be necessary for them. The downside is that more experienced workers tend to demand higher salaries.
5. Technology
It’s the 21st century and computers have revolutionized the way we do everything. Payroll is no exception, so it’s a good idea to ask about technology when interviewing applicants.
Do they use software? What kind of software do they use? Are they competent with others?
Could they change systems if they had to? How good are they with computers in general?
You can even find a payroll service online, which pretty much guarantees that they’re familiar with computers.
How to Hire a Payroll Director
Payroll directors fill an essential roll in every company, so you’ll need to know which ones can handle the work. They need to be familiar with numbers, laws and computers, at least to an extent.
You may even need to find one who speaks several languages. At the end of the day, it all boils down to knowing your company and what’s best for it.
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