Outsourcing your payroll requirements can bring many benefits, and eliminate the need for a costly payroll department, altogether. Easing the pressure of getting all employees paid accurately and on time, outsourcing can quickly prove a worthwhile investment, but only if you carefully select the right company. Here are a few points to consider when searching for a payroll provider:
What should you expect from their customer service?
Communicating with your chosen payroll provider should be easy and stressless, and you should always be able to get hold of them when you need them. Don’t forget to ask whether you’ll have your own dedicated account manager or access to a support team.
Is the payroll software they’re using, effective?
While you may never need to interact with the software your chosen payroll provider uses, it still pays to have an understanding of its capabilities. Ask about their security assurances related to the software, and whether there will be any extra costs for software upgrades.
Can you easily access the payroll reporting capabilities?
Again, you may not frequently need to access the information held within the payroll system, but there may be occasions when you’ll need to, so knowing how easy it is to run, what level of flexibility and detail the software offers, and whether it enables you to take advantage of real-time analytics, can be useful.
How experienced is the payroll provider?
How long the payroll provider has been operating for, and what experience does it has in your sector and across a range of industries, are important questions to ask, and if they have everything you’re looking for, they won’t be reticent to share it with you. Client feedback and testimonials can also give you a reliable insight into their track record.
Can they cope with complex payrolls?
It’s always helpful for payroll software to be flexible and tailored, especially if your company has a high level of complexity, so check whether your chosen payroll provider has the ability to cope with your business’s payroll demands.
How will the payroll transition be managed?
Once you’ve shortlisted a payroll provider, you’ll want to find out everything you can about the implementation process, and who exactly you will be liaising with. Can they give you any guidance about effective communications with employees and managers in your company to help them come on board, and knowing what training will be available is important, too.
With just a few simple but thorough checks, you can find a reliable payroll provider to help you keep on top of all your employee commitments, and keep your business running smoothly.