5 Ways to Help Your Payroll Service Help You
A professional payroll service will do a lot to save your small business time and money while also ensuring employees have the smoothest possible payroll experience. But how can you help them help you? Here are five important improvements or changes you can make to help your payroll provider.
Automate Time and Attendance
Automated time and attendance systems help payroll in two ways. First, less manual data entry means fewer errors that must be corrected during or after payroll processing. Second, this will allow you to need less time to gather payroll data, and your provider will get more time to do their part properly.
Unify Payroll Procedures
If you have both hourly and salary employees, commission employees, management, and seasonal workers, ensure that everyone uses the same methods and follows the same procedures. The more unity there is in your processes, the easier time your employees will have to put together what you need. Instructions will be made much clearer, which allows the payroll company to know what to expect, when, and why.
Lengthen Time Periods
How often do you pay employees, and how long do you allow between deadlines and steps? Spread out the due dates between all stages of payroll in order to allow everyone to get their parts done on time and have more room to fix errors. If you're on a weekly pay schedule, consider doing biweekly or semi-monthly instead. And allow at least several days between due dates before payday.
Embrace Self-Service
Does your provider offer any self-service features? These modern systems, where employees can do simple tasks, like changing their address or their W-4 information, will help take the work off the payroll service's and your shoulders. It also means more employees' data will stay updated, resulting in checks that arrive where, when, and how they're supposed to.
Communicate Well
The payroll service is your partner in the job for keeping employees happy and your bottom line profitable. Treat them as trusted allies and communicate well. Make sure the service providers know who to contact with any questions and that they are always available. Reply promptly to questions or concerns. Listen to recommendations about how your system operates, and be proactive about asking for suggestions to improve.
Want more tips for making the work easier for your professional payroll company? Meet with a payroll services provider in your area today. Together, you can design a process that works best for everyone and results in a smooth payroll month after month. Make an appointment today to get started.