You have just about a month until National Payroll Week (Sept. 2-6). That means there’s still time to plan ways to raise awareness about this vital finance function.
Not only can you use this dedicated week to celebrate Payroll, you might also work to further some initiatives you’d been working on, such as increasing direct deposit participation.
It doesn’t have to be a Herculean effort or a major time drain.
We at CFO Daily News have put together a guide to get started so the first week in September is one to remember.
Step 1: Get the word out ahead of time
National Payroll Week begins long before that Monday morning. The idea is to generate some excitement. Start posting small signs around the building hinting that something special is coming the week of Sept. 2. You have the ultimate hook when Payroll’s involved: money.
Another option? Get everyone involved by having them complete a survey. The American Payroll Association has a “Getting Paid in America” survey, which you can either have employees complete as is (You’ll find the link at here) or you can customize it to fit your specific company and situation. Yes, that gets Payroll on people’s minds, but it may also give you some critical intel on your employees. (Maybe more of them would like their paystubs electronically – that’s valuable info to have.)
Contests are also great excitement-generators. Even something as simple as a “guess how many pennies are in the jar” can get people talking. Just be sure you’re bringing folks into the Payroll department to do it (not on payday, of course).
The key whichever you choose: That you don’t reveal the results or the winner until National Payroll Week.
Some departments even offer little “presents” during National Payroll Week to their internal customers (looking for ideas? Try these best practices).
Step 2: Make the week a mix of celebration and education
So you’ve planted a few seeds and now the big week has arrived.
It’s not going to be a 40-hour party (your staffers do have work to do after all). But you want to try and do a little something each day to mark the event.
The most successful weeks strike a balance between a celebration of your staffers and their hard work and an opportunity to help employees understand what Payroll does and clear any confusion folks may have.
As for the celebration, consider a mix of both department-wide and individual recognition. Yes, bringing in breakfast for your whole team will be greatly appreciated. But try, too, to recognize the individual contributions of each payroll staffer. Thinking about how each person enhances your department and what he or she would appreciate as far as recognition can make the praise go a long way.
Then give some thought as to how you’ll get the whole company involved.
You can share the results of your survey or announce the winner of your contest, for sure.
Another clever idea: Some payroll departments give all employees payday candy bars – “an extra payday from Payroll.”
But think about ways you can show how Payroll is a valuable resource for employees. You might, for example, set up an “Ask the Payroll Pro” panel so employees have a chance to bring up any of their payroll-related questions.
Another great topic to touch on that both celebrates Payroll and shows its value: financial fitness. There’s a slew of online tools that you might share with employees to help them maximize their paychecks. You can find many of them here.
It’s a great way to show everyone that Payroll – and Finance in general – is looking out for them.
