Payroll administration is an essential function for every business. From issuing/distributing paychecks and maintaining tax compliance to calculating payroll deductions and garnishments, administrators wear several hats. If you own a business and are looking to staff your payroll department, here’s what you need to know.
What Do Payroll Administrators Do?
Depending on the size of a business, the payroll department may have one employee or a dedicated team, all with varying levels of experience and responsibilities.
Payroll Practitioner l (entry-level)
This entry level position is the grease that keeps the wheels of the payroll department rolling. They perform essential, yet routine duties.
Their responsibilities include:
- Maintaining employee/payroll records
- Auditing timekeeping records to ensure compliance
- Entering new hires into the payroll system
- Posting changes in pay and tax status
This is a great entry level job for a person who likes math and has basic accounting skills. At this level, they payroll admin is going to follow a playbook, the goal is to follow a set of procedures accurately and consistently, so look for someone who gets a sense of accomplishment from checking items off a list.
Payroll Practitioner ll (Intermediate)
If you’re looking for the Robin to your Batman, look no further. The Payroll Practitioner ll is your second in command. They perform a wide variety of record keeping and payroll processing activities. But like Robin, they still require general supervision.
Their responsibilities include:
- All Payroll Practitioner l responsibilities
- Computing wage and overtime payments
- Recording and calculating payroll deductions
- Processing requests for paycheck advances
- Processing terminations
Most intermediate payroll practitioners have 1 to 2 years of related experience and specific accounting, bookkeeping and payroll training in their toolbox.
Payroll Administrator (1-person Payroll Department)
If you’re not interested in a sidekick but rather a person who can completely take payroll duties off your hands then you’ll want to hire a Payroll Administrator. With 3 to 5 years of payroll experience and an associate degree or higher, they will be solely responsible for all payroll related activities.
These responsibilities include:
- All Payroll Practitioners l and ll responsibilities
- Processing one or more payrolls
- Filing tax and voluntary deduction reports
- Processing levies and garnishments
- Preparing accounting transactions and documents
- Documenting and updating procedures
- Preparing quarterly reports for management
A great payroll administrator can save you time, ensure compliance and pay your employees accurately and on time, but only if they have the technology and expertise to support them.
How Paycor Supports Payroll Departments
Payroll is critical to your business, but it’s only going to get more complex as your organization grows. Here are a few ways Paycor can help:
Simplified Payroll
Anyone who’s spent time in HR can tell you that payroll can be a time-consuming, overcomplicated task. But it doesn’t have to be! Paycor’s payroll software isn’t just easy-to-use, it’s a powerful tool that gives HR leaders time to focus on more strategic initiatives. So, stop wasting your time with haphazard spreadsheets and start paying your employees quickly and easily from the office, your car or from the comfort of your home.
Tax Compliance Assistance
Chances are you don’t have a dedicated tax expert in your payroll department. Without the right tax experts supporting your business, you could be vulnerable to costly penalties. Last year alone, the IRS reported a hefty $5 million in employment tax penalties as a result of misfiled paperwork and incorrect tax calculations (very common mistakes). With manual payroll processes in place, being hit with significant fines isn’t a question of “if”, but “when”.
To support your payroll department, Paycor has assembled a team of proven tax experts to assist you with payroll tax compliance and workers compensations. In just the last year, our tax team helped with more than 450,000 tax notices.
Employee Self-Service & Support
As a leader at your organization, we know that your time is extremely valuable. With employee self-service, we’ll reduce administrative processes and employee questions about tax forms, pay history and pay stubs. Our solution is designed to support your employees through direct deposit, paycards, 401(K) integrations, wage garnishments, e-child support and more.
Ready to take the next step?
Contact a member of our team so we can understand your business needs. Or take a self guided tour of our products to learn more about the benefits of payroll software.