If you are struggling with your payroll, you are not alone. Getting employees paid on time and accurately is the backbone of any good business. That means there’s a lot of pressure to get it right and a lot of time involved. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Of course, you can choose software or systems that help you complete payroll yourself. That is an option for many but if you’ve already decided that a payroll company is your best option, then we have several features to look for as you're researching your options.
Here at PaydayHCM, we’ve been providing payroll and other business services since 1985. We have seen so many changes over the years but there are a few things that remain the same. We are going to share those with you and by the end of this article, you will know exactly what to look for in a Payroll company.
Your Payroll Company Should Be Responsive
Payroll is extremely time-sensitive, meaning everything needs to run like clockwork for your employees to get paid on time, every time. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always go as planned. When things come up, you want to have confidence that your payroll service company will be available at a moment's notice to help you with your issue. Time is money and the payroll company you choose should prioritize saving you both with rapid response times and expert knowledge.
Make sure to ask about response times and how customer service is provided when researching various payroll service providers.
Larger companies will often have a customer service department, rather than a personal contact. This is something to be aware of. If you want that personal touch, you should consider a smaller provider. Be sure to ask them about their response times as well. They should still be able to respond to you within 1 business day at most.
Your Payroll Company Should Provide Training
You and your employees will need training. I repeat, you will need training. Don’t be fooled by sleek-looking apps or programs. It doesn’t matter how intuitive or user-friendly they are, there are always issues, whether it’s the functionality of the software across devices or an urgent onboarding. You want assurance that someone will be there to help you when those issues arise.
Ask your potential payroll providers how they provide training and how frequently. Ask if they charge extra fees for any of their training. We do not recommend choosing a payroll company that charges additional fees for things that should be included, and we believe that training on the basic functions of the program you are implementing should be free.
If they provide free training, you should also inquire how the training gets implemented and how frequently. In-person training is an excellent benefit but not always available and not a great fit for every business. If they don’t provide in-person training, be sure they at least have some kind of self-study or online training.
You Should Have a Single Point of Contact
At Payday, we believe that if you are not simplifying things, you are wasting your time. Imagine choosing a payroll company and having the same issues you struggled with before, but now the cost is even higher.
You can avoid this. We recommend finding a payroll company that will have a single point of contact for you. One person to direct all your problems and questions to, who they get the answers from is not for you to have to worry about. They just need to be able to assure you that you will have personal contact with the same person each time.
Having a single point of contact helps simplify your payroll operations in so many ways. It means more personalized service because that single contact will learn about your business and specific needs over time. It means you save time by not having to chase down different contacts. Most importantly, it’s simpler. After all, your need for a simpler way is probably what brought you here in the first place.
Your Payroll Company Should Be Able to Grow With You
You may have come to this article because the business management systems you are using have piled up and are out of control. Once you start using multiple programs to handle your business, you become spread thin and mistakes are likely. Investigate the capabilities of each company you are vetting. Not only should they be able to handle all of the services that you currently need but they should also have the capacity to offer other services that you might need in the future as your business grows or your needs change.
What are some of the services you may need? The basics of a payroll company include payroll processing, tax calculation and filing, and time and attendance tracking. Beyond the basics, you can ask if they offer direct deposit, self-service portals, benefits administration, and HR integration. Those can all be great additions as your business grows or as you need to delegate tasks over time.
Your Payroll Company Should Be Secure
This is last on the list but that has no bearing on its importance. It is crucial that the company you choose takes security seriously. Trillions of dollars are lost to cybercrime around the world. Ask your potential payroll company what systems they have in place electronically to prevent cybercrime. In addition, ask them about the security of their physical facilities.
Cybercrime and scams are abundant and continuously evolving. Staying ahead of the latest threats takes a lot of time and effort. It’s something you shouldn’t have to do, but it is something that your payroll company should be invested in.
Ask your potential payroll service provider what they do to stay up to date on the latest cyber threats. Ask if they have examples of attempted cybercrime that they’ve encountered and how they handled it. This will be telling. Because there is so much cyber crime happening all the time, they should have at least one example they can give you of an instance they combatted it. If not, take that as a warning sign that their cyber security may not be up to snuff.
Look for Simplicity Moving Forward
Now that you have some knowledge and specific questions that you can ask, you will be able to make an educated decision on where to take your payroll needs. Remember, simplification is key. You probably came to this article because you’ve been feeling spread thin. Make sure that the company you choose also prioritizes simplicity and your time.
PaydayHCM has been focused on simplicity and saving clients time for more than 30 years. We pride ourselves on fast, personalized service. We are security-minded and offer many business services beyond payroll. As your needs grow, our services can match them.
Looking for more guidance? Check out this article for some great reasons to choose a combined benefits and payroll service. Need to talk to a real live expert? Then let’s get in touch!
