Noel McLaughlin, Payroll Officer, AIB Group
When did I join...
I joined AIB Payroll Department in 1999 to conclude the handover of staff loans administration to Staff Business in First Trust Bank and AIB (GB). After a successful conclusion, I was asked to join the payroll team in November 2000.
What payrolls are involved...
I have seen several changes to our department and team structures and currently work as part of a team of 16 staff members within HR Shared Services.
We deal with payrolls for AIB RoI, GB and First Trust Bank. In total there is approximately 18,000 staff on our weekly and monthly payrolls which equates to the production of approx 27,000 payslips and the running of 25 payrolls per month. Active AIB monthly staff receive their payslips online.
What I like about my job...
There are many difficulties and complexities involved in administering our payroll function which require high standards of delivery, good attention to detail and an ability to multi-task. These are requirements which I enjoy and have an aptitude for and because of this was promoted to my current role in 2002.
Another area which makes my job enjoyable and rewarding is the appreciation you receive on a daily basis from staff members and management. We ensure that all customer issues and queries are dealt with in a timely and satisfactory manner. This is reflected in daily compliments received from customers and dependant AIB business units, our Total Quality Management year to date rolling average of 99.65% and our Voice of The Customer survey results which showed a satisfaction level of 84.09% for 2010. One of the highlights of my payroll career was receiving the national Payroll Employee of the Year award in 2007 from IPASS in their annual awards. Receiving this external recognition was very rewarding.
What my job involves...
Under the key result areas of customers, business, team and development my role includes the following:
- Maintainance of our ISO 9001:2008 high quality standard across our operations as ISO co-ordinator. Our current certification is valid until 2012.
- Managing the processing of AVCs for Pensions Dept and Taxable Benefit files for Group Taxation through payroll. This is particularly demanding at end of year.
- Preparation of our monthly schedule and working closely with the team to ensure every deadline is met in line with compliance, regulatory standards, business and customer requirements. This involves staying late on occasion to finish payroll runs as is always the case, for example, in December when staff need to be paid both early and accurately for Christmas.
- Managing the staff Transfer & Removals process in liaison with HR Business Partners.
- Managing our UK / RoI Assignees' monthly and annual National Insurance returns.
- Managing the UK P11D end of year process which runs from February to July. This involves liaising closely with Group Taxation and FTB Staff Business Unit.
- Completing staff Performance Reviews.
- Participating in suitable courses facilitated internally and externally by organisations such as IPASS.
Why I would recommend payroll as a career...
Payroll is complex and challenging. It produces great teams with high morale and spirit. It is rewarding when you get it right for so many customers as evidenced by 'quiet' paydays.
It is nice to be able to calculate and understand every figure on your payslip and be able to help others with this. Payroll operators have the ability to work for any business.
