RICHARD MALONEY

A people-focused career

“What drew me to payroll was the people side of it. It’s a function that connects you with clients on a regular basis.

Unlike other areas where interaction might be less frequent, payroll is ongoing. You’re dealing with clients every week or every month, and I’ve always enjoyed that level of connection.

It keeps the role interesting. You’re not just delivering a service, you’re building relationships over time because we’re interacting with clients so frequently.”

Experience and consistency

“Having worked in payroll for over 30 years, I’ve seen every aspect of it, from basic processing through to more complex payroll taxation and regulatory changes.

Payroll evolves every year, whether through Budget changes or new legislation. That means you need to stay current and make sure clients are kept informed and compliant.

My experience allows me to guide clients through changes in a way that’s practical and clear.”

Getting it right matters

“At its core, payroll comes down to getting people paid correctly and on time. It sounds straightforward, but there’s a lot behind that.

There are multiple moving parts, deadlines and compliance requirements. If something goes wrong, it’s immediately visible. Employees can lose trust if they are not paid on time.

That’s why consistency and attention to detail are so important and why outsourcing to a payroll specialist is becoming increasingly popular. When payroll is running properly, business owners can get on with other aspects of the business.”

Working closely with clients

“For me, building a strong relationship starts with understanding the client and how their business operates day to day.

It’s about having open communication and making sure expectations are clear from the outset. Once that’s in place, you can build trust and deliver consistently.

Clients want to know that their payroll is being handled properly, and that they can get in touch if they need to or if an employee has a specific requirement or question.”

Delivering when it matters most

“One of the biggest challenges was during COVID-19, when there was constant change and uncertainty.

Despite that, the priority didn’t change. Employees still needed to be paid on time, and clients needed support navigating new requirements.

It reinforced how important payroll is, particularly when businesses are under pressure.”

A practical approach to problem solving

“In payroll, challenges come up all the time. Deadlines can be tight, information can change, and clients can have very specific requirements.

The approach is always to find a way through it. With experience, you’ve usually seen something similar before, so it’s about applying that knowledge and working towards a solution.

Even in difficult situations, the focus stays the same, making sure payroll is delivered correctly and on time.”

Looking ahead

“Payroll will continue to evolve, particularly with new regulations coming through. Pension auto-enrolment or MyFutureFund is a good example of that.

We invested a lot of time preparing for it, making sure we understood the detail before it came into effect. That preparation made a real difference to us and for our clients.

Being part of a wider organisation is a huge benefit. There’s access to specialists across different areas of regulation and compliance, which means we’re not working in isolation and can draw on broader expertise when needed.”