Considerations during the switch
So, you’ve chosen a provider. Now it’s time to think about the switching process.
Some of this will be out of your control – which is why it’s crucial to ask any questions upfront as part of your selection process.
Hopefully you’ve chosen a provider who prides themselves on a simple, stress-free switch, and you’ve verified this with some good references from recently onboarded customers. To help things along at your end, here are some key considerations to ensure your switch goes smoothly.
Switching to a new system will affect different employees to varying degrees. Day-to-day users of the system will need regular communication and support. To gain their buy-in, explain why you’re switching and the benefits it will bring. Also, tell them what support and training they can expect and who they can contact if they have questions.
You can ensure a positive employee experience across the business by communicating the change to them too. Announce when the new system will go live and drum up excitement – why not give them a sneak peek?!
Whilst your new payroll provider will be responsible for the bulk of the work associated with switching, you’ll be required to dedicate some time to the switch as well.
The main time-consuming task will be extracting your data. Ideally, your new provider will be able to help with this, making the data extraction a little easier. They should also help to manipulate the data into the correct format, so it will easily import into your new solution.
Make sure you’ve carefully considered when to switch. For instance, as you get close to payday and end of year, there’s always more work to do for the payroll team to make sure everyone is paid accurately and on time.
So, when switching to a new provider, avoid moving in a peak period. Most providers will allow for parallel payroll runs to mitigate the risk of errors on your first go-live pay run. This should help ensure a smooth switch.
Getting the payroll wrong, entering incorrect data and making erroneous payments can be costly! Think HMRC fines and employee morale. As such, it’s vital that day-to-day system users are fully trained. Not only will this reduce the risk of mistakes, it may uncover hidden product features that save time. Plus, a good payroll provider should give you advice that improves your payroll processes.
Further, for your employees, make sure user-guides or screen recordings on things like ‘how to access my payslip’ are readily available.
