Simple Ways to Make In-house Payroll More Efficient and Well Organized

Processing your payroll in-house can be a complicated undertaking. However, with the right tools and technology, it doesn’t have to be. Here are five easy ways to streamline this process.

1. Offer transparency – Are your company policies for things like attendance, paid time off,and expense reimbursement overly complicated? If so, processing your payroll is likely overly complicated as well. By simplifying these policies and making them clear to employees, it eliminates confusion and simplifies the entire payroll process.  

2. Maintain organization – Payroll is one of those functions where being impeccably organized is key. Otherwise, your HR department will be in a constant cycle of scrambling at the end of every month. It’s helpful to maintain an internal calendar of critical deadlines that is easily accessible to all those with payroll processing responsibilities. This will help to keep your team organized and on track.

3. Digitize your process – Is your HR department overwhelmed with heaps of paper documents, receipts and pay stubs? If so, consider moving to a digital system. Store documents on your servers or in the cloud, offer direct deposit and digital pay stubs. This greatly simplifies payroll for your HR staff as well as your other employees.

4. Invest in technology – By making an upfront investment in a tool like Microsoft Dynamics GP, your company will save a lot of time and money in the long run. The proper technology can help to assure figures are accurate and everything is accounted for.

5. Plan for the future – Monthly payroll can be quite the headache, but it pales in comparison to your typical year end payroll requirements. To make the process more efficient, be sure to prepare well in advance. Stay up to date with key tax information, including any documents that must be provided to all employees at the top of each year, such as W2s and 1099s.