Even more than today, future payroll professionals will require a professional designation, qualification or certification, and the ability to confidently present payroll data and strategic advice to senior leadership. These professionals will also need a holistic understanding of payroll technology, a good cultural fit, and an outstanding customer service work ethic.

The next generation of payroll professionals will need to have an aptitude for technology and an acceptance of how new automated technologies will allow them to do their jobs better.

Soft skills, such as exceptional communication and people skills, will continue to be important as payroll moves from a primarily administrative role, to a more strategic one. HR and payroll leadership will have to rethink and redraft the role descriptions of the payroll professional, with these changes in mind.

Payroll professionals will need to possess:

• Compliance and policy knowledge
• Understanding of the payroll technology market
• Data analytics capabilities (extraction, manipulation, visualization, storytelling)
• Creative problem-solving abilities
• People and presentation skills
• A continuous improvement mindset

In many cases, current payroll professionals will need to upskill and re-skill in order to perform their role successfully in the future. Appropriate training and certification will be crucial, and it may be necessary for organizations to recruit from a wider, less-traditional talent pool.