Delegation is not a management chore that senior managers should dread, it is a step towards developing leadership skills. In a payroll department, effective delegation from the senior management is necessary in order for the department to function effectively and ensure that payroll tasks are being completed timely and accurately.
Not only does effective delegation ensure that more payroll tasks get done in less time, it also builds team synergy within the payroll department. Unfortunately, many senior managers do not focus enough attention on the delegation process, thus failing to reap the benefits of their talented employees. More often than not, when a payroll is not completed to their satisfaction, senior managers simply put the blame on their subordinates’ incompetence.
In order to ensure effective delegation of payroll tasks, the senior manager has to learn how to maximise the productivity of his or her staff. You may be the best manager within the organisation but without the ability to delegate effectively, it is impossible to get tasks done efficiently even with the most talented group of employees.
Here are some steps to being a good coach to ensure effective delegation of payroll tasks within the HR department:
First, prepare your employees for the given payroll tasks and their level of comfort to handle it. “The top management has decided to implement a new payroll software to replace our manual payroll processes. What is your level of comfort with being part of this payroll overhaul? Are there any particular steps that you are uncertain about?” Ask your employees direct questions to better evaluate how much each employee can contribute. From there on, delegate the payroll tasks based on your employee’s competence level.
Directive Delegation Style
This type of delegation would apply to employees who are generally new and inexperienced in the payroll industry. Essentially, tell your employee exactly what you want them to do. It could also mean that you, as the senior manager, do the payroll work for the first time while the inexperienced employee shadows you to learn and do it the next time round. In some instances, encouraging self-reflection is a good way to encourage the inexperience employee to speed up their learning process.
Management by Objectives Delegation Style
This type of delegation would typically apply to employees who already have the experience in the payroll tasks. These employees already know what they are doing. At times, the employee might struggle with some of the intermediate steps to getting the payroll work done. As such, teach your employee some plausible structures to approaching the payroll tasks. Such delegation will encourage them to further increase their grasp of the topic and understand the different approaches that they can always consider.
Delegation by Support
This approach will typically work for employees who are completely experienced and competent. Such staff already know what and how to tackle even the most difficult payroll tasks. However, while the employee might be fully capable of handling the payroll tasks, that does not mean that they should be left without guidance. Given that there are always room for changes in payroll tasks schedules or new priorities, as a senior manager, let your staff know that they can always count on you for support.
The key to effective delegation of payroll tasks and leveraging on the skills of your employees is to take the first step in learning how to delegate and developing effective management skills. Only with proper delegation to others that the work can be done to the proper standard.
