Deciding to switch your payroll provider or move your current payroll operation to an outsourced provider can be daunting. There are many factors to consider, and one thing worth weighing up is if the prospective provider is a good fit for your industry.
Payroll may be just payroll, but there can be many nuances and specific needs that differ across sectors. One sector where this is particularly present is the healthcare sector. This large sector covers care homes, special needs schools, GP practices, veterinary practices and dentists, to name just a few.
The healthcare sector is large, and the type of employers within it covers a considerable range. So, naturally, they all have different needs for their payroll and some standard requirements across their industry.
So, as a healthcare sector employer, what are our top tips for switching payroll providers?
Don’t accept a one-size-fits-all package
Whilst this point is relevant to all industries, it is worth noting that just because healthcare employer payrolls can be complex and use different systems does not mean you should have to accept an out of the box solution. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to your payroll, and an excellent outsourced provider should be able to understand the unique needs of your organisation and configure a solution that works for you.
Dataplan currently acts on behalf of over 350 healthcare organisations, paying over 10,500 employees a month and ranging from large care home groups to small doctors payroll or dentists. Our approach to providing your payroll is based on gathering all of the information about your organisation and how it operates and flexing our systems to work around you.
We also have a dedicated team of payroll professionals that solely manage our healthcare clients, this offers expertise and greater in-depth knowledge of the industry within a core team. We even have a dedicated GP Payroll website.
Ensure the provider is aware of the differences within the healthcare industry
Any provider who is not familiar with some of the challenges faced for payrolls within the healthcare industry should be throwing up a huge red flag if they have successfully processed healthcare payrolls before understanding the implications of locum staff and different shift patterns part-time workers and minimum wage. They should also be familiar with NHS Pensions.
At Dataplan, we have a thorough process of checking in place for when we process your payroll so that you can be assured you are compliant with statutory standards such as minimum wage. In addition, our team of payroll experts are all trained to a set standard, and we can wrap around your existing systems to accept outputs that document data such as shift patterns. We are also capable of handling NHS Pensions administration.
Check whether they can integrate with your existing systems
It is likely the case that you will have already invested time and money into other systems to keep your organisation running. You may be tied into contracts, or perhaps you have been through a process of trial and error and have found the exact systems that work for you. Whatever the case, any new payroll provider should be able to work around your chosen systems.
They should not be creating extra work for your team by requiring outputs in a specific format, and they certainly should not have you looking to switch your platforms and systems unless you already want to do so.
At Dataplan, we have an in-house Development Team at our disposal, which means that we can interface with any systems you use – regardless of whether we have encountered them before. In the healthcare sector, Careblox and Coldharbour are particularly popular. We can accept the outputs and have configured inputs for these platforms to import the data seamlessly into our payroll systems.
Ask about added value
Once you are sure that the essential boxes of delivering your payroll and pensions are ticked, ask about how they add value to their service. Ideally, your provider should not only meet your expectations but exceed them.
At Dataplan, there are several ways that we can add value for our clients, and one of our popular features is our ability to deliver bespoke reporting. As long as we have the data, we can report on it, meaning that we can configure any number of reports to meet your organisation's needs. For example, clients find our ability to produce average holiday reporting useful in the healthcare sector.
For more information on how Dataplan can help you manage your healthcare payroll and pensions management please contact our Operations Director Stewart Waddell on 03331 123456 or contact us.
Dataplan are one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist payroll and associated services.
From payroll outsourcing and pension service management to ePayslips and gender pay gap reporting; we have a solution for you and your business.