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5 Things to Look for With Online Payroll Systems

Whether you’ve decided to move into the modern world and trade your manual payroll system for an online one, or you’re looking to change to a new online payroll system, there are certain elements you need to look for. Online payroll management applications come with a lot of fancy bells and whistles, but you need to make sure they have the basics done right before you commit.

1. It should have efficient and simple payroll processing.
   There’s no point in transitioning to a new online payroll system if it’s more complicated to use than a NASA rocket. You want to make sure the online payroll system you choose has reliable payroll processing that’s easy to use and always on time. Nothing makes an employee more unhappy than a late paycheck.

   But more than just being easy and efficient, your payroll system should be able to automatically process things like deductions, tax withholdings and payments for salaried, hourly and contract workers with just a click. You want to make sure your system is going to save you time, money and headaches, so the more automation it has, the better it’ll be for you.

2. It should have all the latest compliance requirements.
   The last thing you want to deal with is a fine from the IRS because your online payroll system didn’t get the latest compliance update. Take the time to ensure any online payroll system you are considering performs regular updates and takes the latest compliance requirements for your business into consideration. It’s even better if they can provide you with alerts whenever a new compliance requirement is integrated, so you can stay informed.

   To give you greater peace of mind, find an online payroll system that can also file quarterly reports and generate all the year-end tax forms your employees will need.

3. Your employees should have easy access to their payroll portal.
   A quality online payroll system should have a great employee interface which answers the majority of their questions quickly and clearly. The less time your HR team has to spend answering questions and making small changes to employee personnel information, the more time they have for other work. And if your online payroll system can help with that, it should. From updating personal information to storing digital pay stubs and tax forms, your payroll system should handle it all – and be easy to navigate for your employees.
4. It should provide you with detailed payroll reports.
   Make sure that any online payroll system you consider offers robust reporting across several business areas. The more data you can get from these reports, the more insights you can get on your business. You should be able to filter the information in these reports to get the best views of your company, from organization-wide views to granular employee views.
5. It should have great customer service.
   With luck, your online payroll system should be so intuitive that you hardly ever have questions or concerns. But when they do come up, you want them answered and addressed as quickly as possible. So make sure you check online for reviews that mention the customer support experience. The better the customer service, the happier you and your HR team will be in the long run.

Now that you know what the basics are for a good online payroll system, you can add on to this list with the specifics you need for your company, and find the perfect system to streamline your business.