January 5, 2012

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In those meetings, there are some questions worth exploring:

1. When I have questions, who do I call?
2. How many clients are managed by each client service representative?
3. Where will my paychecks and reports be printed and sent from?
4. What other services are offered besides payroll services, such as business insurance, human resource services, background checks, time and attendance systems, etc.? If these services aren’t offered, is the system compatible with providers of the services?
5. How will I be trained on the system?
6. How do I provide my payroll information to my accountant?
7. How often does the system get updated and who is responsible for handling the updates?
8. What if we have employees in multiple states?

If technology is important to you and your employees make sure to see a demonstration of the tools that both you and your employees will access. Ask about the training and ongoing support for the technology you will be using. You might want to speak with some existing clients that are using the technology as well, to see how user-friendly it is both for every-day use and long-term.

Hiring and Evaluating your Payroll Service Provider

Finally, once you have selected a payroll service provider, it is important to always evaluate how the process is going.  Periodically, it would not hurt to consider the following:

1. What new services does my service provider plan to roll out?
2. What services are offered that I am not currently taking advantage of?
3. If we continue to hire will my payroll system be able to grow with me?
4. Do we have any new needs that my service provider cannot meet?
5. Are we still satisfied with the quality of our service provider?

Hiring employees is an exciting time for any startup or small business. It means growth, and that growth usually coincides with success. With some due diligence, the process behind instituting or maintaining payroll can be easy and help facilitate success.

Not being mindful of finding the right payroll services provider, however, can result in valuable time and energy lost (and not to mention, some angry employees and potential tax implications if things are not processed smoothly).

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Jason Maxwell

Jason Maxwell is founder and president of MassPay Payroll Services, based in Beverly, MA. Founded in 2004, MassPay offers small- and mid-sized business owners a full suite of services to support their payroll, insurance and human resources needs, including web-based and paperless payroll; workers’ compensation; group health, dental and property and casualty insurance; human resources services; and time and attendance administration. Learn more at www.masspay.net.

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