Paychex, Inc., is a provider of integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, HR, retirement, and insurance services. In 2014, Paychex introduced a new service model and online payroll platform that dramatically changed the nature of how its front-line service providers, payroll specialists (PRSs), service clients. New PRSs are expected to support all products and services, including Paychex’s new online suite of applications.
Increasing operating margins through greater productivity, and developing and retaining employees year-over-year are two company goals the Paychex Operations Training team kept in mind when they designed a new program to upskill PRSs to meet changing service demands. The new Service Training Program (STP) launched in November 2014 and enables a payroll specialist to:
- Assume payroll client responsibilities 25 percent earlier in their tenure
- Prepare for advanced certification and promotion in six to eight months, a 56 percent increase in time savings as compared to 18 months in the legacy program
- Support a greater number of clients with greater payroll complexity and multiple products and services, through a combination of more complex knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs)
Program Details
A Training New Talent (TNT) team comprising payroll specialists, supervisors, and field trainers from across the nation was used to provide data on the KSAs a new payroll specialist needs to efficiently and effectively service complex clients. The design of the program directly supports Paychex’s company values of accountability and partnership. The program places accountability on the learner to complete weekly assignments, and partner with the supervisor weekly to demonstrate retention and application of knowledge through observations and completed work assignments. Weekly quizzes also are completed in Paychex’s learning management system (LMS).
The new STP consists of three tiers:
Tier 1: Occurs within the first six weeks of hire and includes self-study training and exercises, online application practice, videos discussing Paychex’s service culture and company values, and virtual learning events. Field trainers provide additional support for PRSs who may require extra attention.
Tier 2: Two weeks of blended learning with trainers, culminating with a final exam to demonstrate PRSs’ ability to enter a complex payroll, generate and interpret reports, and accurately respond to client questions.
Tier 3: Includes four separate, self-paced training segments over the next four to six months. Each section includes online learning modules, videos, online observation checklists completed by a supervisor, and an online open-book exam.
Results
To date, 165 new PRSs have completed the program. New graduates are servicing an average of 359 clients per week, an increase of 119 clients as compared to PRSs trained in the legacy program. The efficiency gains saved Paychex $1.9 million overall in fiscal year 2015.
In addition, PRS turnover decreased 3 percent during FY’15, and is largely attributed to the advanced learning and success of the STP.
