Kirk Rice Blog

A Day in the Life of: Natalia – Senior Payroll ManagerWritten on September 2, 2025 by Kirk Rice LLP

National Payroll Week is all about recognising the vital role payroll professionals play in every business. At Kirk Rice, we know that payroll isn’t just about processing numbers. It’s about trust, accuracy and making sure people are paid correctly and on time.

That’s why we’re proud to highlight the expertise of our payroll team during National Payroll Week. From handling complex legislation and HMRC requirements to supporting clients with onboarding and compliance, their work ensures businesses can focus on growth knowing their people are looked after.

This week, we’re shining a spotlight on Natalia, who manages and leads our payroll team.  Natalia shares her perspective on payroll and what makes the role both rewarding and essential.

Q: How did you first get into payroll and when did you join Kirk Rice?

My first office job, straight after the college, was as an Admin Clerk. This included filing, printing, copying and anything in between. Of a team of four, two were dealing with Accounts, one was responsible for Payroll, and I supported across both functions.

As I was helping them all, I gained valuable experience in Payroll and Accounts. After three months I was asked to join the team on a permanent basis and was given a choice: Payroll or Accounts. I chose Payroll – and I’ve never looked back.

I joined Kirk Rice in 2022, as I was looking for a new challenge. I’m glad I did as they’re amazing group of people and I love working with them.

Q: What does a typical payroll cycle look like for you?

Most of the payrolls we process for our clients are run monthly. They’re reviewed internally to make sure all aspects of the calculations are covered and correct. This can be from the legislation perspective to pro-rata workings, pension contributions, and statutory payments.

I’m also involved in a new client/payroll onboarding process, risk assessment and helping the clients to resolve payroll related issues.

Q: In your opinion, what are some of the key challenges in Payroll?

We are payroll professionals; highly trained, qualified, and with a lot of technical knowledge.

But situations and circumstances can change for our clients. We need to be able to adapt to that. Perhaps, someone has left a business or maybe someone new has joined. As a payroll team we need to adapt to those changes and still deliver accurately and on time.

It’s about delivering a great service and dealing with the chance of changing parameters. Our training, qualifications, experience, knowledge, and teamwork enable us to adapt and overcome. I’m proud to say as a team, we deliver a great service.

Q: What do you find most rewarding, and what are the biggest challenges?

‘Gremlins’ in a payroll software! Payroll software deals with a lot of data. And as with all software systems like this, glitches pop up. The challenge is being able to identify where the glitches are coming from and working against a deadline to resolve the issues.

However, meeting the deadlines against the odds feels wonderful! These challenges are tough but overcoming them keeps things interesting. Resolving issues, meeting deadlines, and seeing a happy client is a fantastic reward.

Q: What advice would you give to someone starting out in payroll?

On the face of it, a career in payroll may not sound all that exciting…but it is! If you have attention to detail, are curious, like a fast-paced environment, enjoy overcoming challenges and solving problems – you’ll find payroll a rewarding career.

Q: Why is it important to recognise payroll professionals during National Payroll Week?

In the past Payroll departments were treated as back offices. Outsourced payroll services were seen as ‘add-on’ to other services – both have changed. Payroll has evolved and is an essential part of any business.

We have different tax treatments for pension contributions calculations, payrolling benefits (PMI/Car), salary sacrifice, and so much more. Payroll clerks are now professionals and all-rounders.

We make a difference to the employee’s lives paying them for their hard work. So, it’s great to raise awareness of the skills, dedication to training, expertise, and knowledge of all payroll workers – they are a big part of any successful business.

Technical knowledge, reliability and a personal approach

Every business is different, which is why our payroll service is designed around you. Natalia and her team bring technical knowledge, reliability and a personal approach to every client, whether you need a director-only payroll or a fully managed bureau service.

Looking for a tailored outsourced payroll solution? Contact us via info@kirkrice.co.uk

Please note: This article is correct as at the publication date. The answers are given for general guidance only and specific advice should be taken before acting on any of the suggestions made. The information is based on current tax legislation which may change in future. Information is based on our current understanding of taxation legislation and regulations. Any levels and bases of relief from taxation are subject to change. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax planning.