How to Identify your Change Champions
Understanding Change and Its Impact
Change is a constant in the world of payroll. From legislative shifts to advances in technology, payroll teams must evolve to maintain compliance and efficiency. Organisational change involves moving from a current state to a desired future state, with the goal of aligning people, processes and technology to new priorities. This can take many forms, including cultural changes required following a merger, structural changes such as reshaping departments, or strategic changes that arise from a review of corporate priorities. However, regardless of the nature of the change, its success depends on gaining trust and engagement from those closest to the work. Resistance, rooted in fear, uncertainty or habit, must be addressed openly if change is to be embraced across the payroll function.
The Role of the Change Champion
Change champions play a pivotal role in making this shift happen. Within any part of the business, a change champion is someone adept at initiating, facilitating and implementing new ideas. They can clearly articulate the reasons for change, secure stakeholder support, and maintain focus throughout the project. As initiators, champions identify opportunities and rally colleagues around a compelling vision. As facilitators, they support collaboration, resolve tensions, and align efforts towards common objectives. As implementers, they drive planning and execution, making sure new ways of working are embedded and sustained. In payroll, this means turning abstract ideas for improvement into concrete steps that save time, reduce errors, and support staff through every phase of the transition.
Identifying the Right People
A successful change champion can come from any part of the business. Strong candidates often arise from within the department itself, as they have a deep understanding of operational pressures and the trust of their colleagues. Leaders and managers play an important role, especially when aligning change with overall business strategy, while HR and HRD professionals can lend valuable insight into role design and staff engagement. What identifies effective champions across these varied roles is a common set of characteristics: They are visionary, able to communicate clearly and persuasively; They demonstrate resilience when faced with setbacks, adapt readily to new demands, and maintain a strong commitment to the wider objectives of the business; and, most critically, they have the interpersonal and problem-solving skills required to foster collaboration and build trust.
More junior staff or those relatively new to the team can become highly effective as change champions. In the context of payroll, junior staff are often closest to day-to-day operations and best positioned to spot inefficiency or pain points. Involving them as change champions gives them a sense of ownership over the improvement process, making it more likely that new ways of working will be embraced and sustained. Their enthusiasm and firsthand understanding of the work foster trust within teams and create a culture where change is built from the ground up, rather than imposed from above.
Empowering Change Champions for Success
Once identified, change champions must be supported to carry out their role effectively. Clear role definitions, role-appropriate training, and strong senior sponsorship are vital for setting expectations and reducing role ambiguity. Without this, champions can be stretched too thin and risk role strain or overload. Organisations must prioritise ongoing support and maintain an open channel for feedback. In doing so, they enable their champions to focus on aligning staff and stakeholders, nurturing engagement, and embedding best practice across the payroll team. In an environment where payroll has become a critical touchpoint for employee experience, selecting and nurturing the right champions is an investment that delivers benefits long after the initial changes have been implemented.