Leading a Finance, HR or Payroll team at a not-for-profit can be a mammoth task at the best of times. So adding the implementation of a new system or process on top of the usual workload can often seem daunting – or simply not worth it – for managers. Despite the potential long-term benefits of updating to a more modern solution provider for salary packaging, like GO Salary, clients’ main concern is that they have limited resources to execute the changeover from the old system to a new one. But never fear! It’s easier to switch to GO Salary than you may think. In fact, it usually will take less than 1-2 hours a week for a few weeks to move the whole team over to a new (and likely, greatly improved) system.
So, why consider changing to a new salary packaging provider in the first place?
Much like your bank or insurance provider, it is easy to become complacent with your salary packaging provider. Often people stick with their current provider because, well, they’ve always been with them. It’s only when you take a step back, you realise that the solution may no longer work for you.
Some helpful questions to ask yourself about your current salary packaging provider might be:
- Are my employees getting genuine quality service, from an experienced customer service officer?
- If my team has a question, how long do employees wait when they call their provider or how long do they have to wait for an email response?
- What level of online access does the current provider offer? Does the current system allow for ‘live’ changes?
- Does your team have a dedicated contact person?
- How secure is the system? Is all your information kept internally in a protected portal or does it have to be sent externally via a public (and often insecure) domain?
At GO Salary, we often find that new customers decide to come on board with us because they realise that the answers to the above questions are not very positive! At GO Salary, we make sure we cover all the above bases such as cyber security and an accessible online system (the bare minimum in this day and age!), while also updating our own system based on market innovation and technology. We do keep it old school in one area though, and that’s customer service. When you move over to GO Salary, you get a dedicated Account Manager with a direct phone number to help you with any queries you might have.
How much work is involved in switching to a new salary packaging provider?
Changing to a new salary packaging provider is generally quite easy. Every provider is different, but at GO Salary, very little work is required by the employer. This is because GO Salary manages the process from the start until the transition is complete. In fact, our staff has transitioned over 500 employers during the past 20 years, so you’re in safe hands.
During the changeover process, GO Salary will:
- Obtain all relevant employee and salary packaging data from your existing provider and upload this information electronically.
- Create a salary package on the GO Salary system for each participating employee (often ‘improving’ a salary package at the same time – bonus!).
- Import year-to-date payment information so that employers receive a single consolidated report at the end of the year.
- Send communications to staff and run information sessions so that everyone is aware of and confident with the change.
- Conduct a review of all salary packaging arrangements to ensure our members are getting the most out of the program.
- Set up all new salary packaging cards.
Aside from initial meetings and assistance with transferring information, GO Salary requires very little involvement from the employer. It works out to be less than 1 or 2 hours per week, for a few weeks.
How we keep everyone happy
GO Salary is experienced in creating a salary packaging program that keeps everyone in the loop. We believe that it’s our transparency and collaborative processes that bring us so many happy customers!
So why does GO Salary work for everyone?
- Employees (our members) are happy with improved service and increased flexibility.
- Payroll is happy, as GO Salary provides a dedicated contact for all inquiries and can also develop process improvements via Payroll software integration.
- Human Resources are happy with an easier-to-use (and understand) salary packaging program.
- Finance is happy with improved compliance, security, and consolidated reporting.
Still not sure? We’re more than happy to put you in touch with any of our clients so that you can air any concerns or ask any questions.
Want to see how GO Salary works in real time?
The best way to learn more about GO Salary’s tailored salary packaging experience is to see it for yourself! A 20-minute online demonstration is enough to provide a thorough overview of the technology features and our care-based service model.