I really enjoy speaking.

Give me a platform, an audience and a subject I know enough about (and only if I feel I can add significant value to my audience) and I’ll happily wax lyrical for a decent amount of time.

However over the years, and especially since launching my business, I’ve realised that whilst speaking is fun, there’s another skill which is massively more important….

Listening.

Usually the two are interconnected. Most opportunities to speak is also an opportunity to listen.

In addition to this, an opportunity to listen is, more often than not, an opportunity to learn.

Learn unique perspectives you’d never thought of.

Learn about the challenges of your audience.

and

Learn about how you might be able to help.

A recent example of where I learned a decent amount was when I had the opportunity to speak at Payroll World’s recent client payroll conference.

I was there to speak, along with a panel including payroll and pension providers, on two subjects.

Firstly on how payroll companies can build a pension selection process to help employers comply with auto enrolment (a subject I get asked to speak on and about regularly) and secondly on how payroll companies can effectively market their businesses (one which just involved me sharing ideas on what worked for us).

However I’ve got to say that whilst I really tried to add value in sharing some of the things we’ve learned I also had the chance to learn loads in return! Let me share with you, dear reader, what I learned…

The pensions regulator expects choice, flexibility and collaboration in the auto enrolment market

Over the various events I’ve attended over the past few years I’ve seen the pensions regulator speak a number of times.

However at Payroll world the regulator had some interesting messages to the collective audience.

Firstly that the regulator is working hard to increase the urgency in which employers deal with auto enrolment.

The regulator was clear. They are in the process of writing out to all employers to communicate the importance of complying with auto enrolment. These letters make it clear they need to comply and should prepare sooner rather than later.

Secondly, the regulator talked about how employers (and the professionals who work with them) shouldn’t rely on payroll software solutions alone.

Again the regulator was clear. Using payroll related software solutions are a major part of solving auto enrolment but over reliance on just payroll software is a mistake. To comply with the regulation more support is needed.

Thirdly the regulator mentioned that professionals shouldn’t restrict their auto enrolment pension choices to one pension option.

Again the regulator was clear.

If you’re a payroll firm, a IFA or an accountant providing a pension choice (as opposed to one option) was the right thing to do. Not all pension propositions are the same and some providers might be better for specific employers than others.

For employers this provides a clear message….

Prepare for auto enrolment sooner rather than later. If you’re staging date is in the coming year you need to start preparing now.

and for the professionals who work with auto enrolment the message is even clearer…

Don’t solely rely on payroll software and make sure you’re providing a pension choice to help employers comply.

For those professionals who have built their auto enrolment proposition without total reliance on payroll software and with an element of pension choice this shouldn’t be an issue.

However for those that haven’t then it’s worth you taking a look at how AE in a Box can help fill the gap in Payroll AND provide a pension choice to employers. For an overview of what AE in a Box does take a look at the video below…

and for more information check out www.aeinabox.co.uk

Listening to the regulator wasn’t the only thing we gleamed from attending the payroll world conference. We also learned a lot about the challenges that payroll bureaus face when it comes to auto enrolment..

..which is something I’ll explore in my next auto enrolment related blog entry!