What is your name?
Debbie Barker
What is your role title?
UK Service Delivery Manager
What do you do in your role?
I manage and support our Edinburgh-based UK Payroll Team.
What key skills do you bring to activpayroll?
I am extremely passionate about my role within activpayroll. My main priority is ensuring that customers receive an excellent and personable service. I want customers to feel that they can approach us with any request.
What gives you the most satisfaction about your job?
First and foremost I want my team to be happy and comfortable within their working environment, if they are happy then everything else falls into place. I also take great satisfaction in helping our customers when they feel like they have been faced with an impossible task.
How did you get into the payroll industry and why?
I left school at 16 and started working as an Office Junior. A role came up within the payroll department and my manager asked if I was interested – and that’s how I got into payroll.
What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on at activpayroll? Why?
As the Edinburgh office has only been open for the past two and a half years, it was quite challenging for the first 18 months. There was a whole new team, unfamiliar systems and new customers. We overcame most of the challenges that came our way, ultimately making our team stronger and determined to be a success – which I feel we have managed!
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement outside of activpayroll?
I think my greatest achievement is to have a good work - life balance. I love spending time with my family and of course my dogs! My two boys think I love my dogs more than them – which at times is true!
What company value means the most to you and why?
Passionate – I think you have to be passionate about your job because if you are not, then you won’t give 100%!
Do you have any hobbies/ What do you like to do in your free time?
I have 3 dogs which take up a good part of my time and I also swim every morning before work.
Who is your professional role model and why?
There are several different managers within activpayroll that I admire, I try to learn as much as I can to make myself a better manager.
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?
I would like to have dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson, I would love to know how he motivated his players to achieve success year after year.
