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Payroll Reports Use Case

Learn how to set up your account for payroll purposes, create custom workflows, automate updates, and export payroll reports.

Written by Ben Feldman
Updated over 4 months ago

1. Storing Payroll Data in Employee Profiles

To track payroll information such as bank details, you can create custom fields in employee profiles.

How to Add Custom Fields:

  1. Go to Account Settings > Employee Fields.

  2. Under the Personal section, click Add Section > Fields and name it (e.g., Bank Information).

  3. Create the necessary fields:

    • Text field for Bank Name.

    • Number field for Bank Account Number.

  4. You can also generate the field group using AI by typing in a short prompt.

  5. Populate this information in each employee's profile or import the data in bulk.

  6. Adjust permissions so only relevant team members (e.g., Finance) can view or edit this data.

2. Creating Finance-Related Workflows

Workflows help you automate tasks like salary adjustments.

Creating a Workflow:

  1. Navigate to the Workflows section.

  2. Click Create Workflow Template and either:

    • Use an existing template (e.g., Salary Adjustment)

    • Create a blank workflow

    • Build a workflow using AI by typing in a short prompt

  1. Rename the workflow (e.g., June 2025 Salary Adjustment).

  2. Set an anchor date to schedule tasks relative to that date.

Adding & Customizing Tasks:

  • For each general task, you can set:

    • Due Date (e.g., 14 days before anchor date)

    • Assignee (e.g., Finance team or specific user)

    • Assignment Date (e.g., 4 days before the due date)

    • Custom message for the assignee

  • Add other task types like:

    • Emails – choose recipient and customize templates using variables like employee or manager names.

    • Forms – allow updating of employee fields, such as salary.

Once configured, launch the workflow by clicking Run in the Activity tab and choose the relevant employee and workflow. Tasks will be triggered either immediately or based on the anchor date.

3. Setting Up Automations for Finance Notifications

Shapes allows you to notify the Finance team when payroll-related fields change.

Example: Notify Finance When Bank Details Change

  1. Go to the People Directory > Automations.

  2. Click New Automation.

  3. Set the trigger:

    • When: Bank Name or Bank Account Number changes.

    • Then: Send an email to Finance (either the name of the person or the team).

  4. Click Create Automation.

4. Exporting Payroll Reports

You can export payroll data for reporting or compliance purposes.

Time Management Reports:

  1. Go to People Directory > Time Management > Reports.

  2. View and export the Time Management Summary.

Or:

  1. Navigate to the Dashboard.

  2. Create a Dashboard and name it (e.g., Time Management).

  3. Add a Widget:

    • Select the Time Management Summary report.

    • Customize the date range, filters, and more.

Creating Custom Reports:

  1. Add a new Widget > Report.

  2. Select fields such as:

    • Profile: First and Last Names

    • Work: Salary Type

  3. Add filters (e.g., Office, Team) and export as CSV or Excel.

5. Adding Salary Insights

You can visualize payroll data using insights for easier analysis.

Example: View Average Salary by Gender

  1. Add a new Widget > Insight.

  2. Choose Average Salary.

  3. Display as a number, bar chart, or table.

  4. Add breakdowns (e.g., by Gender, Office, or Team).

  5. Add to your dashboard for ongoing visibility.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to support@shapes.co - we're here to help!

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