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In this article, we explain the most important steps for pre-implementation using the onboarding portal. You can also complete the complementary Voyager Academy learning path (available in German).

What is the Personio Payroll pre-implementation?

The pre-implementation takes place about four weeks before the actual implementation of Personio Payroll. This step serves to prepare your team independently for the upcoming implementation. You complete the most important tasks and configurations directly in Personio's onboarding portal. You can also use the overview in the portal to track your progress.

Note
For users of the DATEV integration it is currently not possible to complete the pre-implementation via the onboarding portal. These users will also follow the steps described here and will be supported by the payroll specialists team. 

The pre-implementation process 

Your Payroll Specialist will send you a pre-implementation kick-off email with the most important information. Next, view your to-dos:

1. Log in to your Personio profile.
2. Go to Payroll.
3. Click the Payroll subsection to access the onboarding portal.

Grant Personio access to your account 

Before the Personio Payroll implementation can start, our Payroll Specialists need administrative access to your Personio account. This is necessary to ensure optimal support during implementation and during the subsequent live phase.

For detailed setup instructions, read our Helpcenter article on Personio support access. 

Define payroll owners

So that our Payroll Specialists know who to contact, you need to define at least two Personio Payroll owners. These employees are responsible for your account and are important contacts for matters that affect your Personio payroll. 

To do this, follow the steps in the article about payroll owners.  

Authorize Personio 

Personio needs authorization for the official communication on behalf of your company with authorities such as the tax office or health insurance companies. 

To provide us with an authorization document:

1. In the onboarding portal, under Payroll, click the to-do for granting authorization.
2. Download the authorization in the respective section.
3. Read and sign the document.
   

   Tip
   You can also sign the authorization digitally.

4. Upload the document. 

Important information in the document

Ensure that you provide the following information correctly and completely:

Company details

• Company name
• Registered office of your company
• The commercial register of the local court where your company is registered
• Commercial register number
  

  Tip
  The commercial register number starts with the abbreviation "HR" followed by the letters "A" or "B" and a sequence of digits.

At the bottom of the document

• Place and date
• Signature
• Your full name
• Your properly authorized position in your company

Questionnaire for setting up payroll

To set up the payroll in Personio, our specialists require payroll data from you. To do this, fill in the questionnaire on payroll.

To make the questionnaire available to us:

1. In your task area under Payroll, click the to-do to complete the payroll questionnaire.
2. Download the payroll data checklist.
3. Complete the questionnaire using the questions in the table and by following the instructions and notes in the file. 
4. Upload the document.

Import of employee payroll data

To ensure that salaries, taxes, and social security contributions are calculated correctly, we need all of your employees' payroll-relevant data.

To provide us with the employees' data, follow these steps:

1. In the task area under Payroll, click the to-do for finalizing and importing your employees' payroll data.
2. Download the file for your employees' payroll data. Fill out the table, following the instructions and notes in the file. 
3. Upload the document.

Note
Our Payroll Specialists validate the data and check for completeness before carrying out the import.

Upload reference documents for payroll

To set up your Personio Payroll account correctly, our Payroll Specialists also need documentation from your previous payroll accountant. Make the following documents available through the onboarding portal before the implementation to ensure an efficient and seamless process. 

Schedule the kick-off meeting

In the last step, you receive an invitation for a kick-off call from our Payroll Specialists. You can book it independently with a scheduling link. Once you have done this, your pre-implementation is complete. You can now move on to further setting up your account with the support of our Payroll Specialists.