Payroll Perspectives — Bettina Wong, Sinch MessageMedia
Summary
Bettina Wong’s career has been shaped by global payroll experience, working across Australia and New Zealand before stepping into a complex, multi-country payroll environment within the tech sector.
A defining theme throughout her journey is managing outsourced payroll at scale — navigating multiple regions, stakeholders and compliance requirements while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.
Her experience highlights the growing complexity of payroll in global organisations, where expanding workforces and international operations require stronger systems, communication and oversight.
Now operating within a fast-paced tech business, she has been able to evolve her skillset, balancing operational delivery with strategic thinking to support a modern, distributed workforce.
Payroll without borders
Bettina Wong is no stranger to the world of payroll, with an impressive resume boasting roles across Australia and New Zealand — but it’s her current role, a career move to tech company Sinch MessageMedia where she manages an outsourced payroll for FTE 300 employees in Australia, New Zealand, United States and the United Kingdom, that has provided her the opportunity to truly grow and evolve.
Bettina sat down with Shawny Smith to discuss her journey.
Episode transcript
Shawny: Tell us about yourself and where you work.
Bettina: I’m Bettina Wong, originally from Auckland, New Zealand. I made the move to Melbourne seven years ago, where I currently work for Sinch MessageMedia, a mobile messaging solution that helps businesses of all sizes better connect with customers. I’ve been with Sinch MessageMedia for about three and a half years now.
Shawny: Bettina, walk us through your role at Sinch MessageMedia and what it’s like to process an outsourced payroll.
Bettina: I oversee end-to-end payrolls across Australia, New Zealand, United States and the United Kingdom. My ‘end-to-end’ is from new joiners to leavers, payroll journals to annual payroll tax and workers’ compensation reconciliations to WGEA reporting.
Yes — our payrolls are managed externally, and that was my first challenge when I first joined the business. It took about three months to shift my mindset from a Processor, one who had access to a payroll system, to a Reviewer. There was no more instant ‘play back’ previewed results on my screen anymore. I had to learn to be more patient for the reports; to precisely communicate the payroll changes, necessary corrections, and requirements.
I think managing an outsourced payroll comes with its complexities. Building strong relationships with payroll providers is the key, and the complexities can depend on various factors — for example, the provider’s local presence vs reliance on an ICP (In-Country Provider). It may require you to be extra flexible with your working hours if you’re working with a provider in a different time zone and deadlines are tight.
A deep understanding of tax treatments and payroll regulations is also crucial for accurate reviews too — because there can be mistakes. It is definitely not hands-off, especially when there are off-cycle runs that involve a lot of coordination. While outsourcing may seem easier, I believe the true advantage lies in freeing up capacity for other tasks. We value customer (employee) satisfaction a lot, and there’s just more capacity for this with the actual processing managed externally. One thing I love about my role at Sinch MessageMedia is being involved in business partnering and working on projects.
Shawny: What is the best system you have worked with? What made it the best?
Bettina: Oh, I wish I’ve used more systems before I’m asked this. But I have to go with PayGlobal. It can handle complex Awards/EBAs and I love how the employee fields are so customisable and easy to export onto spreadsheets.
Shawny: How did you get into Payroll?
Bettina: Payroll is a bit of an interesting one. I would say very few people plan to work in payroll, and I’m one of them. I have a Commerce Degree majoring in Accounting and Management, and during my younger days I wanted to pursue my career as an Accountant or Auditor. The pathway to New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) demanded work experience in an approved training organisation. It was competitive and challenging to secure at that time.
So, I found myself on a different path and secured a role at Medcall, a temping recruitment agency specialising in aged care in Auckland, as an Accounts and Payroll Administrator. What began as a stepping stone evolved into a fulfilling career journey that I’ve now been on for 11 years — a ‘wow’ moment I couldn’t believe myself after doing the maths.
Shawny: What do you wish people outside of payroll knew?
Bettina: It’s a myth — that magical “big red button” that effortlessly handles everything does not exist. Running a high-functioning payroll department entails far more than just numerical proficiency. Payroll professionals require a diverse skill set encompassing good judgment, prioritisation, effective communication for customer service, and a high degree of adaptability.
This adaptability is especially crucial given the ever-changing landscape of legislation and company benefits, which demand constant adjustment and attention. It’s unfortunate that many people overlook the complexity of payroll work, often reducing it to just data entry. It’s tough when mistakes are automatically pinned on payroll without considering the broader context.
That being said, things are different at Sinch MessageMedia. Payroll works closely with HR to ensure pays are correct, which is awesome.
Shawny: What is your advice to senior payroll professionals looking to step up into leadership?
Bettina: Establishing your brand is one of the most important aspects. Set high standards for yourself and your team, and prioritise building trust with both internal and external stakeholders. Consistently deliver quality work and demonstrate reliability and integrity.
Embrace opportunities as they come — don’t shy away from them, especially for growth. Be proactive in seeking out new challenges. And importantly, embrace the discomfort that comes with those opportunities. Growth often comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. We are our own parent — no one will push us — the choice is within you.
Shawny: What top three skills make a great payroll officer?
Bettina: Analytical thinking — understanding the consequences of decisions and being able to assess outcomes. Proactive problem-solving — identifying opportunities to improve processes and efficiency. And adherence to best practices — consistently following processes to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Shawny: What has been the biggest change in payroll in the last two years?
Bettina: From my experience, keeping up with the post-COVID environment has been significant — hybrid work, changing company policies, and new benefits. There have also been more payroll tax levies introduced, like mental health levies in Victoria and Queensland.
The rollout of STP2 was also a big shift, requiring significant implementation and testing, although I wasn’t heavily involved as our payroll is outsourced. There’s also been a strong technological shift — automation, cloud systems, self-service portals and AI-driven analytics.
When I attended the TAPS Conference, I was surprised to see how advanced the innovations are. Technology is definitely revolutionising payroll, and I think the biggest changes are still to come.