Zoho People is one of the biggest cloud-based HR management systems in the world. They are actively being used by businesses across Africa and in Nigeria. Although they have been gaining market penetration in the country, their payroll processing system is not fully functional in Nigeria. This leaves many Nigerian businesses with the option of using a separate payroll system to manage their payroll.
To set up payroll for Zoho People in Nigeria, Human resource managers often have to completely detach both processes which leads to tedious manual transfer of data when it is time to pay salaries or update profiles. Or they have to jump through hoops to connect their payroll software with Zoho People.
If you’ve been facing this particular problem, Salario has worked out a solution, and today we’ll dive into how to set up payroll for Zoho People in Nigeria with Salario.
The Challenge of Payroll with Zoho People in Nigeria
Zoho People was designed to be a flexible HR platform that works for organizations across the globe. But payroll is one of those areas where “global” rarely works without localization. Every country has its payroll laws, statutory deductions, and compliance frameworks, and Nigeria is no exception.
In Nigeria, payroll is more than just paying salaries. HR teams must calculate and remit PAYE (Pay-As-You-Earn) tax, pension contributions, National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions, and other statutory payments. Missing any of these requirements can lead to penalties, compliance risks, and frustrated employees.
Here’s where Zoho People falls short for Nigerian businesses:
- No full payroll compliance: While the platform handles HR functions well, it does not automatically apply Nigeria-specific tax and pension rules.
- Manual processes: HR managers often have to export employee data from Zoho People into spreadsheets or external payroll tools.
- High error risk: Copying data back and forth increases the likelihood of errors, leading to overpayments, underpayments, or incorrect tax filings.
- Lost productivity: Hours that could be spent on strategic HR tasks are wasted reconciling employee records.
This disconnect between HR management and payroll makes many Nigerian businesses feel like they are using an incomplete system.
Why Salario Is the Missing Link
This is where Salario comes in. Salario is built specifically for Nigerian businesses to solve the payroll problem that Zoho People leaves open. Instead of treating HR and payroll as separate silos, Salario creates a direct integration with Zoho People so that the two systems work together seamlessly.
What does this mean in practice?
Localized payroll: Salario is designed around Nigerian payroll laws, so businesses don’t have to worry about manual tax or pension calculations.
Real-time data sync: Employee data flows directly from Zoho People into Salario, removing the need for manual transfers.
Stress-free compliance: Payroll runs are automatically aligned with Nigerian regulations, reducing the risk of penalties.
Simplified operations: HR managers can continue to use Zoho People for HR processes while relying on Salario for payroll accuracy.
In short, Salario acts as the missing link, making Zoho People a truly complete HR and payroll solution in Nigeria.
Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Payroll for Zoho People in Nigeria with Salario
The integration process is straightforward and doesn’t require technical expertise. Here’s how it works:
1. Sign Up on Salario
Start by creating a free Salario account. During setup, you’ll provide your organization details for KYC (know-Your-Customer) verification to make sure your payroll profile aligns with Nigeria compliance standards.
2. Connect Zoho People with Salario
From your Salario dashboard, navigate to the Integrations section on the left-hand menu and search for Zoho People in the integration options. Authorize the connection so Salario can securely access employee data. This one-time setup creates the bridge between both systems.
3. Import Employee Data Seamlessly
Once the connection is live, Salario automatically pulls your employee information from Zoho People.
This means all the staff records you’ve been managing on Zoho People, names, roles, salary details, and benefits are instantly available in Salario. No more copy-pasting or uploading CSV files.
4. Run Payroll with Compliance Settings
Now you’re ready to run payroll. In Salario, you’ll set up payroll rules to cover statutory deductions such as PAYE, pension, and NHF. With a few clicks, you can process payroll and be confident it complies with Nigerian regulations. Salaries, taxes, and deductions are automatically calculated.
5. Sync Updates Back
Any changes made during payroll, for example, overtime adjustments, allowances, or new deductions are synced back into Zoho People. Both systems remain updated in real time, so HR managers no longer have to worry about double-checking records.
This integration not only saves time but also ensures payroll and HR data are always consistent.
Key Benefits of Using Salario with Zoho People
Businesses that integrate Salario with Zoho People in Nigeria gain several advantages:
- Compliance confidence: With Salario, payroll is always aligned with Nigerian tax and pension laws.
- Efficiency gains: HR teams can eliminate hours of manual work and focus on strategic tasks. No more running around like headless chickens on tasks that can be easily taken care of.
- Error reduction: With Salario’s integration with Zoho People, errors are reduced drastically. Automatic syncing reduces human error, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.
- Integrated workflow: HR and payroll data flow seamlessly between Zoho People and Salario. No more disconnect, especially if you have separate teams for both tasks.
- Scalability: Whether you manage 10 employees or 1,000, Salario grows with your business.
This combination is particularly valuable in Nigeria, where payroll compliance is strict and costly errors are common.
Practical Use Cases
Here’s how different types of businesses benefit from integrating Zoho People with Salario:
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): With limited HR resources, SMEs can set up payroll once and let Salario handle compliance without extra effort.
Growing companies: As teams expand, payroll complexity increases. Salario ensures payroll runs stay smooth, accurate, and compliant.
Enterprises: Large organizations managing multiple employee categories save significant time every month by eliminating repetitive manual tasks.
No matter the size of the business, the integration ensures smoother payroll cycles and happier employees.
Comparing Alternatives
Without Salario, what are you left with. Businesses usually rely on three alternatives:
- Manual spreadsheets: Manual spreadsheets are usually the first point of payroll management for businesses. Managing payroll on Excel often leads to errors and consumes valuable time.
- Standalone payroll tools: There are numerous payroll options in Nigeria, some of which we have covered in the past. These options often don’t integrate directly with Zoho People, forcing HR managers to duplicate work.
- Custom integrations: Some companies build expensive one-off integrations, but these require ongoing technical maintenance and cost more in the long run.
By contrast, Salario offers a plug-and-play solution that is affordable, designed for Nigeria, and doesn’t require technical know-how. It’s built for businesses that want a reliable fix without reinventing the wheel.
How to Get Started with Salario
Setting up payroll for Zoho People in Nigeria is easy with Salario:
- Jump on a free demo call with the team
- Create your account
- Connect Zoho People through your dashboard.
- Import employee data and run your first payroll in minutes.
If you’re tired of juggling spreadsheets, risking compliance errors, or spending hours reconciling HR and payroll, Salario is the simple, localized solution.
Conclusion
Zoho People is a powerful HR system, but in Nigeria, it leaves businesses stranded when it comes to payroll. The lack of localization means HR managers are left with time-consuming, error-prone processes.
Salario bridges that gap. With its seamless integration, compliance-ready features, and localized payroll engine, Salario turns Zoho People into a complete HR and payroll solution for Nigerian businesses.
For HR managers and business owners, the choice is clear: stop wasting hours on manual payroll workarounds and start using a system built for your needs. With Salario, setting up payroll for Zoho People in Nigeria has never been easier. So what are you waiting for? Get on a free demo call to get started.