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Payroll Representative

Medical College of Wisconsin · Wauwatosa, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 29, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

An employee calls upset that their paycheck is short. How do you handle the conversation?

What they are checking: Whether they are courteous and clear with upset employees while finding and fixing the real problem.

Tell me about a payroll error you found or made. What did you do to prevent it from happening again?

What they are checking: Whether they own mistakes and improve processes, which matters when errors affect people's pay.

How do you protect confidential pay and tax information in your daily work?

What they are checking: Whether they handle sensitive employee data carefully and understand why that trust matters.

What would you do

A faculty member's incentive payment needs to go out on an off-cycle run. How do you process it?

What they are checking: Whether they can handle on-demand payments correctly, including supplemental tax withholding.

You find a variance in the payroll register right before the deadline. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they stay calm, find the cause and escalate as needed rather than letting a known error through.

Several managers haven't approved timecards and payroll closes tomorrow. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they follow up firmly and politely so employees are paid correctly and on time.

About the work

Walk me through what you check before and after a biweekly payroll run.

What they are checking: Whether they have a disciplined review process that catches errors before money goes out.

How would you calculate retroactive pay for an employee whose raise should have started three pay periods ago?

What they are checking: Whether they can do the math correctly, including hours, rate differences and the right tax treatment.

An employee's federal W-4 looks incomplete or inconsistent with their state form. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they know the withholding rules and follow up properly instead of guessing at elections.

What is labor distribution, and why would a payroll reallocation be needed at a medical college?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that pay is charged to grants and departments and must be allocated accurately.

What payroll or timekeeping systems have you used, and how fast do you learn new ones?

What they are checking: Whether they can pick up the college's timekeeping system and support others who use it.

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The full job description

As published by Medical College of Wisconsin.

Summary Under general supervision, responsible for the facilitation and support of the payroll records and validation of payroll results using registers and reports. Responsible for in-house processing of bi-weekly payrolls. Responsible for all required pre- and post-processing tasks to include verification of payroll run, review of federal and state W-4 elections, and labor distribution entry and reallocations. Perform specialized timekeeping system tasks of creating employee schedules and timecard approver follow-up. Work collaboratively with Human Resources and Benefits team members. Primary Responsibilities • 1. Assist with processing payroll biweekly. • 2. Review employee change details. Perform wage calculations for retroactive pay and vacation payouts when necessary. • 3. Process payroll accounting adjustments for faculty and staff. • 4. Review federal and state W-4 entries and follow up with employees for additional information where required. • 5. Process on-demand payroll for additional payments such as faculty incentive payments, on-call pay, and signing bonuses. • 6. Provide timekeeping system support by resolving errors and timecard approval follow-up. • 7. Provide payroll support to employees and leaders, having complete accountability in ensuring all interactions are professional, courteous, and otherwise a positive experience. Support includes responding to payroll, labor costing, and timekeeping questions by email or telephone. • 8. Cross-functional training on all payroll tasks. • 9. Assist with system testing, such as semi-annual ERP and timekeeping system updates and enhancement requests. Participate in other department and organization initiatives such as system upgrades and automation of processes. • 10. Assist with other duties as assigned. Knowledge – Skills – Abilities • Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and stay focused on assigned priorities, work independently to meet internal and external deadlines, and produce a consistently high-quality product. • Strong communication skills and the ability to listen critically and interact with individuals at all levels of the organization. • Strong technology skills, including automated payroll and timekeeping systems and their related reporting tools, MS Excel, MS Word, etc. • Solid critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. Experienced at working independently to analyze available information, draw conclusions and understandings, and present such conclusions effectively to management. • Manage multiple and often competing priorities, and excel in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. Qualifications Appropriate experience may be substituted for education on an equivalent basis. Minimum Required Education: High School Diploma Minimum Required Experience: 2 years of payroll-related responsibilities Preferred Education: Associate’s Degree Physical Requirements Work requires occasionally lifting moderate weight materials, standing, or walking continuously. Work Environment Occasional exposure to dust, noise, temperature changes, or contact with water or other liquids. Work is performed in an environmentally controlled environment. Sensory Acuity Ability to detect and translate speech or other communication required. May occasionally require the ability to distinguish colors and perceive relative distances between objects. #LI-AV1 Why MCW? • Outstanding Healthcare Coverage, including but not limited to Health, Vision, and Dental. Along with Flexible Spending options • 403B Retirement Package • Competitive Vacation and Paid Holidays offered • Tuition Reimbursement • Paid Parental Leave • Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) • Pet Insurance • On campus Fitness Facility, offering onsite classes • Additional discounted rates on items such as: Select cell phone plans, local fitness facilities, Milwaukee recreation and entertainment etc. For a brief overview of our benefits see: Benefits Overview For a full list of positions see: MCW Careers At MCW all of our endeavors, from our internal operations to our interactions with our partners, are driven by our shared organizational values: Caring – Collaborative – Curiosity – Inclusive – Integrity – Respect. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives through merit-based processes and in alignment with all applicable laws. We believe that embracing human differences is critical to realize our vision of a healthier world, and we recognize that a healthy and thriving community starts from within. Our values define who we are, what we stand for and how we conduct ourselves at MCW. If you believe in embracing individuality and working together according to these principles to improve health for all, then MCW is the place for you. For more information, please visit our institutional website . MCW as an Equal Opportunity Employer and Commitment to Non-Discrimination: The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic, or military status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the MCW community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

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