Personnel and payroll accountant with Employee Lifecycle

In this course, you’ll gain practical knowledge about key aspects of human resources management—from workforce planning to recruitment and development, all the way to compensation. The course also covers the basics of tax and social security law, as well as payroll processing using DATEV. Finally, you’ll learn in detail how to effectively use artificial intelligence (AI) in human resources.

 

In this course, you’ll gain hands-on experience working with DATEV eG’s on-premise software; to deepen your understanding, selected content from the DATEV Students learning platform will also be integrated online.

  • Certificates: Certificate "Personnel and payroll accountant"
    "Employee Lifecycle" Certificate
  • Additional Certificates: Certificate "Fundamentals of Human Resources Management"
    DATEV certificate "DATEV user wage and salary"
  • Examination: Praxisbezogene Projektarbeiten mit Abschlusspräsentationen
    DATEV-Anwender Lohn und Gehalt (Eine Anmeldung über das Lernportal „DATEV Students online“ ist für die Zertifizierungsvorbereitung obligatorisch.)
  • Teaching Times: Full-time
    Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. (in weeks with public holidays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:10 p.m.)
  • Language of Instruction: German
  • Duration: 14 Weeks

Income tax and social security law

Social Security Law and Payroll Calculation Principles (Full-time: approx. 2 days / Part-time: approx. 4 days) 

Social Security Coverage and Exemptions

Types of Insurance and Contribution Structure 

Current Calculation Parameters: Contribution Assessment Ceilings and Contribution Rates

Accrual and Due Date Principles


Digital Reporting and Retrieval System (Full-time: approx. 0.5 days / Part-time: approx. 1 day)

DEÜV Reports and Contribution Statements 

ELStAM in Practice: Registration, Retrieval, Changes, and Errors 

Overview of eAU, EEL, and BEA Procedures

Verification Paths, Deadlines, and Common Processing Errors


Basics of Payroll Tax Law (Full-time: approx. 1 day / Part-time: approx. 2 days)

Basics of Payroll Tax Withholding

Income Tax Brackets, Exemptions, Factor Method

Church Tax and Solidarity Surcharge


Components of Pay and Non-Cash Benefits (Full-time: approx. 3 days / Part-time: approx. 6 days)

Elements of Payroll Processing

Recurring compensation

One-time payments and other compensation

Tax-Exempt SFN Allowances

Non-cash benefits and benefits in kind (company car, commuter pass, meal allowances, gift certificates)

Salary Deferrals (bAv, Benefits)

Deductions and Offsets (wage garnishment, VWL, advances, and retroactive adjustments)


Regulations for Certain Groups of People (Full-time: approx. 1 day / Part-time: approx. 2 days)

Mini-job/Midi-job

Transitional workers

Interns/Working Students/Apprentices

Short-term employment 

Multiple employment and selected special cases


Travel Expense Policy (Full-time: approx. 1 day / Part-time: approx. 2 days)

Primary Place of Work and Travel for Work 

Additional meal expenses, travel expenses, lodging expenses

Meal Provision and Deduction Rules 

Domestic and International Scenarios 

Current flat rates and typical practical cases


AI in HR and Payroll (Full-time: approx. 0.5 days / Part-time: approx. 1 day)

Automation of Routine Tasks Using AI Tools 

Ethical and legal aspects of AI use, as well as employee data protection


Project Work (Full-time: approx. 1 day / Part-time: approx. 2 days)

To reinforce what has been learned

Presentation of project results

Fundamentals of human resources management

Fundamentals of Human Resources Management and Digitalization (approx. 3 days)

Roles, Objectives, and Importance of Human Resources Management in a Company

Structure and Organization of Human Resources

Human Resources Information and Statistics

Diversity Management in the HR Context

Digitalization and AI in Human Resources


Human Resources Management (approx. 5 days)

Tasks and Process Structures

Human Resources Management Tools

Digital and AI-powered HR information systems (e.g., chatbots or self-service portals)

Data Protection in Human Resources

Fundamentals of Labor Law (Types of Contracts, Rights and Obligations of Employers and Employees, Protected Rights)


Workforce Planning/Recruitment (approx. 4 days)

Objectives, Tasks, and Tools of Workforce Planning

Human Resources Management in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Determining Staffing Needs and Staff Deployment

Candidate Management, Job Profiles, and Evaluation of Application Materials

Online Recruiting and the Candidate Journey

Job Interviews/Selection Processes

Hiring New Employees


Human Resources Development (approx. 2 days)

Significance and Objectives of Human Resources Development

Integrating Employee Development into Corporate Goals and HR Strategy

Performance Appraisals as the Basis for Employee Development Measures

Development Tools

Overview of digital learning offerings and AI-powered professional development tools


Employee Compensation (approx. 3 days)

Personnel Costs as a Key Performance Indicator in the Company

Overview of Forms of Compensation

Basics of Social Security and Payroll Tax

Gross-to-Net Logic, Non-Cash Compensation

Structure and Components of a Payroll Statement

Current Overview of Pay Transparency


Project work (approx. 3 days)

To consolidate the content learned

Presentation of the project results

Wages and salaries with DATEV

Legal framework for payroll accounting (full-time approx. 3 days/part-time approx. 6 days)

Fundamentals of labor law with reference to payroll accounting

Social security law: compulsory insurance, contribution groups, levies, reporting, obligation to keep records

Wage tax law: tax deduction features, obligation to call up, payroll account

Wage types and their significance for payroll accounting

Data protection and limits of AI for payroll and personal data


Create and maintain client and employee master data in DATEV (full-time: approx. 5 days; part-time: approx. 10 days)

Creating Clients in DATEV

Backing up and restoring client data

Recording social security and tax-related specifics, as well as other client master data

Creating various employee types

Employee groups (trainees, mini-jobs, midi-jobs, managing directors)

Hires and Terminations


Payments and deductions in DATEV (full-time approx. 4 days/part-time approx. 8 days)

Salary and time rate

Supplements and variable remuneration components

One-off payments (e.g. Christmas and vacation bonuses)

Travel allowances

Payment of wages in the event of illness, vacation, public holidays

Garnishment

Benefits in kind and non-cash benefits (e.g. company car, staff discounts)

Company pension scheme

Travel expenses and reimbursement of expenses

Maternity protection pay and maternity benefit


Payroll accounting and monthly closing with DATEV (full-time approx. 3 days/part-time approx. 6 days)

Transaction data entry

AI as an accounting tool for complex payroll transactions

Payroll accounting and monthly closing

Proof of contributions and estimation, certificates

Payroll tax registration

Repeat and recalculations

Transfer of payroll postings to the

Financial accounting, accounting voucher

Year-end closing work


Digital collaboration in DATEV (full-time approx. 2 days/part-time approx. 4 days)

DATEV Unternehmen online and DATEV Arbeitnehmer online at a glance

Preliminary wage recording and digital recording of monthly data

Digitally exchange and manage personnel documents

Digital mapping of attendances and absences

Use evaluations and wage evaluations in the DATEV applications

Insight into digital personnel processes with DATEV Personal


Project work, certification preparation (via the DATEV Students online platform) and certification exam "DATEV User Wages and Salaries" (full-time approx. 3 days/part-time approx. 6 days)

Employee Lifecycle - Artificial intelligence (AI) in human resources

Basics of the employee lifecycle (approx. 2 days)

Employee lifecycle as a process map (HR use cases, potential benefits, limits)

Dos/don`ts (human-in-the-loop, quality)

Basic AI terms: Model types (LLMs, classic ML), hallucinations, prompting basics

Change management for AI implementation


Legal basis (approx. 2 days)

EU AI Act (risk classes, high-risk obligations, emotion/biometric analysis)

AI literacy/training obligation

GDPR (purpose limitation, transparency, Art. 22)

DPIA and co-determination (BetrVG)

AI governance and operating model


Personnel planning and analysis (approx. 3 days)

Forecasts for personnel requirements

Data-driven HR, predictive analytics, people analytics

Workforce and skill planning

Analysis of fluctuation and early indicators

Bias monitoring in HR


AI in recruiting (approx. 5 days)

Landing pages, search engine optimization and social media in recruiting

Active sourcing and outreach with AI

Skills-based hiring (market trend and reality check)

Creating job advertisements with AI

AI-supported screening of CVs

Chatbots and video interviews


AI in personnel development (approx. 4 days)

Automated onboarding processes

Skill gap analyses

Further training offers and learning paths with AI

Creating employee appraisal guidelines

Employee satisfaction/employee retention

Impact measurement


AI in offboarding (approx. 1 day)

Offboarding processes (handover, knowledge backup, automation)

Creating AI-supported job references


Project work (approx. 3 days)

To consolidate the content learned

Presentation of the project results



Changes are possible, the course content is updated regularly.

After completing the course, you will have a solid and practical understanding of current income tax and social security laws. You will understand how modern human resources management works—from personnel administration and labor law to workforce planning and recruiting, all the way to employee development and compensation. In addition, you’ll be familiar with the basic processes of payroll accounting and payroll processing, as well as with the DATEV software. 

In addition, you have in-depth knowledge of the practical use of AI in the HR context along the entire employee lifecycle. You will be able to select suitable AI tools and procedures, apply reliable prompt and quality standards and create typical HR artefacts with AI support (e.g. job advertisements).

The course is aimed at all persons who wish to acquire or refresh their knowledge of human resources management in order to subsequently work in the field as a user or administrator.

Employees with a sound basic knowledge of human resources are indispensable in today's working world and are in demand in companies of all sizes across all industries.

Your additional knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) in the central areas of HR will open up a wide range of career opportunities in HR and make you an important pillar for successful and future-oriented HR work.

Didactic concept

Your lecturers are highly qualified both professionally and didactically and will teach you from the first to the last day (no self-study system).

You will learn in effective small groups. The courses usually consist of 6 to 25 participants. The general lessons are supplemented by numerous practical exercises in all course modules. The practice phase is an important part of the course, as it is during this time that you process what you have just learned and gain confidence and routine in its application. The final section of the course involves a project, a case study or a final exam.

 

Virtual classroom alfaview®

Lessons take place using modern alfaview® video technology - either from the comfort of your own home or at our premises at Bildungszentrum. The entire course can see each other face-to-face via alfaview®, communicate with each other in lip-sync voice quality and work on joint projects. Of course, you can also see and talk to your connected trainers live at any time and you will be taught by your lecturers in real time for the entire duration of the course. The lessons are not e-learning, but real live face-to-face lessons via video technology.

 

The courses at alfatraining are funded by Agentur für Arbeit and are certified in accordance with the AZAV approval regulation. When submitting a Bildungsgutscheinor Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein, the entire course costs are usually covered by your funding body.
Funding is also possible via Europäischen Sozialfonds (ESF), Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV) or regional funding programs. As a regular soldier, you have the option of attending further training courses via Berufsförderungsdienst (BFD). Companies can also have their employees qualified via funding from Agentur für Arbeit (Qualifizierungschancengesetz).

We will gladly advise you free of charge.

0800 3456-500 Mon. - Fri. from 8 am to 5 pm
free of charge from all German networks.

Contact

We will gladly advise you free of charge. 0800 3456-500 Mon. - Fri. from 8 am to 5 pm free of charge from all German networks.