July 2, 2026 · 8 min read
For almost ten years Anastasiia Kozlenko has been growing together with UHY Prostir. She joined the company as a first-year student in the position of accounting assistant, and today she leads the payroll practice and manages a team of specialists.
In this interview we talked with Anastasiia about her first steps in the profession, the specifics of payroll processes, working with a team and the challenges of a leadership role. And also about how persistence, a desire to learn and the support of colleagues help to build a career and find one’s place in the profession.
Nastia, share the story of how you started at UHY Prostir. What were your first impressions of the company?
I remember my start at the company quite well. I was very nervous — I had only just finished the first year of my bachelor’s degree and had only basic knowledge of payroll calculation. At the same time, I had a strong desire to learn and gain practical experience. What I remember most is the atmosphere in the company — friendly, welcoming, open and at the same time professional. From the very first days I felt my colleagues’ readiness to help and share knowledge, and that was very supportive.
You began your professional path at UHY Prostir while still studying. What was your first role in the company, and what was the hardest at the beginning?
I came in as an accounting assistant. My first work was systematising documents, compiling registers and posting documents in accounting systems. Later I joined the preparation of reporting.
The hardest part was getting to grips with the professional terminology, accounting entries and specialised software — in the first year of university we had not yet studied those topics. I took notes on every process down to the smallest details, so that at any moment I could go back to my notes and reproduce the required sequence of steps.
In fact, UHY Prostir became a great school of an accountant’s life for me. Later, at lectures, it was easier for me to grasp the essence of the material, because I had already been through most of it in practice.
How did your understanding of the accounting profession change over time? What became the biggest discovery for you in this field?
At the beginning it seemed to me that accounting was mostly documents, numbers and reports. Over time I realised that it is much more. An accountant has to understand business processes, legislation, risks and the client’s needs. It is important not only to record an individual transaction correctly, but also to understand its essence and its impact on the company’s activity as a whole. The biggest discovery was how important analytics is, and the ability to see the interconnection between different processes.
Over the years you have worked on various projects and practice areas. Which experience helps you most today in your role as a team leader?
The most valuable thing for me was the experience of working on different projects. It taught me to look at tasks more broadly — to see not just an individual operation but the whole process.
With time also came the understanding that even in the most difficult situation a way out can always be found. My managers and colleagues, whom I could always turn to for help, supported me greatly in this.
In my work now I try to build an approach where the members of my team are not afraid to ask questions and seek help, but rather learn and develop. It is equally important for me to create a favourable environment for everyone’s professional growth.
When did you realise that payroll was exactly the field you wanted to explore more deeply?
Back at university I was interested in the topic of salaries and taxation. Later, at work, I joined a large payroll project. It was hard at the beginning, but in time I realised that this was my thing.
Payroll is a very meticulous and responsible field. Yet I enjoy the very process of the work — especially when the client gives a positive assessment of the result. Besides that, working with payroll has really boosted my analytical skills. It is an area where everything has to add up perfectly. If something doesn’t add up, you need to figure out the causes, find a solution and eliminate the problem.
How do payroll processes differ from the traditional idea of accounting? What requires special attention in this work?
Payroll is directly connected with people, so even a minor mistake can have tangible consequences for an employee. That is why accuracy, meeting deadlines and constant monitoring of legislative changes are especially important in this field. In addition, payroll processes involve working with sensitive information, so a high level of confidentiality and responsibility is an integral part of the job.
Payroll often involves sensitive information: salaries, personal data, deadlines and legislative changes. What principles are key for you when working with such processes?
For me it is first of all responsibility, confidentiality and a systematic approach. It is important to follow the established procedures strictly, check the results carefully and ensure proper protection of information. Continuous learning is no less important, because legislation and the requirements for payroll processes are constantly changing, and a specialist has to respond to these changes in time.
What, in your opinion, is the sign of a well-built payroll process?
In my opinion, a quality payroll process works stably and predictably. It is important to set clear deadlines and stick to them. As a rule, once a year we agree a payroll calendar and then work according to it.
It is equally important that all participants in the process clearly understand their roles, the sequence of actions and the importance of meeting the established deadlines. In addition, all specifics and nuances should be recorded in instructions, so that every specialist involved in the process can study them and act according to a clear algorithm.
Another important sign is automation. It helps to optimise working time and reduce the risk of errors related to the human factor.
Your team works in different formats — one of your colleagues works fully remotely. How do you manage to maintain effective communication and keep the team engaged in shared processes?
It is important to me that every team member has access to the necessary information and understands the current priorities. We regularly discuss work matters, use shared task-planning tools and stay in constant contact. In addition, when launching new projects we record our meetings and build a learning base. This makes it possible to return to the necessary information at any moment, watch or listen to the material again and carry out the assigned tasks with confidence.
You yourself started your career at the company as a student. Does that experience influence how you support newcomers on the team today?
It certainly does. I remember myself in their place, so for my part I try to provide as much information as possible when involving them in new processes. At the same time, they get to know new tasks gradually and in measured doses, to avoid information overload.
I remember well how important it is at the start to have support and the opportunity to ask questions. So I try to create an environment where beginning specialists can learn comfortably, gradually take on responsibility and not be afraid to ask for help.
What qualities do you value most in the people you work with?
Most of all I value honesty, responsibility, the desire to understand the process rather than mechanically completing tasks, attention to detail and the ability to work in a team. It is also important to me that a person is ready to take the initiative and look for solutions, not just point out a problem.
What is the biggest challenge for you now in the role of payroll team leader? And what, on the contrary, motivates you most in this role?
The biggest challenge is to ensure consistent quality of work amid constant change and a growing volume of tasks. What motivates me most is the development of the team, the opportunity to improve processes and to see the results of our joint work.
How did you see your professional development at the start of your career, and what helped you most along the way?
At the beginning I was focused above all on doing my job well, constantly learning and improving my skills. I wanted to grow and take on new challenges, however difficult they might be.
Looking back, I realise that what helped most were persistence, a readiness to dig into complex cases, responsibility, the support of colleagues and the trust of management.
How do you see the further role of the payroll team in the company’s development?
First of all, it is the automation and optimisation of payroll processes. This approach will help reduce the time spent on operational work and allow more attention to be given to consulting and working with clients.
What would you advise someone who is just starting a career in accounting or payroll?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, be attentive to detail and keep learning. In this field it is impossible to know everything from day one, but the desire to develop and the readiness to work on yourself always pay off.
And finally: what does “being in the right place” in the profession mean to you?
For me, being in the right place means enjoying my work and understanding that my work has value. It is the feeling when you take on new challenges with pleasure and see meaning in your work every day.
Interviewed by Kateryna Bohdan
