Insights into Payroll Complexity and Solutions in 2024 and Beyond

Insights into Payroll Complexity and Solutions in 2024 and Beyond
21 Feb 2024

The payroll industry is at an interesting point in its evolution, with its head turned towards the future and positive intentions for forward motion yet one foot still anchoring it firmly to the past. Payroll transformation - and a willing embrace of technology and innovation - is unquestionably the right path forward. However, we need to take a long and pragmatic look at the old habits holding us back before we can pursue it and enjoy the benefits of streamlined, efficient, compliant payroll that contemporary payroll solutions offer.  

With the recent release of Alight’s 2024 Company Payroll Complexity Report, we have the opportunity to put global payroll under the microscope and take a deeper dive into the pain points confronting payroll professionals and the barriers to adoption for payroll outsourcing models. We can see the gains made by those who are open to AI, cloud-based approaches and payroll tech and, conversely, the negative impact of an ongoing reliance on manual processes and reluctance to evolve. Advancement is the best way payroll can contribute to business growth and the most complex countries for payroll processing need that momentum most of all.  

In its 2023 Global Payroll Complexity Index Report (GPCI), Alight ranked the top 40 countries based on payroll complexity out of nearly 200 countries where it processes payroll and brought us valuable insights into emerging patterns and trends - the good and the bad. The GPCI report revealed that France has kept its position as the most complex country for payroll processing with Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Canada completing the top five. The top 10 countries were shown to be 29 per cent more complex than the remaining 30, reiterating that a mindset change is needed.  

The 2024 Company Payroll Complexity Report expands on the data from the 2023 GPCI to understand key aspects of payroll operations. It looks at the number of countries companies are processing payroll in and the processes and technology they are using to execute it. The new report surveyed nearly 300 stakeholders and payroll professionals to build a bigger picture of new developments in payroll processes, AI and tech adoption and what the people on the frontline see as the most significant pain points.  

Insights into payroll complexity and emerging trends can empower organisations to develop efficient, agile and automated payroll solutions that ensure compliance with evolving regulations. Such data can contribute to payroll strategy development, including decisions around centralising payroll operations, prioritising professional development for payroll staff and implementing innovative technologies to streamline processes and reduce costs. The 2024 Company Payroll Complexity Report offers a holistic picture of the current payroll technology landscape and the chance to identify the best way forward.  

Join us on February 27 at 15:00 GMT/10:00 EST as we explore the 2024 Company Global Payroll Complexity Report further in a webinar with Jan Pieter Janssen, Alight Solutions VP of Business Development, and Alight’s Strategy and Offering Management Leader Marianne Langlois.   

 

Register here for the Payroll in 2024 and Beyond webinar. 

 

The payroll industry is at an interesting point in its evolution, with its head turned towards the future and positive intentions for forward motion yet one foot still anchoring it firmly to the past. Payroll transformation - and a willing embrace of technology and innovation - is unquestionably the right path forward. However, we need to take a long and pragmatic look at the old habits holding us back before we can pursue it and enjoy the benefits of streamlined, efficient, compliant payroll that contemporary payroll solutions offer.  

With the recent release of Alight’s 2024 Company Payroll Complexity Report, we have the opportunity to put global payroll under the microscope and take a deeper dive into the pain points confronting payroll professionals and the barriers to adoption for payroll outsourcing models. We can see the gains made by those who are open to AI, cloud-based approaches and payroll tech and, conversely, the negative impact of an ongoing reliance on manual processes and reluctance to evolve. Advancement is the best way payroll can contribute to business growth and the most complex countries for payroll processing need that momentum most of all.  

In its 2023 Global Payroll Complexity Index Report (GPCI), Alight ranked the top 40 countries based on payroll complexity out of nearly 200 countries where it processes payroll and brought us valuable insights into emerging patterns and trends - the good and the bad. The GPCI report revealed that France has kept its position as the most complex country for payroll processing with Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Canada completing the top five. The top 10 countries were shown to be 29 per cent more complex than the remaining 30, reiterating that a mindset change is needed.  

The 2024 Company Payroll Complexity Report expands on the data from the 2023 GPCI to understand key aspects of payroll operations. It looks at the number of countries companies are processing payroll in and the processes and technology they are using to execute it. The new report surveyed nearly 300 stakeholders and payroll professionals to build a bigger picture of new developments in payroll processes, AI and tech adoption and what the people on the frontline see as the most significant pain points.  

Insights into payroll complexity and emerging trends can empower organisations to develop efficient, agile and automated payroll solutions that ensure compliance with evolving regulations. Such data can contribute to payroll strategy development, including decisions around centralising payroll operations, prioritising professional development for payroll staff and implementing innovative technologies to streamline processes and reduce costs. The 2024 Company Payroll Complexity Report offers a holistic picture of the current payroll technology landscape and the chance to identify the best way forward.  

Join us on February 27 at 15:00 GMT/10:00 EST as we explore the 2024 Company Global Payroll Complexity Report further in a webinar with Jan Pieter Janssen, Alight Solutions VP of Business Development, and Alight’s Strategy and Offering Management Leader Marianne Langlois.   

 

Register here for the Payroll in 2024 and Beyond webinar. 

 

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