FEATURE ARTICLE | 45
This issue, Lora spoke to: Kevin Fitzgerald, Managing Director – UK, Employment Hero Modupe Magbagbeola ACIPP, Head of Payroll Services, Cezanne Chevonne Wild MCIPPdip, CIPP Payroll Advisory Team Leader. Q: Have you seen a shift in role titles and responsibilities due to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)? If yes, what have those changes looked like? Kevin Fitzgerald: Yes, but not in the way people expected. We’re not seeing payroll jobs disappear. If anything, our first-party platform data shows small businesses are hiring for more payroll and human resource (HR) roles. So, the demand for expertise is still there. What’s changed is the expectation. Employers now want pay professionals who understand how to use AI and automation properly. Not just run a pay cycle, but understand how systems integrate, how data flows and where risk sits. The manual input side of the job is shrinking, and the oversight side is growing. AI can calculate, flag anomalies and speed things up. But someone still has to sense-check it. Payroll is too high-risk to ‘set and forget’. So, the role is shifting from processing to judgment, governance and problem-solving. Modupe Magbagbeola: Traditional payroll roles focussed heavily on accurate processing and carrying out compliance activities. With automation and AI- assisted validation tools reducing manual processing time, there’s a noticeable shift. Payroll professionals are spending less time keying and more time analysing. Roles are becoming more consultative, with payroll professionals who understand data interpretation, systems configuration and controls design, rather than simply delivering outputs. Q: Where are you seeing AI adding real, measurable value in payroll today, and where’s it still falling short? KF: The biggest measurable impact is on time savings. Recent data found that 76% of payroll professionals still need between one and five days to complete a pay run. Only 23% can do it in less than a day. This suggests the process remains time-intensive At the same time, 82% want to use AI and automation to reduce processing time, so we know there’s real appetite. Where AI
The digital payroll revolution The digital revolution has fundamentally reshaped the pay industry over the past few years. From automation to advanced analytics, the changes are redefining roles and expectations across the sector. To capture these developments and their long-term implications, we consulted a panel of industry experts for their insights.
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