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Payroll is one of the largest corporate expenses, often ranked first or second on the balance sheet. For C-suite leaders, payroll data is not just operational; it is actionable financial intelligence.

Linda Obertin, CPP, Senior Director of HR and Global Payroll Lead at Hilton Worldwide, joined Schon Parris, CFC, Future of Work Practice Leader at ADP, and Rachele Collins, Ph.D. SHRM-SCP, a Client Experience Director for ADP, to host the webinar Empowering Global Payroll: Leveraging Analytics for Greater Strategic Impact.

During the ADP-sponsored webinar, Obertin delivered a clear directive for senior payroll and finance leaders: payroll is now a strategic lever for enterprise growth. Her insights underscore the need for executives to position payroll analytics as a key component of organizational performance.

Compliance, Governance: A Leadership Imperative

Compliance is now extending beyond statutory obligations into fair labor practices and pay equity. Boards are accountable for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments, and equitable pay practices are now a key metric for social responsibility.

The discussion also linked pay equity to employee engagement and retention. Inequitable pay can lead to attrition, litigation, and negative publicity which affect shareholder value. Boards must take proactive measures to mitigate these risks.

“It’s not just about avoiding penalties—it’s about building trust and protecting brand integrity,” Obertin said.

Executives must champion governance frameworks that integrate payroll, HR, and finance data. This alignment ensures transparency, mitigates risk, and strengthens ESG commitments in an era of heightened regulatory scrutiny.

“We [payroll] hold the data, and we understand the systems,” said Obertin. “We can share the insights for leaders to drive fair and compliant compensation practices.”

Building the Value Path

One of Obertin’s most compelling points was linking pay initiatives to business outcomes. This narrative resonates strongly at the executive board level, where ROI contributes to decision-making.

“You want to then take [payroll] data and tie it to a business outcome,” Parris chimed in. “When you can connect the initiative to financial performance, you’re no longer an expense—you’re an investment.”

Analytics help identify separation patterns and predict attrition, enabling proactive workforce planning and targeted engagement initiatives. They can also predict labor costs and overtime trends, allowing leaders to prioritize staffing levels and manage workloads effectively across regions.

It also enables organizations to track gender pay gaps, bonus discrepancies, and adherence to local regulations, ensuring compliance with mandates like the UK Equality Act and U.S. pay transparency laws. Analytics can also reveal excessive overtime costs and allow managers to redistribute workloads or adjust staffing to control expenses.

“Business leaders respect you bringing this information to the table. Don’t keep payroll data the best hidden secret,” Obertin said.

When payroll leaders demonstrate how process improvements reduce turnover, enhance employee satisfaction, and lower recruitment costs, payroll shifts from a cost center to a strategic investment.

Preparing for the Future: AI, Advanced Analytics

Obertin emphasized the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in payroll functions. For senior professionals, the approach is clear: embrace automation and predictive analytics to enhance payroll’s strategic impact.

She and the other presenters highlighted that automation reduces time-consuming tasks such as reconciliations, reporting, and error detection. By leveraging AI-driven variance analysis and automated alerts, payroll teams can handle increasing complexity without requiring additional headcount.

“Leaders are looking for rapid decision-making. Modern tools and analytics make that possible,” Obertin said.

Automated dashboards and pre-built visualizations provide instant insight into payroll KPIs, such as accuracy, cycle time, and overtime costs. This capability ensures resilience by allowing leaders to quickly respond to workforce changes, compliance risks, or cost fluctuations.

AI-driven tools automatically identify anomalies and compliance gaps, reducing costly errors. This proactive approach enhances resilience by reducing disruptions and safeguarding brand integrity in a global regulatory environment.

Automation provides predictive modeling, enabling organizations to forecast labor costs and anticipate workforce needs. This forward-looking capability helps enterprises adapt to market volatility and maintain operational stability.

“Small improvements can have huge budgetary implications,” Collins stated. “Payroll is coming to life as a strategic player at organizations.”

Executive Action Steps

Some key steps for executives in this process include the following:

• Define payroll analytics objectives that are aligned with corporate strategy

• Utilize integrated platforms for global data visibility

• Leverage AI and predictive analytics for proactive decision-making

• Connect payroll metrics to ROI and business outcomes

Register Today

The webinar’s message to high-ranking payroll professionals is unequivocal: define your goals, clean your data, and leverage technology to deliver insights that matter. By aligning payroll analytics with organizational objectives, leaders can transform payroll into a crucial component of business performance.

Register now to access PayrollOrg’s free, on-demand webinar, Empowering Global Payroll: Leveraging Analytics for Greater Strategic Impact, available until September 30.

Raul Plata, Jr., is the Editorial Assistant of Membership Publications for PayrollOrg.