In this video: How Payroll Is Moving from Back-Office Processor to Strategic Powerhouse in the Age of Automation | The Payroll Podcast Live from Payroll Congress 2026

For years, payroll has been treated as a back-office function. A necessary process. A cost center. Something that just has to get done. But something significant is shifting across the global payroll profession, and the professionals who recognize this shift now will be the ones leading it in the years ahead.

In this special live episode of @thepayrollpodcast and PayTalk, recorded on the floor of Payroll Congress 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, Nick Day and Natalie Lloyd sit down with six leading voices from across the global payroll industry for an honest and forward-thinking conversation about where payroll is headed and what it means for the professionals driving it.

Across six conversations, the episode explores how payroll is evolving from a transactional processing function into a strategic, data-driven, and ethically accountable discipline. Topics covered include AI adoption and automation in payroll teams, the rise of pay transparency legislation, earned wage access as an employee wellness tool, proactive employee communication models, and what it truly means to elevate payroll to a seat at the table.

One of the most powerful ideas to emerge from this episode is what Nick Day calls the algorithmic conscience of work. As AI and automation take over the transactional layer of payroll, human professionals become the ethical and contextual layer. The people who verify not just whether the numbers are accurate, but whether what is being paid is fair.

The episode also tackles the gap between AI ambition and AI reality. Most payroll teams know they should be using AI. Very few know where to start. Guests share practical first steps, real implementation stories, and honest lessons from the field.

Because payroll is no longer just about processing pay. It is about workforce intelligence, equitable compensation, employee experience, and the ethical application of technology at the heart of every organisation. And the payroll professionals who embrace that shift will become some of the most influential voices inside modern business.

This episode is sponsored by Deel

Managing a global team is complex, Deel makes it simpler with payroll, HR, IT, and compliance all in one place. That's why over 35,000 businesses trust Deel to hire, pay, and manage their teams worldwide.

See how Deel works at www.deel.com/nickday

Guest and Hosts:

Connect with Wendy Muirhead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendymuirhead0980/

Connect with Christian Cooper:https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiancooperprofile101/

Connect with Tracee Bowles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceebowles/

Connect with Joe Ranzau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-ranzau/

Connect with Tom Croughton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-croughton/

Connect with Vic Thatcher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriajthatcher/

Connect with Nick Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Connect with Natalie Lloyd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalielloyd94/

Find your ideal payroll candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/919cf6b9ea

Sign up to the Payroll Podcast Newsletter: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/23e7b153e7

Stay tuned for the next episode of The Payroll Podcast, brought to you by Nick Day, CEO at JGA Recruitment, landing soon!

Enjoyed this? Check out our sister podcast @thehrldpodcast for more great content!

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Introduction and Welcome to Payroll Congress 2026

(00:02:20) Wendy Muirhead on Leading Payroll Transformation in the Age of Automation

(00:05:04) How to Take Your First Step with AI in Payroll

(00:08:12) The Executive Summit and the 50 Billion Dollar Question

(00:17:49) Christian Cooper on Earned Wage Access and Employee Financial Wellness

(00:23:02) Tracee Bowles on AI Readiness and the Tier Negative One Concept

(00:29:34) Can AI Become Your Personal Tax and Financial Wellness Agent

(00:35:48) Navigating AI Cautiously and the Importance of Data Governance

(00:49:53) Joe Ranzau on Real World AI Implementation and Change Management

(00:53:58) Tom Croughton and Natalie Lloyd on AI Use Cases and Elevating the Profession

(01:05:00) Vic Thatcher on AI Adoption Gaps and the Coming Pay Transparency Revolution

(01:15:20) Final Thoughts and What to Expect in Episode Two