Payroll Reinvented: How Technology and EWA Are Shifting the Game with April Smith

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

In this episode, April Smith, VP of Payroll and Benefits at Senior Lifestyle, joins Nick Day to break down how payroll is evolving from a back-office function into a strategic driver of retention, wellbeing, and workforce insight.

April shares why she was initially opposed to Earned Wage Access and what changed her mind once she saw the real data and employee behavior firsthand. She explains how on-demand pay supports financial stability without creating dependency, why dignity and privacy matter in payroll programs, and how payroll teams are uniquely positioned to spot workforce issues before anyone else.

The conversation also dives into how automation is shifting payroll from balancing numbers to diagnosing patterns, how payroll data influences executive decision-making, and why payroll leaders are earning a stronger seat at the leadership table.

If you work in payroll, HR, or people operations, this episode offers a grounded, operator-level perspective on the future of payroll and what modern payroll leadership really looks like.

Connect with April: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-cpp-98681a246?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Nick Day’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e

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

(00:00) Introduction and April’s Payroll Background

(05:10) Why April Was Initially Against Earned Wage Access

(10:35) What Changed Her Perspective on On-Demand Pay

(16:40) Earned Wage Access as Financial Stability, Not a Perk

(22:55) Dignity, Privacy, and Removing Payroll from Personal Hardship

(29:30) Recruiting and Retention Impact of Same-Day Pay

(35:45) Payroll as the Earliest Signal of Workforce Issues

(41:20) Automation Shifting Payroll from Processing to Insight

(47:10) Payroll’s Growing Role in Executive Decision-Making

(52:30) The Future of Payroll and HRIS Ownership

(57:20) Final Thoughts on Modern Payroll Leadership

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(280)

Your Payroll Knows Something Your Credit Score Doesn't with Nico Simko

Most conversations about on-demand pay stop in the same place. Employees want their money sooner, employers want to hold onto cash for longer, and an app sits somewhere in the middle. But a product th...

15 Okt 49min

Real-time Payroll, Mandatory Payrolling and National Minimum Wage

Payroll Question Time is brought to you by SD Worx. SD Worx offers smart, tailored and integrated HR and Payroll solutions, along with the local expertise, global reach and reliable service you need t...

7 Okt 52min

The Strategic Payroll Leader | Beyond Compliance at Payroll Summit 2026 with Vickie Graham

Most payroll and reward events cover the same ground. Legislation updates, compliance checklists, a few case studies, then everyone goes home. But an event built only around compliance will never move...

29 Sep 36min

Minimum Wage Compliance | Technology Closing the Payroll Deductions Gap with Wendy Muirhead

Payroll compliance isn't about hitting the minimum wage threshold on paper, it's about understanding what deductions, benefits, and statutory calculations actually mean in law.In this episode of @thep...

19 Sep 33min

Talent Retention in Payroll Leadership | Building Careers for 2040 with Troy Markusson

Payroll leadership faces a 2040 crisis that has nothing to do with compliance, technology, or AI. It's our failure to attract, educate, and listen to the next generation of payroll professionals. In t...

9 Sep 52min

Silent Payroll Errors | Why Compliance Blindspots Matter with Jay Crider

Your payroll runs smoothly but that's exactly where payroll compliance risk hides. In this episodeIn this episode of @thepayrollpodcast, Nick Day, CEO of JGA Recruitment Group, sits down with Jay Crid...

1 Sep 54min

AI for Payroll | How Failed Implementations Shape Your Career with Raju Chauhan

AI for payroll is reshaping the profession but failed implementations reveal what truly matters. In this episode of @thepayrollpodcast, Nick Day, CEO of JGA Recruitment, sits down with Raju Chauhan, e...

24 Aug 49min

Building a Strategic Payroll Career | Leadership Beyond Compliance with Jamie Phillips

Payroll careers are often written off as accidents. Someone needed a job, a shared service center needed a body, and thirty years later they never left. But staying in payroll for three decades and be...

17 Aug 43min