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Payroll has an unusually clear view of what is happening across a business. Hiring decisions become workforce costs. Growth can expose gaps in systems and processes. Changes that look straightforward on paper can create payroll, compliance, or cost issues once they reach employees.

Chief Payroll Officers (CPO) and payroll leaders can often see these impacts by looking at the numbers. The opportunity is to understand what is behind them early enough to help the business respond.

For instance, an increase in overtime hours may be easy to spot. However, a payroll leader who knows the business will want to understand why this is happening. Is a team understaffed? Has turnover picked up? Did the business grow faster than expected? The answers may point to something that finance, HR, or operations needs to know.That information may impact a hiring plan, affect expansion, or change how work gets done. Payroll leaders who get involved early in the process can ask questions while plans are still taking shape and share what they see before an issue becomes expensive, disruptive, or too difficult to unwind.

The impact of technology has streamlined processes, providing payroll teams with more time to complete strategic tasks. Automation can reduce or eliminate manual steps, while analytics can make changes and patterns easier to see. What happens next depends on the people who are examining the information. They must have the experience and the understanding to know what deserves a closer look and to know which questions must be answered.

All of that should influence how CPOs build their teams: technical payroll and regulatory knowledge matter. Experience with data and systems also matters. People who are curious about what is behind the numbers and who are comfortable working with leaders across the business can  add real value.

Leadership planning requires equal focus. When expanding globally or implementing major system changes, identify the one on your payroll team who has relevant experience, or the one who should receive that experience. These answers can help CPOs develop future leaders and recognize when they need to bring in experience they don't have today.

​An accurate, compliant, and timely payroll will always matter. CPOs who develop teams that understand payroll data can identify issues early and support informed decision-making. This may involve ineffective processes, addressing compliance concerns proactively, correcting compliance issues, or providing timely information for critical business decisions.

Brandi Britton is the Global Executive Director, Contract Finance and Accounting for Robert Half.