For today’s enterprises, the payroll stakes are not just higher, they’re more fundamental than ever to success.
Multi-country payroll outsourcing (MCPO) solutions and services now rank among fastest-growing HR market trends – at a time when much of the buzz in recent years has centered on more advanced human capital management (HCM) systems and functions.
So, why the resurgence in optimizing and outsourcing payroll?
No doubt, prospective cost savings are a driving force of this growth, which NelsonHall recently described as 2x the overall HR market, and Everest Group estimated as soaring by 20% in revenue this year compared to 2018.
New Light Shines on Payroll
Although the forecasts and figures tell part of the story, another factor continues to emerge: HR leaders and other senior management strategists are seeing payroll in a new light – where HCM progress hinges on payroll mastery from almost every standpoint.
And those demands are not getting easier. “Keeping up” doesn’t come down to maintaining software and hardware infrastructure. Today’s realities warrant partnering with a qualified service provider completely focused on payroll nuances and end-to-end compliance. In-house teams typically lack ability to stay on top of the multiplying and increasingly complex legal and tax liabilities. It’s a source of dissatisfaction among existing MCPO customers globally, lacking local expertise to stay ahead of the game.
Outsourcing also frees in-house HR talent to apply their skills and knowledge in more strategic ways – instead of striving to overcoming the pitfalls that don’t occur with proven specialists like Zalaris, which established its payroll/HR core competencies two decades ago. We are payroll practitioners from the inside-out and outside-in, who can ensure error-free migration and uninterrupted service levels through proven methodologies, platforms and solutions.
Here are four keys to choosing the right MCPO solution and service provider:
- Focus on market-leading solutions for global HR master data and payroll specific to complex enterprises, tariff agreements, travel-and-expense reporting/reimbursement, etc.
- Ensure one common multi-country payroll solution takes precedent over disparate approaches, systems and databases, including time and attendance across borders
- Confirm integration to all common global HR solutions such as SAP SuccessFactors, Workday and Oracle as well as to all local authorities, banks, pension and insurance providers – a source of dissatisfaction among existing MCPO customers globally (explosive market in Zalaris’ sweet spot, includes standalone integration market now with disconnected cloud HCM systems)
- Opt for a mobile- and web-enabled solution with built-in analytics and support from competent local resources/consultants in the language/location of your employees (check out Zalaris mobile solution); Note: Since the market does not compare apples with pears, we cannot validate “full coverage,” including compliance reporting, reconciliation, banking & accounting, ISO 20200 payment – all of which may never be considered up front!
MCPO Critical Success Factors
Zalaris delivers on all of the above because these factors are absolutely crucial to MCPO success. Whether addressing unique and often-changing regulatory requirements on a country-by-country level or establishing centralized data management with a single source of “truth,” the decision you make needs to be fully informed. That means in every respect, including on each line of SOC I and II reporting. Zalaris is the complete answer. The partner that knows payroll so well that your company can focus more exclusively on what it does best.
Give us a call whether before or after you explore other MCPO possibilities. We want you to know the others – and why when you come to Zalaris you won’t be disappointed. The four keys covered here are imperatives. Don’t compromise on them no matter what sales pitch you hear or marketing messages come your way. The facts are what matter most. In payroll, that certainly counts above all else.
If you look under our hood for MCPO, you’ll find an amazing engine – not a patchwork of components; either you “drive,” or you can rely on Zalaris’ own multi-country best-practice-based ISO 27001 processes!