From Spreadsheets to Strategy: How Compensation Leaders Can Become Business Advisors

When I started in compensation back in 2007, it was all spreadsheets. We’d email them back and forth between teams, version after version, just to finalize a single decision. I’ve walked with printed total rewards statements over to managers. I’ve sorted and stuffed envelopes on my dining room table. I’ve manually updated payroll line by line. Everything was disconnected, nothing flowed, and there was so much room for error.

Back then, compensation was seen as a back-office function. We were the keepers of salary ranges, bonus targets, and spreadsheets with too many tabs. Our work was reactive: “We need to make an offer,” or “It’s merit cycle time.” Strategy and business strategy weren’t really on our to-dos. Frankly, there was no time left for this.

Fast-forward to today, and the expectations have changed a lot. After years of being buried in spreadsheets, I now get to focus on the work that really moves the business forward.

In fact, I tell my team this all the time: if you don’t understand your company’s financials, it’s nearly impossible to be effective in comp. Because compensation is often a company’s largest expense, we play a key role in decisions that affect everything from hiring plans to EBITDA margins.

We help answer critical questions like:

• Where should we hire next?
• How do salary costs in this region affect our growth plans?
• Are we getting ROI on our incentive programs?

To get to that level of influence, you have to evolve, just like the function has.

How can compensation leaders become business advisors?

How do you go from being a reactive spreadsheet master to a true strategic advisor? Here’s what helped me on that journey:

1. Learn the business inside and out

Don’t wait to be brought into strategic discussions—ask to be included. Read financial statements. Ask questions about revenue models. The more you can understand the business and how it makes and spends money, the better asset you are to your leadership team. When you speak their language, your work starts to carry more weight.

2. Stay curious, especially about what’s happening locally

If you work globally, don’t treat compensation as a one-size-fits-all exercise. Inflation, taxation, political risk, and cultural expectations vary widely. I constantly dig into location-specific trends because global comp isn’t just complex—it’s dynamic. The more you know about each region, the better you can balance fairness, competitiveness, and cost.

3. Be willing to rethink your tools

If you’re still managing comp across multiple systems and stitching together Excel models, it will eventually hold you back. You need systems that talk to each other, reduce human error, and give you a full picture of total rewards—all without burning hours on data cleanup.

4. Partner deeply with finance

If finance doesn’t have visibility into comp data, how can they plan for margin or growth? I collaborate with our CFO, looking at headcount costs, modeling compensation scenarios, and helping make budget trade-offs. This partnership will be game-changing for any comp professional who wants to sit at the strategy table.

5. Start thinking globally early, even if you’re still local

Going global doesn’t start when you open your second office. It starts with having a scalable, structured, but flexible framework that allows you to layer in complexity. Ask questions now about how your pay philosophy would translate across regions. Build a comp strategy that is flexible enough to allow growth but structured enough to keep consistency across levels.

Manage compensation strategically with Deel

This evolution—from spreadsheet operator to strategic advisor—is one I’ve lived firsthand. And it’s only sustainable when you have the infrastructure to support it.

At Deel, where I lead Total Rewards, we are building this infrastructure. Instead of juggling five or six disconnected tools to handle workforce planning, merit cycles, global payroll, and total rewards, we now manage everything in one place. The compensation process flows from job planning to hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and payroll—no spreadsheets required.

I save time, reduce manual errors, and increase efficiency. But more importantly, I can finally have the visibility and time to be the advisor I need to be. If we need ten German-speaking payroll managers, I can model the cost across Germany, Austria, or Switzerland and help the business decide where to invest. I can partner with finance to align the comp strategy to revenue goals. I can confidently say we’re spending every dollar the right way.

That’s the future of compensation. It’s not reactive. It’s not just operational. It’s strategic and advisory. It’s essential.

Contact a product specialist to see how Deel can help you replicate my journey.