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6 min read

How to Manage Payroll for Large Companies

Global payroll

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Author

Shannon Ongaro

Published

February 16, 2024

Last Update

January 22, 2025

Table of Contents

The challenges of multi-country payroll

A unified solution for global payroll management

How to connect payroll systems across borders

Managing payroll during acquisitions and entity changes

The long-term benefits of an all-in-one payroll platform

Simplify global payroll with Deel

Key takeaways
  1. Enterprises need to support remote-first, distributed workforces to stay competitive in the global market.
  2. International payroll can become increasingly complex as you try to manage disparate systems and stay compliant with different local laws.
  3. Consolidating your payroll with Deel can help you maximize efficiency without compromising accuracy or risking non-compliance.

Managing payroll for a large, globally distributed workforce is no small feat. From navigating the complexities of multi-country tax compliance to keeping employees paid on time across currencies, many organizations find themselves tangled in inefficiencies and risk.

At Deel, we understand these struggles firsthand and have streamlined the process for enterprises worldwide, leveraging our experience in over 100 countries to deliver innovative, compliant solutions.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to manage payroll for large companies, and how Deel’s centralized payroll platform can transform your global operations, replacing fragmented systems with one seamless solution.

The results? Reduced administrative hours, minimized compliance risks, and a scalable payroll process that enhances both efficiency and employee satisfaction—allowing your organization to focus on what truly matters: growth.

The challenges of multi-country payroll

Global payroll teams have to implement benefits, tax, and compliance for a diverse workforce. However, meeting complicated and ever-changing requirements across countries can be challenging. 26% of organizations say they struggle to manage the differences.

If you’re focusing on global expansion, you may have experienced payroll challenges such as ensuring accuracy and compliance while remaining efficient. Keeping up-to-date with the latest regulations can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive task, but Deel’s new Continuous Compliance Hub can help you stay proactive. We actively monitor international regulations to give you automatic updates and warn you of possible risks. 

Further complicating matters, 31% of payroll teams find integrating several different software challenging. Each country may require its own accounting system, and if you aren't able to integrate your tools, you may start to rely more on manual data entry to transfer records between the platforms—which is inefficient and error-prone.

These issues can lead to delays and mistakes in payments, which can impact employee morale. When over half of workers are worried about finances, payroll issues could heighten their stress and lead them to look for roles elsewhere.

Guide

Global Payroll Compliance Checklist
Is your company doing international payroll correctly? Access our global payroll checklist to self-assess your readiness.

A unified solution for global payroll management

Having a single, centralized system like Deel can help you overcome many of the issues posed by multi-country payroll. The technology has become so essential that 70% of companies say consolidation is one of their top priorities. 

Centralized payroll is an all-in-one solution that allows you to handle tax, benefits, and compliance on one shared platform. Your team can use the same software, no matter where they’re based. That means, instead of juggling multiple platforms, they only have to learn and implement one set of processes.

Use the following checklist of common global payroll services to determine whether a provider can meet your needs:

  • Payroll automation: Consolidated payroll systems usually have a wide range of automation to handle tasks like tax calculations and direct deposits (where applicable)
  • Benefits administration: As employee benefits are a key factor in compensation, a global payroll provider should help you find local providers that comply with regional and national regulations
  • Multiple currency payments: Global payroll software should support different currencies and help you calculate exchange rates
  • Data security: Small-scale, domestic payroll providers may not meet international guidelines like the General Data Protection Act (GDPR). Global payroll systems like Deel ensure they meet the most stringent criteria by using measures like encryption and multi-factor authentication
  • Payroll reporting tools: Centralized solutions help you collate payroll data from across different countries and turn it into comprehensive reports. Using this information, you can get insights into how your company is performing and make more informed decisions
  • Expert guidance: As well as providing software tools, global payroll providers often have a robust team of legal experts who can guide you on issues like labor laws, tax regulations, and exchange rates. Deel has qualified lawyers and accountants who specialize in specific countries and regions
  • Self-service employee portal: Employees should be able to log into the system to perform tasks like checking payslips and managing or updating profile information. Strict user permissions should prevent unauthorized team members from accessing sensitive data
Platform Tour
See how Global Payroll works
Effortlessly review payroll data, make necessary adjustments, and pay everyone in one simple payment—all in a few clicks. Click below to launch a tour of Deel's Global Payroll platform.

How to connect payroll systems across borders

In order to be effective, centralized payroll has to integrate operations across every region. Otherwise, you’ll still end up with siloed departments and inconsistent processes.

Plus, enterprises could need to hire from any number of countries to tap into international talent pools, capture new markets, or relocate essential workers. The more locations your platform supports, the more effectively you can capitalize on opportunities. 

For example, Deel supports payroll around the world—from the US to Nigeria, Germany, and beyond—and is constantly expanding its coverage. 

See also: Where You Can Run Payroll for International Employees with Deel

Many payroll providers support international payments but only for a select number of countries. While they may help you reduce your tech stack, you’ll still face challenges with silos and miscommunication. You may also find they can’t connect you with local experts who can help you stay compliant with payroll regulations and employment laws.

Before committing to a payroll provider, it’s best to check whether they can meet your present and future needs. If you plan to relocate staff to Southeast Asia, for instance, you may need a solution that supports local currencies like the Vietnamese Dong and Thai Baht.

Free course
International Payroll Fundamentals
Learn the fundamentals of international workforce management, payroll strategy, and labor law in our free certification course. Take the next step in your career development and sharpen your global payroll expertise.

Managing payroll during acquisitions and entity changes

Outsourcing payroll to a single global vendor can help you overcome many of the challenges of cross-border mergers and acquisitions. When you know you can support global teams, you can explore a wide range of options in foreign markets without being held back by payroll restrictions. 

Faster, smoother transitions

A global payroll service provider can significantly expedite the merger and acquisition process. Providers like Deel can assist with data migration and integration to ensure a smooth transition. You can also integrate the different systems you and the new entity use with our robust API.

If you need to move fast, top providers like Deel can even offer an Employer of Record (EOR) service. The EOR engages and pays one or more employees to provide services to another company. An EOR enables companies to legally work with employees in another country without setting up an office in that country or region. When it comes to payroll, the EOR handles all the deductions, fees, and benefits—all you have to do is make one bulk payment to the provider.

Platform Tour
Explore the Deel platform
See how easy it is to add and configure a brand-new employee contract through the Employer of Record service. Click to launch a platform demo.

A competitive edge

Having this flexibility could set you apart from competitors. According to a recent Deloitte report, interest in cross-border mergers and acquisitions has increased by 22% since 2022. When other companies are interested in the same foreign entity, consolidated payroll could give you the edge you need to secure the deal.

Protecting the employee experience

When you can easily add or remove entities to your payroll system, there’s less risk of disrupting the overall payroll process. That means you won’t damage the trust of new employees, which is critical during this period of change and uncertainty. Studies show newly acquired workers are much more likely to quit than existing staff and regular hires.

To further protect employee wellbeing, provide your workforce with access to all relevant training offered by the payroll provider. You can help them become familiar with the new platform and process, enabling them to use it with ease. 

For instance, Deel can provide you with change management support and help you set up onboarding programs. Helping workers navigate the platform could make the payroll transformation process less stressful and create a good first impression for the company.

With a scalable solution, you don’t have to allocate time to finding and setting up a local payroll provider in each new location. You’re free to focus on the merger and dedicate more energy to strategic decisions.

How Bitpanda runs payroll in 20+ jurisdictions with Deel

Founded in 2014, Bitpanda is one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in Europe.

To round out their tech stack, Bitpanda searched for a truly global payroll solution. During this time, one of their existing local payroll providers sent them an alarming notification: They weren’t going to pay Bitpanda’s team in the Netherlands, and it was less than a week before payday. They needed a fix, fast.

Lindsay reached out to Deel and within a week, Bitpanda’s Netherlands team was on Deel Global Payroll — and being paid without missing a beat.

Deel is hands-down the most compatible all-in-one solution for modern organizations,” said Lindsay Ross, CHRO at Bitpanda. “With everything you need to hire and pay workers in one platform, no other provider comes close to the level of partnership they offer.”

The long-term benefits of an all-in-one payroll platform

Consolidating your systems doesn’t just help you overcome the immediate challenges of multi-country payroll. As Deel customers have found, there are many far-reaching and long-term advantages to centralizing payroll systems.

Streamlined growth

For Boston Consulting Group (BCG), global payroll has supported smooth international growth. They used to struggle with managing four vendors across six countries, but once they switched to Deel in 2019, they could standardize their processes across regions.

We’ve grown more than 30% in the past four years—from 600-700 employees to more than 1,200.

Rajes Rajamorganan,

SEA-payroll manager, BCG

Thanks to their new payroll setup, BCG has the operational support they need to keep growing. They predict they’ll increase their total workforce by up to 15% and plan to expand into new foreign markets. 

Scaleable payroll processes

After centralizing their payroll, Change.Org saved over 300 hours on administrative processes.

Other providers are stuck in the past in the way their platforms are built and the way their customer service works. We wanted the elevated experience Deel provides.

Allie Shulman,

Director of People Operations, Change.org

Previously, they’d relied on various legacy providers to manage payments for over 2,000 workers in more than 25 countries. Juggling these different tools meant payroll was stressful and time-consuming. Consolidating their systems through Deel allowed them to automate and tailor all of their processes more effectively and become more efficient.

Higher employee satisfaction

As Yodo1 found out, consolidated payroll doesn’t just sustain team morale but also improves it.

I hear all the time from our people that Deel is hands-down the fastest way they've ever been paid when working remotely. One of the comments I hear most often is how easy it is to receive and withdraw funds in so many currencies.”

Flo Alcasas,

Head of People, Yodo1

Adding workers to payroll used to require a lot of steps. Teams had to wait until the HR and finance teams had completed the contract, verified any legal details through a third-party, and manually entered the data in the system. Now that Yodo1 can handle everything in one place, they can impress employees with quick bank transfers.

Simplify global payroll with Deel

Now that distributed teams have become the norm, enterprises can no longer rely on decentralized payroll models. Only consolidated solutions allow them to build efficient and scalable processes that won’t compromise accuracy and compliance.

As your global workforce increases, consider whether your current providers can support you. With a global payroll solution that centralizes your processes and gives your team a single point of contact, a move to Deel will allow you to simplify your operations and scale them more effectively. 

Book a demo and see first-hand how Deel can transform your payroll management.

Watch: Master Global Payroll: Strategies for Payroll Leaders

We’ve tailored this on-demand webinar for payroll professionals who need effective, scalable solutions for running global payroll. In 30 minutes, we cover:

  • Live demo of Deel’s global payroll solution: See our platform in action and learn how it can streamline your payroll processes
  • Q&A with Deel’s payroll experts: Get answers to your specific questions from industry leaders
  • Exclusive insights for payroll decision-makers: Discover strategies to simplify and optimize global team management

FAQs

Managing payroll in large enterprises involves addressing complexities such as compliance with diverse regulations, handling multiple currencies, and integrating various systems. Here's how large companies typically manage payroll:

1. Centralized payroll systems

Large enterprises often adopt centralized payroll systems to streamline operations across multiple countries. This approach consolidates payroll processing, ensuring consistency and compliance with local laws. For instance, Deel's Global Payroll platform enables companies to manage payroll efficiently across different regions, offering features like automated tax calculations and filings.

2. Integration with HR and accounting tools

Integrating payroll systems with existing HR and accounting software is crucial for real-time updates and reducing manual errors. Deel provides robust APIs and integrations with popular accounting tools, allowing seamless management of employee data in one place.

3. Compliance management

Staying compliant with varying local tax laws and labor regulations is a significant challenge. Deel addresses this by employing in-house payroll and legal experts familiar with local jurisdictions across over 100 countries, ensuring companies meet all necessary legal requirements.

Learn more: How Payroll Compliance Requirements Impact Enterprise Growth

4. Self-service features

Implementing self-service options empowers employees to access their payroll information, reducing administrative burdens. This trend is becoming more prevalent as companies seek to improve efficiency and employee satisfaction.

An all-in-one, scalable payroll solution is ideal for large enterprises. Deel's platform, for example, offers comprehensive features such as:

  • Scalability: Accommodates growth and expansion into new regions
  • Diverse payment options: Supports multiple currencies and payment methods
  • Data potection: Ensures compliance with international data security standards
  • Global reach: Provides support across numerous countries with localized expertise

Read more: 8 Must-Have Features in Sustainable Enterprise Payroll Software

Managing a payroll system typically involves the following steps:

  1. Pre-payroll activities:
    • Data collection: Gather employee information, including tax identification numbers and financial details
    • Policy establishment: Define payroll policies and procedures
  2. Payroll processing:
    • Calculations: Compute gross pay, deductions, and net pay
    • Validation: Ensure accuracy of payroll calculations
  3. Post-payroll activities:
    • Disbursement: Transfer salaries to employee accounts
    • Reporting and compliance: Generate reports and ensure adherence to statutory requirements

The number of employees a single payroll professional can handle varies based on factors such as the complexity of payroll processes, the level of automation, and the use of integrated systems. Implementing advanced payroll solutions like Deel can significantly enhance efficiency, allowing payroll personnel to manage larger employee bases effectively.

See also: Top 16 Enterprise Payroll FAQs Answered for Global Leaders

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About the author

Shannon Ongaro is a content marketing manager and trained journalist with over a decade of experience producing content that supports franchisees, small businesses, and global enterprises. Over the years, she’s covered topics such as payroll, HR tech, workplace culture, and more. At Deel, Shannon specializes in thought leadership and global payroll content.

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