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Putting AI to Work: The New Model for HR, IT, and Payroll at Deel

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dan westgarth deel coo

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Dan Westgarth

Last Update

June 12, 2025

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Across industries, a new wave of innovation is taking hold. One where AI isn’t just a tool, but the foundation on which entire companies are being rebuilt. From AI-native law firms to next-generation logistics and accountancy providers, we’re seeing a radical rethink of how work is structured. It’s no longer about siloed departments or legacy hierarchies. It’s about redesigning teams around what work is best done by people versus what can be automated. At Deel, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this movement. As a global payroll leader, we’re not simply layering AI onto outdated processes. We’re reimagining our entire infrastructure so that AI is seamlessly woven into the fabric of our operations. This puts us ahead of the curve and allows us to deliver real-time, scalable value to our customers.

Across the market, we’re seeing more organizations rethink the relationship between their technical and people functions. Forward-looking companies are beginning to integrate HR and IT workflows, aiming to reduce operational friction and improve decision-making across the back office. The goal is clear: to build companies where automation, not manual intervention, is the default. That’s the direction we’ve been moving in at Deel from the start.

We’ve always believed that people should focus on high-impact problems while delegating the rest to software. Increasingly, that software is powered by AI. While many companies talk about AI in terms of future potential, we’re already applying it at scale. In Q1 alone, we automated the manual work of over 250 people. This includes automation across onboarding, payroll operations, support, and compliance through a combination of generative AI, rule-based systems, and smart workflows. In Q2, we’re targeting another 350.

This isn't just about efficiency. It’s about rethinking how modern teams operate. When HR, IT, and payroll functions are unified by a platform like Deel, the result is more than time saved. It creates organizational agility. Our models continuously improve, tackling increasingly complex workflows. A five-step data transfer from last quarter is now a single AI-powered operation. Basic tier-one queries are now tier-two solutions handled with speed, context, and confidence.

A standout example is our AI-powered document parsing. From tax forms to direct deposit setups, our systems extract and structure data instantly, across hundreds of formats and jurisdictions. There are no templates, no country-specific builds. Just AI that scales globally. Our advantage is that we’re cloud-native and unconstrained by legacy technology. That means we can move quickly, and AI can move even faster.

As we look to the future, one principle guides us: the number of administrative tasks AI can take on will only continue to grow. And that’s a good thing. For our customers, our teams, and the future of work. By freeing people from the grind of repetitive administrative tasks, we’re empowering them to focus on what really matters: innovation, collaboration, and growth. The convergence of HR and IT isn’t just a trend. It’s the next chapter in how great companies are built. At Deel, we’re proud to be writing it.

dan westgarth deel coo

About the author

Dan Westgarth is the Chief Operating Officer at Deel, where he is responsible for managing the company’s Fintech, Operations, Compliance and Expansion teams.