Chad Atwell

Who do payroll leaders turn to when challenges mount? Too often, the answer is no one. From navigating AI adoption and new technology integrations to managing the complexity of global payroll, many leaders tell us they feel like they’re tackling these issues in isolation. That’s why we created the Executive Payroll Network at LACE Partners, a trusted space designed for senior payroll leaders to come together, share openly, and shape the future of payroll. In this discussion, Chris Howard joins LACE Payroll experts Simon Puryer and Simon Bunday to unpack how the network works and the impact it’s already having. Within the network, payroll leaders can: ✔ Talk openly about challenges in a safe, judgement-free space ✔ Explore new thinking around AI, process design, and innovation ✔ Build meaningful connections with peers who understand the role’s unique pressures If you’re a payroll director or senior payroll professional, this is your opportunity to collaborate, learn, and lead—together. 👉 Learn more and get involved: https://hubs.la/Q03LsKbv0

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Employee Experience has grown up. It’s no longer a once-a-year engagement survey and a slide deck—it's chatbots answering questions in seconds, listening engines reading the “buzz” across tools and tickets, and people analytics teams stress-testing headcount and skills like a CFO models cashflow. In our AI in Employee Experience & People Insights – 2026 study, we looked at 20 platforms that are redefining how companies listen, learn, and act. Some embed EX into suites from Microsoft, Workday, SAP, Oracle and ServiceNow. Others specialize in continuous listening, conversational EX assistants, or deep-dive people analytics and planning. The result is our new IEC Dynamic Map™, highlighting four types of leaders – from EX transformers and analytics powerhouses to sharp toolkits and pragmatic “get-it-done” platforms. Culture Amp Espressive Moveworks Perceptyx Qualtrics XM Institute Qualtrics UKG Anaplan ChartHop One Model WorkTango Inc. Zoho People Microsoft Viva Oracle SAP SuccessFactors ServiceNow Visier Inc. Workday 15Five BambooHR Crunchr In the public view, vendors appear alphabetically inside each quadrant; detailed positioning, use cases, and vendor write-ups live in the full study (available via pm@theiecgroup.com). Note: any public claim of “leader” status based on this research requires prior licensing and approval from The IEC Group Limited. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dbFreyWP #GlobalWorkforce #EOR #HRTech

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Tammi H., Post-Live Director at Align HCM, has a timely reminder with Q1 closing out next week. If your team wrapped year end and jumped straight back into the day to day, there is still time to clean up your HCM system before the quarter closes. Small configuration gaps and data issues left over from year end can quietly turn into payroll errors, tax reporting problems, and benefits headaches down the road. Watch Tammi break down 5 areas to review before March 31 so the rest of your year runs clean.

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Most HCM products don't have a feature problem. They have a commercialization problem. We have seen vendors spend years building AI, analytics, dashboards, and hundreds of new capabilities. Then struggle to hit healthy margins. Why? Because customers don't wake up thinking: "I need a new payroll module." They wake up thinking: "I can't afford a compliance failure." "I can't have salaries paid incorrectly." "I need to onboard thousands of employees without operational chaos." "I need a platform my HR team will actually use." That's the value they pay for. The companies that win don't necessarily have the longest feature list. They have the clearest answer to one question: "What expensive problem do you eliminate?" The best HCM products don't sell software. They sell: - Trust - Compliance - Accuracy - Speed - Peace of mind And one more observation: Many organizations are still optimizing individual modules Core HR, Payroll, Recruiting, Benefits, Performance. The real opportunity lies between those modules. When the employee journey flows seamlessly from Offer → Hire → Pay → Grow → Exit, without manual intervention or spreadsheets, that's where the next generation of enterprise value will be created. The future of HR technology isn't about building another feature. It's about removing another headache. If you had to choose one, what matters more in enterprise HCM: more functionality or flawless execution? #ProductLeadership #HCM #Payroll #HRTech #EnterpriseSoftware #SaaS #ProductStrategy #GoToMarket #Commercialization #Leadership

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