Navigating the waters of global payroll can be a complex and daunting process, even for those seasoned payroll professionals who have never worked in global payroll.

Dee Byrd, CPP, PHR, SHRM-CP, Managing Director at ClearCourse Consulting, and Catherine Honey, Vice President Global Alliances for Neeyamo, shared their global payroll expertise for attendees todayduring a 2024 Payroll Congress workshop, “Lost and Found: Unlocking the Secrets of Global Payroll Project Management.”

Energy, communication, and support were the key objectives of the session, during which both experienced professionals shared stories of their mistakes, how they learned from them, and their secrets to successful global payroll project management.

Because many attendees were new to global payroll and navigating global payroll projects, Byrd and Honey used analogies to break down the complexities of global payroll management.

These analogies included the following:

  • “Jeeping on a project”—When someone goes off road from their project map and how important it is to keep on track.
  • “Danger is the unknown” —When speaking about constraints.
  • “Air traffic control” —As a global project manager, you must communicate with everyone and make sure they are on time and on track.
  • “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know”—The importance of having a strong network to learn from and lean on.
  • “If you think your team is enough, you need more”—Recognizing how roles and responsibilities leads into understanding the time involved during a full implementation, emphasizing how important having a good team is to achieving success with your project.
  • “Don’t assume” —This was emphasized in the change management portion of the session. When communicating on a global scale, don’t assume someone understands. Be sure to clarify yourself and get actions in writing.

Wrapping up, the presenters dropped some interesting stats: 70% of projects fail, 50% require rework, and 25% fail to achieve state of objectives. By acknowledging these statistics, attendees can steer clear of pitfalls, focus on key objectives, and create success for their current and future projects.