By Frank J. Mendelson
Editor’s Note: Sridevi RK is Vice President - Global Business & Head of Alliances, Mynd Integrated Solutions, PVT. Ltd. She has more than 20 years of experience as a global leader in HR specializing in payroll, technology, and strategic alliances. She is known for her purpose-driven approach, creating scalable solutions that transform organizations and impact stakeholders positively.
As part of the business process management (BPM) industry, we identify trends early across sectors. On the demand side, companies seeking expansion prefer consolidated services from a single provider who can manage multi-country payroll while integrating with their existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. In India especially, businesses are looking to tap into new markets and talent, driving the need for agile, integrated solutions. These companies need partners who can scale globally while ensuring compliance.
On the supply side, we're seeing consolidation in the employer of record (EOR) market, where payroll is now part of broader workforce management (WFM) solutions. This shift has led to tech advancements, driving mergers and acquisitions as larger players acquire regional firms to offer end-to-end solutions. The focus on backward integration, linking payroll to employee experience, is now a key differentiator.
The consequence is a more consolidated, competitive market where providers with tech investments and capabilities will dominate. Companies will benefit from streamlined solutions but must carefully choose partners who can scale with them in this evolving space.
What are the challenges for companies moving into global expansion?
Global expansion brings several chronic challenges, particularly with compliance, navigating different tax laws, and managing payroll in diverse regulatory environments. Companies may face compliance challenges, often due to local and regional legislative changes, too. Additionally, there’s the complexity of integrating global payroll with existing HR and ERP systems, ensuring consistent service across multiple countries. Another key issue is managing multi-currency payroll, which can complicate currency conversion and the timing of payments.
How do payroll providers support workforce management in a globalized world?
Everyone in the BPM industry can relate to me when I say how the payroll function has evolved beyond simply paying employees. Payroll is crucial to supporting WFM globally, as more companies explore new markets and tap into new talent in those markets. While much attention is often given to front-end elements like market entry strategies, the real complexity lies in managing the back-end processes that support international operations. Businesses must navigate complex regulatory landscapes, adapt to cultural nuances, manage financial risks, and effectively hire and retain local talent. The role of BPM has evolved beyond managing payroll and compliance; it now plays a critical role in helping companies expand into new territories, unifying employee experience while catering to cultural nuances and aligning with broader talent strategies.
Can you elaborate on how you, from the BPM space, align yourselves with the larger role of employee experience?
In our innovation lab, we focus on transforming payroll from a manual process into a strategic, tech-enabled function that meets modern workforce demands for real-time access, transparency, and flexibility. Employees today expect seamless access to accurate compensation data, making payroll a key driver of satisfaction and engagement.
Traditionally, payroll performance was measured through service level agreements (SLAs), focusing on response times and accuracy. To better align payroll with business goals, we introduced value level agreements (VLAs) to measure the value payroll brings, from operational efficiency to outcomes like employee retention and compliance.
We’ve further evolved to experience level agreements (XLAs), which assess payroll from the employee’s perspective—focusing on ease of access, user experience, and overall satisfaction. Payroll is no longer just about accuracy; it’s about creating a seamless, stress-free experience that directly impacts employee engagement.
What are the things you would like to see payroll vendors address in the next three years?
From our lens as a payroll partner, we believe the focus must go beyond merely meeting technological demands. Efficiency and adaptability should be at the core of every solution. A solution-driven approach, coupled with a services mindset, is key to enhancing client experience. However, it’s not just about the technology—it’s also about the people driving these solutions. Empowering payroll teams with the right skills and fostering a culture of continuous learning ensures that they can effectively implement and manage these solutions. Technology should be intuitive and designed to address real-world challenges, but it’s the people who bring these solutions to life. By providing solutions that truly meet client needs, we ensure better operational outcomes and a more seamless payroll experience for both organizations and employees.
What do you see as the value and limits to emerging technology, robotics, and AI in managing global payroll?
Robotic processes and artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized global payroll by automating repetitive tasks, improving accuracy, and enhancing compliance. Robotic process automation (RPA) reduces manual work, while AI supports predictive analytics and real-time decision-making. However, these technologies rely on accurate data and face challenges in areas like data security and regulatory compliance. While automation excels at routine tasks, it struggles with complex issues like payroll disputes and cultural nuances. Technology is a valuable tool, but human involvement is crucial for aligning payroll with business goals and ensuring a positive employee experience.
What are some essential practices or strategic choices to manage risk and compliance?
Managing risk and compliance in payroll requires a multi-layered approach. First, ensure comprehensive regulatory monitoring, keeping up with evolving laws in each region. Second, establish robust internal controls for data protection and auditing, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Third, leverage automation and technology to reduce manual errors and enhance accuracy. Finally, partnering with local experts in each region can help navigate complex, multi-jurisdictional regulations, ensuring timely and compliant payroll processing across borders.
What are some questions a company should ask to determine if there is a good fit with a prospective vendor?
I want to give my response to this as a trusted partner rather than a vendor. It’s important to move beyond merely being a service provider and focus on becoming a true partner that is agile and solution-driven. A good partner offers more than user interface/user experience (UI/UX); they provide process automation that delivers efficiency. Their solution-driven mindset should be culturally embedded throughout the organization, not just at the leadership level. This ensures that every part of their team is aligned to deliver real value and support your evolving business needs.
How can companies better leverage payroll data for strategic decision making?
Payroll data is often the most overlooked aspect of HR analytics. While HCM systems provide envisioned data, payroll data reflects the real-time, actual scenario within the company, offering valuable insights into employee costs, attendance, and compliance. As companies increasingly look beyond HCM, payroll data will indeed emerge as a critical analytic business tool. It provides the truth about what’s actually happening and can be leveraged for strategic decision making, driving workforce planning, budgeting, and operational efficiency.
What additional training, education, or mentoring is necessary for global payroll professionals to participate in strategic decision making?
Global payroll professionals need training beyond traditional payroll practices. They should pursue education in global compliance, financial analytics, and data security. Gaining knowledge in emerging technologies, like AI and process automation, will allow them to leverage payroll data for strategic insights. Additionally, mentoring in leadership and cross-functional collaboration is essential. This enables payroll professionals to work more effectively with HR, finance, and compliance teams to align payroll with broader business objectives.
How did you get started in your payroll career?
I started my career in HR, managing payroll across 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. For more than 10 years, I was on the other side of the table, observing opportunities that I felt weren’t fully realized by service providers. I often wondered why certain solutions weren’t being implemented, and it was during this time that I became deeply aware of the gaps in service delivery. When the opportunity at Mynd came up, it was a surprise to find a service provider that had the right vision. Mynd was establishing itself in the global payroll space, and they wanted people from the enterprise side who understood the client perspective.
I felt this was the perfect alignment of visions—an opportunity to contribute by bringing value realization to the client and offering the right solutions. That’s how my journey into the service provider side began, and I’m very happy with how it has developed over the years. Today, I not only represent the brand to our clients but also contribute thought leadership in various forums and take on multidimensional responsibilities in the global payroll industry.
What have you learned from your on-the-job experience about being effective and efficient?
One of the key pieces of wisdom I’ve gained is that staying humble and maintaining a solution-oriented mindset is crucial for sustainable growth. At Mynd, I’ve learned from our founding members the importance of being open to learning and remaining grounded in purpose. These values have taught me to tackle challenges more effectively while ensuring that no matter the success, we stay focused on delivering real solutions. This approach drives long-term efficiency and ensures sustainable growth.
What career and life advice do you give to a new payroll employee?
My advice to a new employee in payroll is to be open to learning and cultivate a solution-oriented mindset. In payroll, challenges are inevitable but approaching them with humility and focusing on delivering real, practical solutions will set you apart. Always be open to learning—payroll is a dynamic field, and staying adaptable is key. Most importantly, stay purpose-driven in your work, as it ensures that you’re not just completing tasks but contributing to the broader success of your team and organization.
What are the most important qualities of effective leadership, and how do you approach management and leadership today?
Effective leadership requires a purpose-driven mindset where decisions are made with a long-term vision that align with the organization’s values. Humility is crucial, as it allows leaders to remain open to learning from others, including their teams. Empowering people by fostering a culture of growth and learning ensures that teams are motivated and engaged, which directly impacts the quality of service delivered. Being solution-oriented helps leaders address challenges with practicality, while emotional intelligence enables them to build trust, foster collaboration, and create an inclusive environment. This people-centric approach is especially important in a global setting, where diverse teams need to work together seamlessly to meet client needs.
What are the communication challenges of a global payroll leader?
As a global payroll leader, one key challenge is ensuring consistent and clear communication across regions, cultures, and time zones. The complexity of managing diverse regulatory environments adds to this challenge, as keeping all stakeholders informed is crucial to maintaining compliance. Additionally, balancing cultural sensitivities while ensuring that important messages are not lost in translation requires a combination of strong communication skills and emotional intelligence.
How do you balance work and pleasure?
I find balance by engaging in activities that bring me a sense of purpose beyond work. Art is therapeutic for me, and I make time for it every week to recharge. I also believe in giving back to the community, whether it’s mentoring students, rescuing animals, or fostering a community of artists. I instill these values in my twins and seeing them grow up with this sense of purpose is deeply fulfilling. These passions—art and giving back—are what keep me balanced and grounded.
How do you incorporate professional development into the lifestyle of a full-time job?
I prioritize continuous learning through my network and mentors, which helps me stay updated and gain valuable insights. Working across geographies has broadened my perspective, allowing me to navigate global challenges more effectively. I actively seek feedback, reflect on areas for improvement, and embrace new challenges in delivery, talent management, and strategy. This constant learning and adaptability have been key to my growth and leadership in a dynamic professional environment.