Payroll teams struggling with seasonal hiring, but too few are leveraging technology to alleviate the burden

Payroll teams struggling with seasonal hiring, but too few are leveraging technology to alleviate the burden

With the holiday season fast approaching, payroll teams around the world are bracing for the strain of seasonal hiring. The influx of workers means added payroll runs, and yet too few are turning to technology to ease the pressure. New data from CloudPay reveals that while most teams struggle with seasonal surges, only 38% are using tools to help lighten the load.

A recent survey by CloudPay found that 60% of payroll teams currently feel overwhelmed by the workload seasonal hires create, with 30% admitting it leads to more errors—adding to an already strained process.

The data also revealed that whilst payroll teams recognise the clear benefits of investing in technology, half of respondents stated that they had not yet invested in a modern platform to support seasonal hiring fluctuations - though they know it’s only a matter of time before they have to act. According to CloudPay, payroll teams must take action swiftly and move on from outdated legacy structures to futureproof themselves and the function.

The firm’s recent Payroll Efficiency Index also found that technology is supporting broader improvements within payroll by enabling fewer errors to be made, and more to be picked up at validation and checking stages, further demonstrating the need for action.

John Pearce, Chief Customer Office at CloudPay, commented: “This data reveals a glaring gap: most payroll teams know seasonal hiring leads to more work and higher error rates, yet two-thirds haven’t made the leap to tech solutions that could drastically reduce these burdens. A tech-driven, unified solution can slash payroll processing time by up to 10 days per run. The savings—both in cost and time—make this an urgent priority for teams facing these yearly surges.”