{"id":70388,"date":"2022-10-28T15:07:10","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T13:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=70388"},"modified":"2026-01-29T14:17:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:17:41","slug":"superhuman-resources-how-hr-is-transforming-into-a-strategic-advisor-for-c-suite-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/superhuman-resources-how-hr-is-transforming-into-a-strategic-advisor-for-c-suite-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"(Super)human resources: How HR is transforming into a strategic advisor for C-suite leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">People &amp; Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t(Super)human resources: How HR is transforming into a strategic advisor for C-suite leaders\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2022-10-28T15:07:10+02:00\">October 28, 2022<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"(Super)human resources: How HR is transforming into a strategic advisor for C-suite leaders\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/superhuman-resources-how-hr-is-transforming-into-a-strategic-advisor-for-c-suite-leaders\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/ingebarry\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/06\/Inge-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/06\/Inge-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/06\/Inge.jpg 744w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Inge Barry<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What comes to mind when you think about the role of HR and payroll professionals? To some, they are the first point of contact for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/the-ins-and-outs-of-leave-management\/\">leave applications<\/a>. Others see them as the people handling office conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps it\u2019s time we rethink their roles and view them as not just administrators but strategic advisors to the C-suite, helping business leaders make more informed people, culture, and strategic decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ancel Draai, Sales Manager of HR and Payroll at Sage, and Nicolene Koster, Field Sales Manager at Sage, hosted a thought-provoking session at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/hr-indaba-2022-unveiling-the-future-of-hr\/\">2022 HR Indaba<\/a>, revealing how HR and payroll professionals are becoming strategic and advisory superheroes helping C-suite executives to drive business growth and enhance the employee experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, just like fictional superheroes, HR and payroll leaders need sidekicks to help them tackle the complexities involved with human resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">[White paper] Payroll and HR in SA: Rising to the challenges of change<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The global shift to remote and hybrid working and regular legislative changes have resulted in payroll challenges of considerable complexity for many businesses. Learn how payroll\u00a0and HR\u00a0professionals and small businesses are adjusting to the new challenges.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-13187d43-18ab-407b-8fd2-74c34b323862\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download the white paper<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1213\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/11\/HR-and-Payroll-image--1213x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/11\/HR-and-Payroll-image--1213x810.jpg 1213w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-strategic-visionary-transformational-the-superpowers-of-hr\"><strong>Strategic, visionary, transformational: The superpowers of HR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/people\/resources\/research-analyst-reports\/hr-in-the-moment-impact-through-insights\/\">Our recent survey<\/a> revealed that only 40% of C-suite leaders say their organisations use HR data to make business decisions. But how can leaders improve the employee experience or implement effective <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tips-for-implementing-effective-dei-strategies\/\">diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies<\/a> without the relevant data to back them up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After all, data plays a critical role in detecting, predicting, and mitigating risks before they become problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The metrics are there; all HR and business leaders need to do is use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s not that simple\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-overcoming-the-challenges\"><strong>Overcoming the challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people underestimate HR\u2019s role, especially during adversity and change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/evolution-of-hr\/\">our research<\/a> revealed the many challenges facing HR and payroll leaders daily, making it difficult for them to keep up with their workloads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Up to 60% of HR and payroll professionals have experienced an increase in both admin and strategic tasks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>57% of C-suite leaders still see HR as purely an admin function<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>76% of business leaders don\u2019t think HR\u2019s workload is unmanageable<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>96% of companies have access to HR analytics, but 68% aren\u2019t reliant on it to drive business decisions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s more, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/staying-ahead-of-hr-and-payroll-legislation-and-compliance\/\">rising complexity of changing legislation<\/a>, burnout, and increased workloads due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-to-manage-your-hybrid-workforce\/\">hybrid or remote working models<\/a>, many feel like HR is still too admin-focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-resilient-superheroes\"><strong>Resilient superheroes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these challenges, HR is evolving and taking on a new, people-focused, and responsive direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>65% of HR leaders say their teams played a vital role in the pandemic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>87% of C-suite executives say the pandemic accelerated changes in HR<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>60% of employees say that HR has become more people-focused<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>81% of business leaders feel HR priorities are aligned with that of the overall business<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-superheroes-need-sidekicks\"><strong>Superheroes need sidekicks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although HR and payroll leaders have \u201csuperpowers\u201d in the form of resilience, adaptability, and insight, many don\u2019t have the sidekicks they need to really make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But who\u2014or what\u2014are these \u201csidekicks\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/products\/sage-300-people\/\">cloud HR and payroll technology<\/a>, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the right tools, HR and payroll departments can turn the mountains of data they have into valuable information and automate mundane administrative tasks that usually overpopulate their schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result? More time and resources to gain valuable insights, advise C-suite leaders, and\u2014most importantly\u2014enhance employee engagement and performance management for business continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what\u2019s stopping them? Well, many executives and managers haven\u2019t bought into digitisation, which means HR and payroll professionals need to play the convincing game to initiate the transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-choosing-the-right-sidekick\"><strong>Choosing the right sidekick<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before pitching a new system to hesitant leaders, you need to identify the problems, do some research, and find a solution that matches your business\u2019s goals accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/choosing-cloud-payroll-software\/\">invest in the right HR and Payroll tech<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify and understand the HR and business strategy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speak to several vendors about your tech budget and need<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build your knowledge of the software and what it can do for other departments and teams<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Engage with C-suite executives and explain the short-, medium-, and long-term benefits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Circle back to your preferred vendor, get answers to any pressing questions from the C-suite and let them help you integrate the new solution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-starting-the-conversation-how-to-convince-c-suite-leaders-to-invest-in-hr-and-payroll-tech\"><strong>Starting the conversation: How to convince C-suite leaders to invest in HR and Payroll tech<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s how to start the conversation with C-suite executives who are not (yet) sold on the benefits of cloud HR and Payroll solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 1: Align HR goals with business goals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Explain to management that your HR objectives will ultimately increase the business\u2019s bottom line by improving strategic and daily efficiencies. For example, shifting to the cloud will help to mitigate risk while empowering your people to handle simple processes and tasks through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-to-choose-the-best-employee-self-service-software-to-increase-staff-engagement-customer-satisfaction-and-business-results\/\">self-service<\/a> solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, HR and payroll departments can focus on the people while the C-suite leaders can make instant insightful decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 2: Highlight company-wide benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cloud HR and Payroll technology have custom dashboards, automated reports, and company-wide access from a single system. This means everyone has access to a single version of the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 3: Speak the data language<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Study the importance of data-driven insights on business decision-making and how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/you-cant-manage-what-you-dont-measure-how-hr-can-future-proof-with-people-analytics\/\">people analytics<\/a> can highlight employee satisfaction levels and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/6-payroll-trends-to-prepare-for-in-2022\/\">improve the employee lifecycle and experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 4: Do the research<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Find the best HR and Payroll cloud technology vendors and options that match your business\u2019s budget, needs, and plans. Then, compare them to identify the best option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 5: Present the options<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you\u2019ve identified the problem, need, and strategy, have done internal and external research and found a vendor, it\u2019s time to pitch. Lay all of your findings on the table to show C-suite executives how much effort and thought you\u2019re putting into finding the right solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-tips-for-using-data-to-drive-business-decision-making\"><strong>Top tips for using data to drive business decision-making<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create HR KPIs aligned with business goals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Empower C-suite peers to take advantage of the metrics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automate reporting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regularly discuss the \u201cwhy\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Focus on predictive, or \u201cleading\u201d, metrics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tap into your brand-new tech to cruise through the analytics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just like Batman needs Robin, Sherlock needs Watson, and Buzz Lightyear needs Woody, HR and Payroll professionals need sidekicks in the form of cloud technology and People Analytics to kick butt and take names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Transform your organisation\u2019s HR and payroll with Sage 300 People<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A powerful HR, payroll and self-service solution designed to increase your organisation\u2019s productivity and drive growth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/products\/sage-300-people\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-69395\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Tell me more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/02\/HR-content_Sage-300-People.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/02\/HR-content_Sage-300-People.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/hr-payroll\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHR &amp; Payroll\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-76618 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-business-intelligence tag-business-management tag-business-strategy tag-employee-benefits tag-hr-payroll business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of the Sage glowline with a black background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-09T15:29:07+02:00\">September 9, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-employee-experience\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhat is employee experience and why is HR struggling to deliver it?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tDiscover the biggest barriers to improving employee experience and practical steps to create more time for people-focused work.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-73705 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership tag-business-management tag-employee-benefits tag-hr-payroll tag-news-insights tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-employee-self-service\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-44-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Woman in audience raising her hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-44-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-44-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-44-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-03T09:00:00+02:00\">September 3, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tEmpower your team with employee self-service\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-69417 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-compliance category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-compliance tag-hr-payroll tag-regulation tag-tax business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/checklist-preparing-for-and-processing-tax-year-end\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1400801126-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1400801126-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1400801126-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1400801126-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-27T13:00:00+02:00\">August 27, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tChecklist: Preparing for and processing Tax Year-End\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-72349 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-hr-payroll business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/human-resource-management\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-20T10:22:42+02:00\">August 20, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHuman Resource Management: All you need to know\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-76509 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-employee-benefits tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-the-organisational-skills-gap\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman looks to camera with the Sage glow line in the background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-29T10:39:40+02:00\">July 29, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is the organisational skills gap and how can businesses close it?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What comes to mind when you think about the role of HR and payroll professionals? To some, they are the first point of contact for leave applications. Others see them as the people handling office conflict. Perhaps it\u2019s time we rethink their roles and view them as not just administrators but strategic advisors to the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1265,"featured_media":69678,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"26","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42,26],"tags":[201],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[10,12,14],"imagine_tag":[57,99],"coauthors":[443],"class_list":["post-70388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-managing-people","category-people-leadership","tag-hr-payroll","business_type-medium-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Inge Barry","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181222281.jpg","imagine_tags":{"57":"HR and Payroll","99":"HR software"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/69678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=70388"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=70388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}