Welcome to the PayrollBADIes podcast! We're a ragtag crew of payroll enthusiasts who love to talk shop and talk $h** with a focus on SAP, and it’s huge ecosystem — whether it's the latest in the SAP world, the broader HR/Payroll Tech market, or ranting about things that drive us up the wall. Tune in for insights, rants, and the payroll banter you never knew you needed. It's all SAP (And SAP Partners), all payroll, all fun. P.S. This podcast is unfiltered, so excuse the NSFW language at times. Don’t like it? GTFOI?! Subscribe to the Payroll & Chill! LinkedIn Newsletter brought to you by the PayrollBADIes.
Site
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 01/08/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Is SAP Really AI-Native? GM/CPO Siva Sundaresan talks AI, SAP SuccessFactors, Joule & Autonomous HCM
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 • Duration 51:15
Think SAP is just a system of record? Think again.
In this must-watch episode of PayrollBADIeS, we sit down with Siva Sundaresan, the new leader of SAP SuccessFactors, to discuss SAP’s AI-native strategy and what it means for the future of HR.
Siva shares how SAP is combining decades of enterprise data and business context with Joule, agents, and native AI to move beyond the hype and deliver real customer outcomes.
We get into:
🔥 Why being the system of record could be SAP’s greatest AI advantage
🔥 What autonomous HCM actually means
🔥 How AI will transform Core HR, Time, Payroll, and Benefits
🔥 SAP’s continued commitment to the foundation of HCM
🔥 The difference between AI assistance and truly agentic processes
🔥 Why Siva believes AI will bring positive change to humanity
🔥 What is coming next for SAP SuccessFactors
Is SAP ready to become both the system of record and the system of intelligence?
Watch the full episode and decide for yourself.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and SAP’s AI vision
02:25 Siva’s background and journey to SAP
05:33 The impact of AI on business and society
11:24 What autonomous HR really means
17:28 SAP’s AI-native strategy
21:39 SAP’s commitment to Core HR, Time, Payroll, and Benefits
25:36 Myth busting: Is SAP only a system of record?
33:06 The future of AI and enterprise software
45:08 What is coming next for SAP SuccessFactors
🔗 CONNECT WITH SIVA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasundaresan/
X: https://twitter.com/SivaSundaresan
🔗 LEARN MORE
SAP SuccessFactors: https://www.sap.com/products/human-capital-management.html
SAP SuccessConnect: https://www.sap.com/about/events/successconnect.html
Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders, innovators, and real-life BADIeS shaping the future of payroll and HR.
#SAPSuccessFactors #ArtificialIntelligence #PayrollBADIeS
AI Hype vs. Payroll Reality: PayrollBADIes Recap SAP Sapphire & Payroll Congress
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 • Duration 38:22
The PayrollBADIes are back — and this episode is packed with SAP Sapphire, Payroll Congress, AI, autonomous HCM, and plenty of BADIe energy.
AI was everywhere this event season: every keynote, every booth, every conversation. But when we asked a room full of payroll professionals how many were actually using AI productively in payroll today… only a few hands went up. That gap between AI hype and payroll reality is where the real conversation begins.
In this episode, we break down:
Key takeaways from SAP Sapphire
What autonomous HCM could mean for payroll
Why AI is exciting, but still early for most payroll teams
What we saw and heard at Payroll Congress
Why SAP’s ecosystem matters more than ever
How payroll professionals are finally getting the spotlight they deserve
What payroll leaders should be thinking about next
Payroll is changing fast. AI is coming. But the people who make sure employees get paid are still the real heroes.
Like, subscribe, and keep that BADIe energy strong. ⛓️
#PayrollBADIES #Payroll #AI #SAPPayroll #SAPSuccessFactors #SAPSapphire #PayrollCongress #HRTech #AutonomousPayroll #SAPPayrollIsKing
Behind the Scenes on Why SAP Acquired SmartRecruiters, Autonomous Payroll, AI Agents, & More
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 • Duration 40:18
In this episode we are joined by Shahzad Naseem from the SAP SuccessFactors Product Strategy team to discuss the strategic reasoning behind the SmartRecruiters acquisition, the roadmap for Autonomous Payroll., & more!
We go "under the hood" to explore why SAP chose SmartRecruiters over other vendors. How they evaluated every vendor and what set SmartRecruiters apart, focusing on the strength of their Applicant Tracking System (ATS) vs. "hollow" AI chatbots. Shazad reveals the 2026 vision for Employee Central Payroll (ECP), including the introduction of Autonomous Payroll Agents for compliance, reconciliation, and alerts that allow admins to "go home at 5:00 PM".
We also clarify the future of SuccessFactors Recruiting vs. SmartRecruiters and how native onboarding fits into the new ecosystem.
Key Takeaways & Chapters
00:00:00 | Intro: The PayrollBADIes Podcast Kickoff
00:01:12 | Meet Shahzad Naseem: SAP Strategy Lead & Musician
00:06:40 | The SmartRecruiters Business Case: Why SAP Acquired Them
00:12:05 | ATS Strength vs. Hollow Chatbots: The Evaluation Process
00:19:21 | Joule AI vs. Winston AI: Will They Ever Merge?
00:23:23 | The Future of "Headless" AI HR Applications
00:25:51 | 2025 Roadmap: Workforce Scheduling & Business Data Cloud (BDC)
00:27:12 | Autonomous Payroll: The Vision for ECP
00:29:55 | How Payroll Agents Solve Finance Reconciliation Gaps
00:32:33 | What Happens to SuccessFactors Recruiting & Onboarding?00:37:16 | Closing: The Future of Payroll Innovation
If you care about Payroll, SAP, AI, Recruiting, Compliance, or the future of HR Technology, this episode is for you.
👇 Drop a comment, subscribe, and join the PayrollBADIes community.
SAP Connect 2025 & PayrollBADIEs One Year Anniversary!
Monday, November 3, 2025 • Duration 32:55
A dynamic recap of the SAP SuccessConnect 2025 event, celebrating the Payroll BADIes 1-Year Anniversary! Join the crew as they discuss the massive announcements impacting SAP SuccessFactors HCM & Payroll. We dive deep into the SmartRecruiters acquisition, the future of AI agent-to-agent communication (Joule, Winston), major updates to SAP Time Tracking / Workforce Management, and the rise of the Payroll Baddy community. Learn what's next for payroll professionals and get the dates for SAP Connect 2026 and SAP Sapphire 2026.
Video Chapters:
[00:00:00] - Start: Payroll BADIeversary Welcome
[00:01:45] - The Payroll Baddy "Knighting" Movement
[00:02:41] - Fan Reactions & Gold Chain TSA Stories
[00:04:56] - SAP Connect / SuccessConnect Recap & Event Structure
[00:05:25] - Payroll's Dominance at the HR/Finance Combined Event
[00:06:48] - Keynote Impressions (Business vs. IT Focus)
[00:08:37] - Keynote Innovation Highlights (EC, Ask My Pay Statement, AI, WFM)
[00:10:23] - The SmartRecruiters Acquisition & Seamless Integration Demo
[00:13:45] - AI Agent-to-Agent Communication (Joule & Winston AI)
[00:15:07] - Celebrating Payroll Customers & The Baddy Parties
[00:16:58] - Workforce Management/Time Tracking Updates & Customer Success Stories
[00:19:06] - Talent Management News: The Focus on Skills
[00:20:00] - Venue Review & Future Event Dates (SAP Connect 2026, Sapphire 2026)
[00:22:52] - Fun Moments & Building the Payroll Community
[00:29:43] - Final Thoughts & Call to Action (Newsletter)
[00:30:44] - Outro Rap Song
PayrollBADIes with B-RAVE (Bonnie Tinder, Raven Intel): HR & Payroll Better Together, Software Selection, AI Adoption & More
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 • Duration 32:06
Join this episode to hear from Bonnie Tinder, Founder & CEO of Raven Intelligence, for a no-BS look at what truly drives HR tech implementation success. Bonnie explains why team dynamics and partner quality beat software features, how to use verified customer reviews to pick the right implementation partner, and what really happens when HR and Payroll live on different vendors. We dig into AI in HR (hype vs. outcomes), recent market moves and acquisitions, and where the ecosystem is headed next. Her bottom line: push for unified systems where it counts, and insist on clear accountability across every vendor on the field—because, as Bonnie puts it, running Core HR without Payroll is like running a marathon with one shoe.
Highlights
Team is greater then tool: the human factors that make or break projects
How to leverage customer reviews to choose the right SI
Integrations in the real world: HR ↔ Payroll, time, tax, and funding
AI adoption in HR: what’s working now vs. slideware
What market consolidation means for buyers in 2025+
Subscribe for more conversations with builders, buyers, and doers in HR & Payroll.
Why Payroll Is Still Undervalued and What Needs to Change with Pete Tiliakos
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 • Duration 46:34
In this episode of the Payroll BADIes podcast, the group welcomes legendary payroll analyst Pete Tiliakos
· Imran & Raj discuss the backlash they received after the previous episode and get Pete’s thoughts on the role of analysts in shaping the industry· Pete gives a sneak preview of his upcoming research: The Payroll Profession Confidence Index· The group talks about the five pillars of payroll excellence.· Pete gives his prediction on the future of payroll and how Artificial Intelligence will change the game
Calling out the BS! Analysts & Magic Quadrants: Don't Believe Everything you see!
Friday, May 30, 2025 • Duration 25:25
Join Imran and Raj in this episode as they discuss analyst reports and magic quadrants including their impact on software selection and market perceptions. They explore the criteria these reports use, question the credibility of various analyst firms given the pay to play model behind these reports and give very specific examples on serious issues with these reports.
Imran discusses his first hand experience being involved with analyst relations including involvement in the vendor response process and Raj shares his experience being solicited to pay in order to be considered in the report.
Lastly, they discuss the serious caution that should be used by SAP customers when they use these reports as a decision point for choosing a new software vendor as it does not consider their unique circumstances
Payroll Crisis: What happens when the Time system goes down for 10 weeks in December for over 100k Employees?
Thursday, May 1, 2025 • Duration 26:16
Join this episode with very special guest Chris McKee who has led global payroll at multiple Fortune 500 companies. Hear his POV on how he and his team handled one of the worst nightmares you can image: The Time & Attendance system going down for 10 weeks time due to a cybersecurity incident. To make matters worse, it happened in December right before US year-end.Chris shares insights into handling crisis management including when the contingency plan does not prepare you. He shares the impact on employees and how to deal with that, the response from senior leadership and how it has a huge impact, along with how they made it through after 10 weeks of no time data including reconciling all of the payroll data!
SAP SuccessFactors CRO Maryann Abbajay: From Raising Kids to Revolutionizing Payroll
Monday, February 24, 2025 • Duration 29:23
What do motherhood, payroll leadership, and 1 BILLION payslips have in common? - Maryann Abbajay, Chief Revenue Officer of SAP SuccessFactors—and our latest #PayrollBADIe guest! 🎙️🔥From raising kids to revolutionizing payroll,
Maryann shares her incredible journey, the game-changing innovations shaping the future (hello, AI! 🤖), and why payroll professionals are the real BADIes. 💰💡Some Payroll #GOLD from this episode:
✅ Payroll = employee trust & stability 💯
✅ AI is transforming payroll—faster, smarter, better! 🚀
✅ The 1 Billion Payslips milestone—SAP Payroll runs the world 🌍
✅ Payroll & Finance = Power Duo for efficiency 🔥 #SAPPayroll#S4
✅ Being present (at work and home) is everything ❤️
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
Discover shows related to PayrollBADIes, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.