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In this episode, April Smith, VP of Payroll and Benefits at Senior Lifestyle, joins Nick Day to break down how payroll is evolving from a back-office function into a strategic driver of retention, wellbeing, and workforce insight.

April shares why she was initially opposed to Earned Wage Access and what changed her mind once she saw the real data and employee behavior firsthand. She explains how on-demand pay supports financial stability without creating dependency, why dignity and privacy matter in payroll programs, and how payroll teams are uniquely positioned to spot workforce issues before anyone else.

The conversation also dives into how automation is shifting payroll from balancing numbers to diagnosing patterns, how payroll data influences executive decision-making, and why payroll leaders are earning a stronger seat at the leadership table.

If you work in payroll, HR, or people operations, this episode offers a grounded, operator-level perspective on the future of payroll and what modern payroll leadership really looks like.

Connect with April: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-cpp-98681a246?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Nick Day’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e

Stay tuned for the next episode of The Payroll Podcast, brought to you by Nick Day, CEO at JGA Recruitment, landing soon!

(00:00) Introduction and April’s Payroll Background

(05:10) Why April Was Initially Against Earned Wage Access

(10:35) What Changed Her Perspective on On-Demand Pay

(16:40) Earned Wage Access as Financial Stability, Not a Perk

(22:55) Dignity, Privacy, and Removing Payroll from Personal Hardship

(29:30) Recruiting and Retention Impact of Same-Day Pay

(35:45) Payroll as the Earliest Signal of Workforce Issues

(41:20) Automation Shifting Payroll from Processing to Insight

(47:10) Payroll’s Growing Role in Executive Decision-Making

(52:30) The Future of Payroll and HRIS Ownership

(57:20) Final Thoughts on Modern Payroll Leadership

Payroll Reinvented: How Technology and EWA Are Shifting the Game with April Smith

The Payroll Podcast