Live from World at Work Total Rewards 2026 with Special Guest Joe Ranzau

Live from World at Work Total Rewards 2026 with Special Guest Joe Ranzau

In this special episode, Pete and Julie are joined by Joe Ranzau, Partner at Grant Thornton, live from the annual World at Work Total Rewards event in San Antonio, TX. Joe brings a CFO-facing lens to the discussion, unpacking why finance, HR, risk, and tax all see payroll differently and why the reporting line may matter less than the governance model around it. The conversation explores payroll’s evolving strategic value, the persistent disconnect between HR and payroll, and why payroll professionals must become stronger storytellers, translators, and change agents. Together they explore where payroll really belongs, why it remains one of the most misunderstood functions in the enterprise, and how AI is forcing leaders to rethink process, risk, and governance. The episode also dives into AI’s growing role in HR and payroll, from productivity gains and hard-to-measure ROI to procurement restrictions, shadow AI, data safety, and adoption resistance across the workforce. Plus a practical look at what it takes to modernize payroll: clearer ownership, stronger governance, better cross-functional alignment, and a willingness to treat payroll as far more than a back-office process. Connect with Joe:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-ranzau/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-ranzau/]   Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 [http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0] X: @HRPayroll2_0 [https://twitter.com/HRPAYROLL2_0]  X: @PeteTiliakos [https://twitter.com/PeteTiliakos]  X: @JulieFer_HR [https://twitter.com/juliefer_hr] BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hrpayroll2o.bsky.social] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0 [https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0]  WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20 [https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20]  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ [https://www.globalization-partners.com/]  OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 [https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90] Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html [https://www.zoho.com/press.html] Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/]

Live from World at Work Total Rewards 2026 with Special Guests Sean Luitjens & Paul Reiman

In this special ‘Swapcast’ episode, Pete and Julie are joined by fellow WrkDefined [http://www.wrkdefined.com/] podcast hosts, Sean Luitjens and Paul Reiman of ‘Totally Rewarding Chats’ [https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/totally-rewarding-chats] for a lively conversation on total rewards, AI, work flexibility, and the changing expectations shaping the workforce. Recorded live from the annual World at Work Total Rewards event in San Antonio, the conversation starts with the energy of the conference itself, where AI has clearly moved from abstract hype to practical application. Sean and Paul unpack how total rewards, compensation, benefits, payroll, and HR are increasingly converging, and why practitioners need peer communities more than ever as they navigate sensitive workforce data, emerging tools, and rapidly changing employee expectations.   Pete leads the group through three timely workplace debates: the four-day workweek as a benefit and retention lever, the rise of employee resistance to company AI strategies, and Gen Z’s desire for both career ambition and better work-life balance. The discussion gets practical, exploring why flexibility only works when trust, role design, and administration are aligned; why AI adoption fails when leaders frame it as headcount reduction instead of capacity expansion; and why younger workers may not be rejecting hard work as much as redefining the terms under which they are willing to give it.   Connect with Sean, Paul & Totally Rewarding Chats LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulreiman/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulreiman/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-luitjens/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-luitjens/]  ‘Totally Rewarding Chats’: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/totally-rewarding-chats [https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/totally-rewarding-chats] Novo Insights: https://www.novoinsights.com/ [https://www.novoinsights.com/] Salary.com: https://www.salary.com/ [https://www.salary.com/] Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 [http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0] X: @HRPayroll2_0 [https://twitter.com/HRPAYROLL2_0]  X: @PeteTiliakos [https://twitter.com/PeteTiliakos]  X: @JulieFer_HR [https://twitter.com/juliefer_hr] BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hrpayroll2o.bsky.social] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0 [https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0]  WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20 [https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20]  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ [https://www.globalization-partners.com/]  OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 [https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90] Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html [https://www.zoho.com/press.html] Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/]

When IT Meets HR with Special Guest Amy Wang

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Amy Wang, a shared services and HR operations expert and leader, to explore the intersection of HR, payroll, technology, and enterprise service delivery.  With more than two decades of experience spanning IT, HR operations, and shared services across industries, Amy shares how her unconventional path from IT into HR shaped her approach to building scalable, data-driven service organizations.   Amy shares the diplomacy, governance, and storytelling required to operationalize shared services successfully, and why leaders must continually demonstrate value, communicate wins, and build credibility across the enterprise. The discussion also highlights the critical role of payroll and HR data as foundational infrastructure for modern organizations and why strong governance and standardized processes are essential for scalable service delivery.   From the importance of data readiness and operational discipline to the possibility of new C-suite structures emerging around people, technology, and risk, Amy offers a forward-looking perspective on how HR and shared services are becoming strategic engines for the future of work.   Connect with Amy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywang168/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywang168/]  SSON blogs by Amy: https://www.ssonetwork.com/events-hr-shared-services-week/blog [https://www.ssonetwork.com/events-hr-shared-services-week/blog]  Connect with the show: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 [http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0] X: @HRPayroll2_0 [https://twitter.com/HRPAYROLL2_0]  X: @PeteTiliakos [https://twitter.com/PeteTiliakos]  X: @JulieFer_HR [https://twitter.com/juliefer_hr] BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hrpayroll2o.bsky.social] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0 [https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0]  WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20 [https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20]  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 [https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90] Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html [https://www.zoho.com/press.html] Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/]

Pete’s Top 10 Takeaways from the Workday Innovation Summit 2026

On this episode, Pete and Julie unpack the top 10 learnings and key takeaways from the recent Workday Innovation Summit for industry analysts in Napa, California.  Each year, Workday gathers analysts for a peek behind the Workday curtain, its GTM, roadmap, customer stories, and big bets on what comes next for the ERP platform and its innovation, its customers, partners, and broader ecosystem.  Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 [http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0] X: @HRPayroll2_0 [https://twitter.com/HRPAYROLL2_0]  X: @PeteTiliakos [https://twitter.com/PeteTiliakos]  X: @JulieFer_HR [https://twitter.com/juliefer_hr] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hrpayroll2o.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hrpayroll2o.bsky.social]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0 [https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0]    WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20 [https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20]  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 [https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90] Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html [https://www.zoho.com/press.html] Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/]

Payroll Is a Trust Function with Special Guest Kelly Westfall

In this episode of HR & Payroll 2.0, Pete and Julie welcome Kelly Westfall, a payroll leader known for bringing equal parts precision and heart to one of the most mission-critical (and most misunderstood) functions in the enterprise.  Kelly shares how she found her way from HR and onboarding into payroll leadership and why the complexity, accountability, and responsibility of getting pay right drive her passion and career forward.  The conversation gets real about life in payroll: the constant exceptions, the operational risk, the employee trust equation, and the quiet heroics required to keep pay accurate, compliant, and reliable at scale. Kelly shares what’s driving burnout and talent scarcity across payroll teams, why many organizations still under-resource the function while over-relying on it. Kelly reminds us that payroll is a trust function, and payroll leaders will advance through calm influence, fostering community connection, and communicating at the executive level!  Connect with Kelly:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-westfall-cpp-845245b6/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-westfall-cpp-845245b6/] https://gacpayroll.org/ [https://gacpayroll.org/]  Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 [http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0] X: @HRPayroll2_0 [https://twitter.com/HRPAYROLL2_0]  X: @PeteTiliakos [https://twitter.com/PeteTiliakos]  X: @JulieFer_HR [https://twitter.com/juliefer_hr] BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hrpayroll2o.bsky.social] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0 [https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0]  WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20 [https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20]  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 [https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90] Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html [https://www.zoho.com/press.html] Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/]