Kansas City Royals hit a grand slam with streamlined HR, pay, and time

Some organizations say they’re “like family.” For the Kansas City Royals, it’s more than a saying, it’s a way of doing business. The team’s commitment to community runs deep, from literacy programs to veteran initiatives. That same dedication extends to its employees.

“I think one of the things that makes this organization unique is that, even though it’s large, it still feels like family,” said Jodi Parsons, Senior Director of Payroll. “That’s something that’s carried through every ownership group – they genuinely want people to feel like they’re part of an organization that cares.”

Managing major league payroll complexity

The Royals’ workforce fluctuates from roughly 400 full-time employees in the off-season to nearly 1,800 during the baseball season when seasonal staff are employed, which can make payroll feel like a major league challenge. “My goal is to make sure our people are paid accurately and on time,” said Parsons. “When employees don’t have to worry about their pay, they can focus on doing the work they’re meant to do – giving our fans the best experience.”

In addition to fluctuating staff, the variety of workers – stadium operations, front office staff, minor and major league players, etc. – creates even greater complexity. Before Dayforce, that meant juggling evolving tax rules and manual spreadsheets that were prone to error. The team needed a modern, integrated platform that could handle complexity and provide an intuitive experience, especially for the team’s seasonal and often mobile workforce.

A technology partner that covers all the bases

The Royals evaluated new HR, payroll, and time solutions, ultimately selecting Dayforce. For Iris Edelen, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, the choice had a lot to do with its commitment to continuously improving technology to meet customers’ evolving needs. “And those change all the time,” she explained. “You don’t want to hear ‘that's not possible’. You have to have a system that can allow you to be innovative and to respond to different needs that you probably wouldn't think you had.” Dayforce also uniquely understands the industry’s needs thanks to its existing customer base, which includes many professional sports teams.

Efficiency that changes the game

Since implementing the full suite of Dayforce products, the Royals have gained efficiencies across the board. Bi-weekly payroll processing time has decreased by half a day, and payroll accuracy has climbed to 99 percent. Previously, achieving an accuracy rate of 95–97 percent required intensive manual auditing, sometimes taking an additional eight to twelve hours of work. “Dayforce has really allowed us to identify anomalies that we previously couldn’t catch until after the fact. I feel like payroll processing isn't as chaotic as it used to be. We're easily able to work throughout our bi-weekly pay period to make changes, to update profiles, to add one-time payments, etc.," said Parsons.

With more time back and greater insights, the payroll team can focus on strategic initiatives and feel more purposeful in their jobs. Parsons shared, “Dayforce gives us time back. That means my team can truly unplug at the end of the day.”

Using Dayforce, the team can also provide increasingly valuable information, data, and workforce analytics to department leaders and budget owners in an almost real-time way, as well as giving them the tools to find it on their own. Edelen even uses Dayforce data to inform strategic workforce planning, including creating custom reports to benchmark the Royals against other MLB teams.

Last but certainly not least, the sophisticated scheduling capabilities within Dayforce have made a huge impact on the game-day staff, because they can embed rules to comply with union guidelines and manage availability. “This has been completely revolutionary,” said Edelen. “And it’s great to have a system that's doing it for us as opposed to individuals having to do things manually. It’s been huge in terms of efficiency.”

Elevating employee experience, from hire to retire

Dayforce has positively impacted the entire employee lifecycle. Even high-volume seasonal hiring is simpler and more streamlined. For example, Dayforce mobile provides the versatility and speed needed to handle hiring fairs where candidates might apply, interview, and receive an offer all within a couple of hours.

“We can be really proactive in the speed that it takes to have a hire completed and then walk them through the system and allow them to access it all on their phone,” said Edelen. Even more so, the organization’s existing workforce can self-service with the Dayforce app. Seasonal and remote staff can view pay information, update profiles, and manage schedules from anywhere. “It’s been game-changing,” shared Edelen.

A partnership built for the future

Edelen – who has led five payroll implementations throughout her career – describes implementing the full suite of Dayforce products as “the smoothest” she’s ever experienced, thanks to a true partnership and shared commitment to innovation. Looking ahead, the Royals are eager to further explore AI and analytics to continue to elevate HR’s strategic impact.

“We touch everyone in the organization,” said Parsons. “Dayforce helps us show value – that we’re not just pressing buttons but driving business decisions and creating a better experience for everyone.”