Fast-growing Cybersecurity Firm SentinelOne Taps Papaya to Automate Payroll and Guide Global Expansion

Company

SentinelOne launched the highest-valued cybersecurity IPO in history in 2021. In a field where competition for top talent is fierce, SentinelOne has thrived thanks to its employee-centric approach.   

Challenge

As one of the fastest growing companies in the cybersecurity space, SentinelOne needed a payroll solution that could keep up with its rapid growth rate. That meant replacing its outdated payroll software with an automated solution that eliminated manual work, simplified onboarding, and delivered the in-country expertise SentinelOne needed to expand quickly and stay compliant across the globe.

Even as the company grew to more than 2,000 employees in 33 counties, its payroll operations were still reliant on excel sheets and manual upkeep every payroll cycle – which became overwhelming as the numbers increased. Any changes to employee files, such as adjustments in salary, a one-time bonus, or even a change of address, was a repetitive, multi-step process that took up time and required extensive audit to ensure accuracy.

“I was always concerned I would forget something or fill it incorrectly, like the wrong expenses for an employee – and we’d have incorrect payroll,” said SentinelOne Payroll Specialist Roman Becka.

The challenge was compounded by the need to hire and retain the best talent anywhere in the world. The solution had to support all employment options, including the ability to set up Employer of Record options in many countries, and to be able to help SentinelOne open new entities and transition workers from EoR to payroll efficiently.

For SentinelOne, which considers its workforce as the key to its success, the employee experience is essential. Any change in its payroll solution had to benefit its employees as well as the payroll department.

Solution

Modernizing the Payroll Process

Papaya implemented an immediate upgrade to SentinelOne’s payroll software, automating the process and ensuring data accuracy through its built-in audit system.

“Now we work with one tool and one set of data,” Roman said. “We don’t need to collect all the excel sheets and calculate the data. After I enter the salary updates, that’s it. Everything automatically syncs in the backgrounds and goes straight to our in-country partners. There is less chance for a mistake.”

It also streamlined the onboarding process, he said. “You just enter some basic personal information, and the rest is taken care of automatically,” he added.

Applying Local Expertise, Globally

As SentinelOne moved its payroll-related operations to the Papaya platform, it was also in the process of acquiring a company with employees in several new locations – a transition that required support from Papaya’s internal experts and its local partners.

“Papaya helped us with the legal and operational elements of that process, and we couldn’t have done it without them,” said SentinelOne Senior HR Partner Ana Kershaw. “Papaya was a lighthouse to us in that situation, providing navigation and guidance in the early stages of setting up a new country.”

Roman noted that Papaya’s ICP model – its network of preferred payroll experts in every location – added immense value to the operation. “Our in-country partners do more than handle the payroll calculations. They offer expert advice on how to move forward, like if we want to offer benefits for employees, or if we face a difficult termination,” he said.

One Solution, End to End

Ana said she has been impressed with how well Papaya covers every step of the payroll process and beyond. “Whether that was payroll processing or end-to-end employment support – we have everything in one place with Papaya,” she said, “all the tools we need to scale globally.”

Results

With Papaya leading the way in payroll and providing expert guidance for expansion through its ICP network, SentinelOne gained a trusted partner for all aspects of the payroll journey.

Visibility

Replacing SentinelOne’s manual payroll with an automated platform that brings all of its 33 locations together on one screen provides SentinelOne with the visibility it lacked in the days of manual processes. “We used several excel files to track the information we needed,” Roman said. “Now, it’s all on Papaya’s platform. We use Papaya’s BI for our cost comparison.”

Integrations

“With Papaya integrations, I can get what I need with the touch of a button,” Roman said, noting that SentinelOne integrated their Netsuite and Expensify data with the Papaya Platform.

“In the past we had to prepare Journal entries manually by ourselves but now Papaya generates those journal entries automatically, and uploads to Netsuite,” Roman said.

“With Expensify, we used to manually download the information and then manually load it into each employee’s profile. With this integration, everything flows automatically.”

Security

“We are a cybersecurity company, so cybersecurity is obviously a top priority for us,” Roman said. ”Papaya’s personal portal is a secure way to access private information and payslips. Some companies still send payslips by email, which is crazy. But Papaya has an end-to-end secure way to send payslips.

A Partner for Growth

Perhaps most importantly, SentinelOne’s gained a true partner for growth that supports its operations today and helps SentinelOne prepare for tomorrow.

“It really feels like having an extension of our own team. We have a strong integration and collaboration between us, and that is what provides business continuity in all locations,” Ana said.

“It makes us feel confident that Papaya will be able to support our further growth and expansion and remain a contributing factor to our success,” she added.