Managing payroll and HR tasks can be a time‑consuming headache, especially when you’re running a business on your own or with a tiny team. From tracking time‑off balances and benefits to answering employee questions about pay, the administrative burden adds up fast. That’s why Paycom’s latest innovation – IWant, a command‑driven AI engine launched on August 8 – is turning heads. It promises to transform how solopreneurs and micro‑business owners access and manage employee information, providing immediate answers and seamless navigation through the entire payroll system.
In this article, you’ll learn what makes IWant different from traditional HR software, how its voice‑ and text‑powered interface works, and why it matters for small business owners who value speed and accuracy. We’ll also share actionable steps for trying it out and integrating AI‑powered payroll into your workflow.
Revolutionizing Payroll with Command‑Driven AI
Paycom’s IWant isn’t just a chatty add‑on – it’s a fundamental rethink of how people interact with HR software. According to Paycom, IWant allows users to issue voice or typed commands to get immediate answers or be taken directly to the right place in the system. Rather than clicking through menus, employees simply ask questions like, “How much paid time off do I have left?” and receive instant responses. The engine pulls information from Paycom’s single database, ensuring that answers are consistent and accurate. That eliminates the duplicate or inconsistent data problems that plague systems built around multiple data sources.
In a statement accompanying the launch, Paycom noted that IWant is available on both mobile and desktop via Employee Self‑Service and Manager On‑the‑Go. This means workers can access their personal data from anywhere, while managers can quickly handle HR tasks on the fly. Paycom founder and CEO Chad Richison called the engine the company’s “biggest release since our founding in 1998,” highlighting its importance to the future of HR software. Richison explained that command‑driven automation represents the next era of software, where navigation and information gathering become obsolete because the system brings answers to you.
For employees, IWant can answer questions about time‑off balances, 401(k) contributions, schedules, tax withholdings, paycheck amounts, pay history and benefits. It’s equally powerful for managers: the engine provides instant access to coverage thresholds, time‑off schedules, overdue training and pay changes, and can surface details such as who’s clocked in, pending time‑off requests, salary histories and performance reviews. Because it’s built on top of Paycom’s existing secure infrastructure, users don’t need to learn new software or worry about integrating third‑party tools.
Why This Matters for Solopreneurs and Micro‑Businesses
If you’re a solopreneur handling payroll yourself or coordinating with a part‑time bookkeeper, tasks like running paychecks, tracking benefits and answering employee questions can quickly consume your day. Here’s how a command‑driven AI engine like IWant can change that:
- Rapid answers without the learning curve. Instead of navigating a complex interface, you ask IWant for what you need. That means fewer clicks and less time training new staff to use the system.
- Accurate information from a single source. Because the AI pulls data from Paycom’s unified database, it eliminates discrepancies and duplicate entries. You know you’re getting the right answer every time.
- Mobile convenience. Whether you’re at your desk or on the go, you can check time‑off requests or approve payroll from your phone or laptop.
- Free up headspace for strategic work. Automating routine HR inquiries gives you more time to focus on growing your business and serving clients.
- Scalable with your business. As you add employees, the AI ensures you’re not overwhelmed by administrative tasks.
Getting Started: Tools You Can Use Today
While IWant is embedded within Paycom’s platform, you can apply its principles to any payroll system you use. Here’s a roadmap for exploring command‑driven HR tools:
- Evaluate your current payroll software. Make a list of tasks that consume the most time, such as answering employee questions, adjusting withholding or checking time‑off balances. Identify the features your software already offers and areas where you’re still doing manual work.
- Explore Paycom’s offering. If you already use Paycom, contact your account representative to enable IWant. If you’re considering a switch, sign up for a demo on Paycom’s website to see how the AI engine works in practice. Paycom’s interface supports voice commands and text prompts.
- Train your team. Introduce employees to the command‑driven interface. Encourage them to use voice commands for basic tasks like checking their pay history or submitting time‑off requests. Collect feedback to improve adoption.
- Automate repetitive tasks. Use IWant to pull payroll reports, calculate net pay and remind staff about overdue trainings. Because the engine surfaces information from a single database, you can trust the results.
- Monitor productivity improvements. Track how much time you save each pay period by comparing the number of clicks or manual steps. Measure employee satisfaction through quick surveys to ensure the AI engine is truly making HR interactions smoother.
What This Means for Your Business
AI-powered payroll isn’t just about convenience—it can also drive real business outcomes. By automating routine HR interactions, solopreneurs can:
- Improve employee satisfaction. Fast access to data means fewer payroll errors and quicker responses to questions, fostering trust and loyalty.
- Reduce operational costs. Eliminating manual data lookup and navigation frees up hours each week. Those savings add up as your team grows.
- Enhance compliance and accuracy. A single source of truth prevents mistakes caused by inconsistent or duplicate data. You’ll spend less time correcting errors after payroll runs.
- Prepare for future automation. Paycom’s CEO predicts that command‑driven automation marks the beginning of a new era in software. Getting comfortable with voice‑powered workflows now puts your business on the cutting edge.
Actionable Takeaways
Here are specific steps you can take this week and over the next month to leverage AI for payroll and HR:
- This week: Review your payroll processes and identify where employees or you spend time navigating software. Document common questions you receive about pay and benefits.
- By next week: If you use Paycom, reach out to enable IWant and set up voice and text commands for your typical tasks. If not, research whether your current provider offers an AI assistant or consider a free trial of Paycom.
- Within 30 days: Train employees on using voice commands and monitor how quickly they adopt the new workflow. Use analytics within your payroll software to track how many queries the AI handles versus manual input.
- By the end of the quarter: Compare your time spent on payroll tasks before and after adopting AI. Use the saved time to focus on marketing, product development or client outreach.
The Future of HR Is Conversational
Paycom’s IWant engine signals a shift toward conversational interfaces in business software. Instead of clicking through menus or memorizing where each option lives, you simply ask for what you need. For solopreneurs juggling many roles, that could mean hours saved each month and fewer headaches. Whether you adopt IWant directly or start exploring similar AI‑powered tools, the takeaway is clear: voice and command‑driven AI can help you work smarter, not harder. Make the most of this new era and free yourself to focus on what you do best—building and growing your business.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not an endorsement of Paycom or its products. Always evaluate software based on your business’s unique needs.
