Implementation requires careful coordination - gathering documentation, running discovery, preparing employee data, and configuring your platform. If your team is stretched across a busy period or you prefer not to learn the platform during setup, White Glove Implementation is our most hands-on way to launch.
What Is White Glove Implementation?
White Glove Implementation is a managed implementation service where Deel takes on the heavy lifting of implementation setup. Here's how it works:
- You provide your documents and employee data in whatever format you already have
- Deel extracts your business rules and requirements from your documentation
- Deel structures your employee data and configures the platform end to end
- You review and approve the results at each phase
- Your team launches with full enablement and support
The result: a simpler implementation experience with a lighter load on your team.
Who This Is For
White Glove Implementation is available to eligible Deel customers. It's ideal if you:
- Want Deel to take the lead on implementation
- Have limited bandwidth to dedicate to setup
- Are new to Deel and prefer not to learn the platform during configuration
- Have multiple entities or countries with complex documentation to hand over
It's available globally across all industries, for Payroll and HR implementations, for both new and existing Deel customers.
What's Included
- AI-assisted discovery extracted from your documents and verified by our specialists
- Employee data structuring and import into Deel (no re-keying by you)
- Platform setup and configuration, including statutory setup and third-party platform setup
- Parallel run, variance analysis, and payment testing
- Launch support for your first live cycle
- Platform training and enablement for your team to run independently
- HR workstreams: live Discovery/Design sessions with our specialists, testing in the Test environment with your sign-off, and train-the-trainer enablement for your administrators
- Optional Deel HRIS (HR and time-off module), if you purchase it
What's NOT Included
- Third-party HRIS integrations — We can't test integrations with your existing HR system on your behalf. You have two options: (1) upgrade to our standard implementation where your technical team tests the integration, or (2) launch the HRIS integration after your payroll goes live
- Ongoing operational support after launch — After handover, standard support applies (the same as other implementations)
- Custom development — Only standard platform configuration
- Compliance consulting — We extract and analyze the documents you provide; we don't consult on compliance strategy
- Data correction — If your source documents are incomplete or inaccurate, we ask questions; we don't create missing data
- Deel Academy training — Advanced training is available as an optional add-on for an additional fee
How White Glove Implementation Works: The Six Phases
Your implementation follows six phases, with formal sign-off required before moving to each next phase.
[ACCORDION] Phase 1: Pre-Implementation
Before implementation formally begins, we align on solution scope, rollout strategy, timeline expectations, what we need from you, and readiness requirements by confirming:
- Your scope and rollout strategy (which countries, which entities)
- That you meet the eligibility requirements
- What documents and data we'll need from you
- Your data handling requirements and whether a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is needed
- Your team's readiness and availability
What you need to do: Confirm scope, answer eligibility questions, understand the requirements.
[ACCORDION] Phase 2: Project Initiation and Kick-Off
Your implementation team is assigned and we set up governance:
- Global kick-off call — held within one week of signing your Order Form, to introduce your team and align on timelines
- Country kick-offs — held within the first month for each country you're implementing
- Project Charter — outlines the project scope, timeline, and key milestones
- Communication plan — establishes how we'll stay in touch (Slack, email, meetings)
- Source-material request — we'll ask you for the documents and data we need, with specific deadlines
What you need to do: Assign key contacts from your team (project lead, workstream contact, finance lead), authorize entity creation, and start gathering your source materials.
[ACCORDION] Phase 3: Discovery and Requirements
This is where Deel extracts your business rules from your documents:
- You send us your source materials (compliance documents, payslips, employee handbooks, HR policies, system documentation) in whatever format you have them
- Deel uses AI to extract your business rules and configuration requirements
- We verify everything we've extracted against your original documents
- We ask short, specific questions about anything missing from your documents
- You review and approve our verified discovery before we move to configuration
For HR, discovery is run live with our specialists in Discovery/Design sessions.
What you need to do: Send your documents by the agreed deadline, answer gap questions promptly, review and approve the final discovery.
[ACCORDION] Phase 4: Build
Deel configures your platform:
- We configure the platform for each country and workstream, including pay codes, statutory setup, and general ledger (GL) mapping where applicable
- We structure and import your employee data
- After each configuration session, you receive a screen recording showing what we built, along with a walkthrough
- We complete data quality assurance (DQA) to ensure everything is accurate
What you need to do: Provide your employee data by the agreed deadline, review configuration updates, and flag any inconsistencies.
[ACCORDION] Phase 5: QA
Before go-live, we validate accuracy. For HR, testing happens in the Test environment, with your qualitative sign-off:
- Parallel run (payroll): Deel runs payroll alongside your current provider for one pay cycle and compares results
- Variance analysis: We prepare a detailed comparison showing any differences between Deel and your current system
- Payment testing (payroll): We run a small test payment to confirm your payment details work correctly
- Go/No-Go decision: Once everything checks out, we confirm you're ready to go live
Tolerance (payroll): We accept a variance of $1 or 0.1% of gross pay (whichever is lower). Small differences due to rounding or source data issues don't block sign-off.
What you need to do: Review the test results, approve the configuration, and sign off on Go/No-Go.
[ACCORDION] Phase 6: Launch and Handover
Your first live cycle runs:
- We support your first live cycle
- Payroll payments are sent and filings are completed where applicable
- We hand over to your Customer Operations Manager and Payroll Manager
- Your account moves to standard support
What you need to do: Confirm everything is working correctly, distribute payslips to employees, and participate in a handover call.
[/ACCORDION]
Timeline
Typical timelines: Standard 60–120 days, Complex 120+ days. Your Deel team confirms your go-live date during scoping.
The month-by-month view below is an example for one country.
| Month | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Month 1 | Project kick-off; source material hand-over begins |
| Month 2 | Discovery and build |
| Month 3 | Parallel run and testing |
| Month 4 | Go-live and handover |
For multiple countries: Each country has its own timeline and Country Implementation Manager. We sequence go-lives around tax years and statutory requirements (for example, we avoid March go-lives in the UK and target April instead).
Before You Start: Preparation & Commitment
What You Need to Commit
We keep your team's commitment deliberately light:
- Project lead: About 4–6 hours per week
- Workstream contact (per country): About 2 hours per week, up to 4–6 at peak (discovery gaps, parallel run review)
- Finance & Treasury contacts: About 1 hour per week in active periods
- Executive sponsor: About 1 hour per month
- Change & enablement lead: About 2 hours per week from Build through go-live
Data and Documents We’ll Need from You
You'll also need to:
- Provide source documents and employee data by agreed deadlines (through secure transfer, not email)
- Answer gap questions promptly
- Approve the verified discovery and review configuration updates
- Sign off at each phase before we proceed
- Ensure employees are onboarded at least two weeks before the parallel run or first live cycle
- Keep employee records up to date as people join and leave
What You Need to Have in Place
Before we start, we need to confirm that you have:
- At least one legal entity per country — With no shared entities across countries
- A data-handling position — We need to know how you handle personal data, and whether you need a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) signed before we start
- Data retention arrangement with your current provider — If you're switching providers, you're responsible for arranging data retention and transition support directly with them. We don't manage this arrangement.
Frequently Asked Questions
[ACCORDION] Does White Glove Implementation make go-live faster?
No. It reduces the effort your team carries, not the time it takes. Timelines depend on scope, complexity, and how quickly you provide source materials and answer questions. Typical timelines are 60–120 days (Standard) or 120+ days (Complex), depending on scope.
[ACCORDION] What format should we send our documents and data in?
Send them in whatever format you already have. We accept:
- System exports (from your current HR or payroll system)
- Spreadsheets
- PDFs
- Google Docs or Word documents
- Any other format you're comfortable with
You don't need to reformat anything before sending it to us.
[ACCORDION] What if our documents are incomplete?
We'll ask specific questions about what's missing. Source accuracy and completeness are your responsibility. Unanswered gap questions are the most common reason implementations delay.
[ACCORDION] Can you pull data from our current payroll provider automatically?
No. We work from the documents and exports you provide. You're responsible for coordinating data retention and transition support with your current provider.
[ACCORDION] How is AI used in this process?
AI extracts requirements from your documents and restructures your employee data into the format Deel needs. However, a Deel specialist verifies every AI-generated output against your original documents before we use it. Automated checks alone are never sufficient—human verification is always part of the process.
[ACCORDION] What about data security?
Employee data is personal data. Before you send any documents or data for AI-assisted processing, we confirm your data-handling position with you and determine whether a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is needed. All files are transferred through secure channels (SFTP or the Deel portal), never by open email. Your data is handled according to Deel's security standards and compliance certifications.
[ACCORDION] Can we still use our HRIS with this service?
Deel HRIS (our HR and time-off module) is optional and can be configured as part of White Glove Implementation. If you use a third-party HRIS, we can't integrate it within White Glove Implementation (we can't test third-party integrations on your behalf). However, you have two options:
- Switch to our standard implementation, where your technical team tests the integration
- Launch the third-party HRIS integration after payroll goes live
We recommend running payroll and HRIS in sequence rather than simultaneously. Starting with HRIS first is typically safest, as it lets core employee data be configured before payroll relies on it.
[ACCORDION] Do we still have to do anything?
Yes, a lighter role. Your project lead should plan for 4–6 hours per week on average. You provide documents and data, answer gap questions, review and approve our work at each phase, and sign off before we move forward. It's considerably lighter than standard implementation, where your team builds alongside our team.
[ACCORDION] What happens after go-live?
After your first successful live cycle (the second for semi-monthly or bi-weekly pay), your account moves to standard support. A Payroll Manager and Customer Operations Manager take over. We're still here to help, but day-to-day operations are now your team's responsibility (like other Deel implementations).
[ACCORDION] Is there ongoing payroll managed by Deel?
No. White Glove Implementation covers setup through handover. After handover, you manage payroll with standard support. Premium Support is available as a separate offer if you'd like higher-priority response times.
[ACCORDION] What happens if scope changes or we need customization?
Scope changes are handled through a formal change control process. Minor changes (clarifications) are handled day-to-day. Larger changes (additional countries, entities, or features) go through a change request and may affect timeline or cost. We'll discuss options with you before proceeding.
[/ACCORDION]
Ready to Get Started?
To learn more about White Glove Implementation or to discuss whether it's the right fit for your team, speak with your Deel sales contact. During the sales process, we'll walk you through the service, confirm eligibility, and outline what the journey looks like for your specific situation.
If you have questions about White Glove Implementation, reach out to your Deel Customer Operations Manager or contact our support team.