Powering better HR for Aussie businesses: Why this HR consultant recommends Employment Hero

Helping businesses across Australia navigate HR with confidence

Nick Hutchinson is not your average HR consultant. Based in Tasmania, Nick supports clients across industries like manufacturing, construction, hospitality and allied health, ranging from three to several hundred employees. His goal? To help employers take the complexity out of HR and compliance by finding the right software to do the heavy lifting.

“I usually encourage employers to implement HR software of some sort that puts structure and automation around their processes. It just makes things easier and ensures you’re covered when it comes to compliance,” Nick shared. 

For Nick, Employment Hero is the platform that does just that and more.

Why Employment Hero? A perfect fit for SMEs

Nick first encountered Employment Hero in 2017 but implemented it for the first time in 2019. Since starting his own consultancy, Hutchinson Resources, in 2023, he’s recommended and implemented it more than any other system.

“It’s a great software tool. For most of the businesses I work with, typically between 10 and 100 employees, this is a good system. They don’t want the cheapest system, but they also don’t need a high-end, expensive platform. Employment Hero is simple, user-friendly and works for these businesses.”

Making payroll simpler, smarter and faster

Nick’s technical understanding of payroll makes him a standout advocate for the Employment Hero’s premium payroll module. The platform’s award interpretation, logic functions and reporting capabilities are where it shines.

“I love the logic function in the payroll. You can create rule sets that trigger all different sorts of things. I haven’t seen that in any other software,” Nick said. 

“Being able to build a custom rule and automate it is brilliant. It removes the manual intervention and ensures staff get paid correctly every time. For example, one of my clients has a rule where staff who meet a daily quota get paid for a full day. even if they complete it in just a few hours.”

He also calls out the intuitive workflow within the payroll system, from rostering and time capture to approvals and processing.

“You can set it up so employees input their time in different ways, and then route it for approval by managers or payroll. The flow of information is fantastic. It’s really well thought out,” Nick explained.

The value of this setup shows clearly in his client results. “I implemented Employment Hero at an allied health clinic where rostering used to take a full day each week. Now, I can do it all – rostering and payroll – in under an hour. It’s a massive time saving. As a consultant, you don’t want to waste a client’s money. This system makes my time and their money go further,” he said.

He’s even working with a new client now who currently spends two days on payroll. “I’m looking forward to seeing that drop to maybe three hours on a slow day once Employment Hero is up and running.”

Data that drives better decisions

Nick also highlights Employment Hero’s reporting tools as a key advantage, particularly compared to other platforms like MYOB or Xero.

“If an employer thinks they’ve underpaid someone, I can go in, pull the pay run data, see what rules have been applied, and get to the bottom of it quickly. That’s near impossible with other systems,” he explained.

This ability to extract clear, visible data not only resolves payroll issues but gives employers peace of mind and a strong defence in case of disputes.

Streamlining recruitment and onboarding

From the HR side, Nick uses and recommends the recruitment and onboarding features to help businesses bring on new staff with minimal fuss.

“I’ve got several clients using SmartMatch through the ATS. One client in regional Tasmania didn’t think they’d find anyone nearby, but when we did a quick search for disability support workers, 21 showed up within 25 kilometres. That kind of visibility is a game-changer for them,” Nick recalled.

Compliance made easy

Across the board, Nick says the most tangible benefit for clients is improved HR compliance.

“There might be a slight reduction in cost, but the big win is the increase in compliance quality. You can quickly report on who has signed contracts, what certifications are missing, and what needs to be followed up without sifting through paper files.”

Empowering Nick to do his best work

Employment Hero isn’t just a recommendation Nick gives to clients, it’s also an essential part of his own consulting toolkit.

“As a partner, it’s so much easier to jump into a client’s HR setup, review contracts, and provide advice. Just this morning, a client asked if they had to pay overtime for a specific employee. I checked the relevant Award, Employment contract, and rates of pay, and gave them a clear answer within a few minutes.”

That kind of real-time advice is only possible because of how quickly and easily Nick can access the right information in Employment Hero.

A strong system for growing businesses

Nick’s advice for other businesses or consultants considering Employment Hero?

“If you’re a small business that wants a good HR system that covers the basics well and does payroll brilliantly, Employment Hero is one of the best I’ve seen in Australia. And it won’t cost you a fortune in system management,” he said.Ready to streamline your HR and payroll processes like Nick’s clients? Book a demo with Employment Hero today and see how we can help make work easier and more valuable for your business.