How Pia cut international onboarding from 45 days to two weeks with HeroForce

About the business

Pia is a software and IT services company headquartered in Shellharbour, New South Wales. The business develops technology products out of Australia and supports customers across multiple regions, with a growing commercial team spanning the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa.

With around 50 employees and an expanding international presence, Pia operates across time zones to keep partners supported around the clock. HR is managed by a single HR Advisor, Aditya Shenoy, who oversees both the Australian workforce and the global team.

The challenge

When Aditya joined Pia, the business was already using a different employer-of-record provider to employ staff in the United States and Canada. The experience was frustrating from the start.

Payroll errors were recurring – not isolated incidents. When they were raised, the response time was a minimum of 72 hours just for acknowledgement without resolution. For a startup where every dollar had to be accounted for, unexplained billing and slow support created real pressure on the finance team.

“We were a startup at that time, so every dollar counted. If we couldn’t clearly point to where money was being spent and why, it didn’t really help our business at that stage.”

The contract drafting process added another layer of delay. Getting an employment agreement prepared could take up to three weeks. It stacked on top of interview cycles and time zone gaps, onboarding a single international hire stretched close to two and a half months. The previous provider also offered no structured process for verifying an employee’s right to work in the United States, leaving that responsibility entirely with Pia’s HR team to manage manually.

The solution

Pia was already using Employment Hero for its Australian workforce. Moving to HeroForce for international hiring made the decision straightforward with one platform, one team and consistent payroll support across every country.

“Working in an IT company, we have one too many platforms we log on to on a daily basis. Being able to see who’s in Australia and who’s overseas, all in one place, with the same payroll and people data, has made a big difference.”

The change in contract turnaround was immediate. With the previous provider, an employment agreement took up to three weeks to prepare. With HeroForce’s in-country partner, that dropped to 48 hours. When Pia needed someone urgently, the team could pull together a draft on the same day.

HeroForce also introduced a structured right-to-work process through I-9 attestation, something Pia’s previous provider had never offered. Every US employee now completes a verified eligibility check as part of onboarding, removing the manual passport and visa verification that had previously fallen to Aditya.

“Our previous provider had nothing like that. It was up to me to make sure this person was a citizen, ask for a copy of the passport, ask if they were on a visa. Now, if someone’s been onboarded, I know they are fit to work. It’s much easier now.”

Equally important has been the relationship. Aditya works with a consistent team across customer success and global HR compliance – people he now knows by name, who follow through on commitments and respond to questions without delay.

“I remember the HeroForce team by names. That wasn’t the case with our previous provider. With HeroForce, I know for a fact that any HR advice or guidance I receive is vouched for. I don’t have to second-question it.”

The ROI

The shift to HeroForce has delivered measurable gains across speed, cost and compliance

• 60% faster international onboarding from 30-45 days to ~ two weeks
• $150 USD saved per employee/month through partner transition
• Significantly reduced finance admin – less time on invoices and reconciliations
• 100% automated right-to-work compliance (I-9) – no manual checks
• Expanded from 2 to 4 countries – no new legal entities required

“Before HeroForce, I spent between 30 to 45 days onboarding each candidate. With HeroForce, I spend around two weeks end to end.”

Why it matters

For a tech business built to support customers across time zones, the ability to hire anywhere – quickly and compliantly – is a genuine operational advantage. Pia can now move on strong candidates without waiting weeks for paperwork, expand into new markets on the back of a referral and ensure customers in the United Kingdom or United States always have someone available in their local time.

That confidence extends beyond Aditya. When the executive team comes to HR with an urgent hire request, there’s now a clear path forward: a draft contract within a day, a final agreement within 48 hours and a team on the other end who will pick up the phone.

“HeroForce has been pivotal in making sure our business runs smoothly. For a startup to no longer remain a startup, most of the money goes right back into the business – and the savings we’re making go back in too. That’s been great.”