How Employment Hero rebuilt VDI’s HR foundation and enabled a resilient, scalable workforce
Multiple hours
saved weekly through manager-led recruitment
100%
digital performance history improving accountability
Increased visibility
In recruitment across all sites and leadership levels
Company
VDI Australia
Industry
Manufacturing
Employees
120
Location
Australia Wide
Favourite Features
About the business
VDI is a fast-growing, family-owned national bus and coach solutions provider with over 120 employees across Australia. Known for its unwavering focus on safety, innovation and continuous improvement, and guided by values with a deep commitment to its people, VDI is shaping a future of sustained growth and industry leadership. When Chief Human Resources Officer Jennifer Mulligan joined the team, her objective was clear: build the strong HR foundation needed to support both growth and the company’s family-first culture.
The challenge
“I restructured the HR function from the ground up. I wanted to create a strong foundation for the growth of our business and the development of our people.”
Jennifer Mulligan, CHRO, VDI Australia
At the same time, the business was determined not to lose the values that define it:
“Although we exist to make a profit and create memorable customer experiences, our focus is on ensuring our employees have a safe workplace and a financially secure future.”
The challenge was operational and cultural. VDI needed modern, scalable HR processes that strengthened (not replaced) its family-owned identity.
The solution
Employment Hero became the backbone of VDI’s HR transformation. By centralising recruitment, performance management, documentation and collaboration, the platform provided the consistency and accountability the business had been missing.
VDI shifted recruitment into a fully manager-led workflow within Employment Hero, empowering leaders while giving HR complete visibility.
“Recruitment is now a seamless process. From requisition to posting, interviewing, contracting and onboarding, we can now collaborate using the manager notes function.”
Screening questions and digital collaboration significantly reduced admin, cut down hiring time and ensured new hires aligned to both the role and VDI’s values.
Performance reviews and management notes became VDI’s most powerful tool for building capability and resilience.
“The performance reviews have had the biggest impact for our business. The feature enables managers to manage their staff and create real opportunities for growth and development.”
Jennifer Mulligan, CHRO, VDI Australia
With structured 3, 6 and 12-month touchpoints, VDI built clear pathways for upskilling, succession planning and consistent feedback, which is essential for a business preparing to scale rapidly.
The ROI
- Multiple hours saved weekly through manager-led recruitment
- Consistent, documented performance conversations improving accountability
- Full recruitment visibility for HR, executives and the board
- Stronger cross-skilling and resilience across departments
- Continuity during manager turnover through centralised digital histories
Why it matters
Employment Hero has helped VDI preserve its family-owned values while giving it the structure to grow with confidence. As Jennifer put it:
“Employment Hero enables us to uphold consistency and maintain stability to ensure equal standards for everyone, regardless of how much we grow.”
VDI now has the foundation, alignment and resilience needed to scale without losing what makes it special.
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