How Zerella Fresh cut payroll processing time by 50% and reduced hiring costs

Fresh food supply at scale: Zerella Fresh’s workforce challenge

Zerella Fresh is a leading Australian supplier of fresh produce, specialising in potatoes, onions and carrots. Operating in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, the business relies on a large, predominantly hourly workforce to keep production moving efficiently. Managing payroll, recruitment and workforce compliance at this scale presented a significant challenge – until they discovered Employment Hero.

Majid Ali, who oversees payroll operations, recalls the difficulties of their previous system. “Before Employment Hero, payroll was a manual, time-consuming process. We had to deal with outdated systems, excessive paperwork and constant back-and-forth with employees about timesheets and pay discrepancies.”

Payroll efficiency: cutting processing time in half

Before implementing Employment Hero, payroll at Zerella Fresh was a complex process that required extensive manual input. The team spent hours verifying timesheets, managing deductions and handling leave requests, often leading to delays and errors.

With Employment Hero, payroll processing now takes one full day less per fortnight – time that the team can now dedicate to more strategic HR initiatives. “We’ve saved eight to ten hours per pay cycle. That’s huge. Now we can focus on things like employee engagement and ensuring our HR compliance is up to date,” Majid explains.

The platform’s automated timesheet management has also significantly reduced excessive work hours, providing managers with clearer oversight of employee hours. “We can see exactly who is working when, track hours properly, and streamline compliance with accurate awards.”

Data-driven payroll management with reporting

Employment Hero’s reporting features have given Zerella Fresh better control over payroll expenses and compliance. The Zerella team can now generate detailed reports on deductions, expenses and attendance, and make sure every payrun is completed on time. “The reporting functionality has been a big time saver. We can quickly access data on attendance trends, salary costs and compliance. It’s made audits and internal reviews so much easier.”

The ability to pull granular reports on superannuation contributions, tax obligations and leave accruals has also helped them have a better understanding of their cash flow. . . “Instead of digging through spreadsheets, we can just pull a report and see exactly where we stand. It’s incredibly efficient.”

Smart rostering for a fast-moving workforce

With a workforce made up largely of hourly employees, efficient rostering is critical to maintaining productivity. Employment Hero’s rostering tool has helped Zerella Fresh manage shifts more effectively, ensuring the right people are in the right roles at the right time.

“Rostering was always time consuming. Now, we can set schedules with real-time visibility, manage leave conflicts instantly and adjust shifts as needed. It’s made workforce planning much smoother.”

The ability to integrate rosters with payroll has also reduced administrative workload. “The system automatically links shifts to payroll, which means fewer errors and a much faster approval process.”

Recruiting faster while cutting costs in half

Recruitment is a major expense for businesses in the food supply industry, where high turnover and seasonal demands require a steady pipeline of talent. Before Employment Hero, Zerella Fresh relied on multiple paid job boards, leading to high advertising costs and inefficient candidate tracking.

Since implementing Employment Hero’s recruitment feature, they’ve cut their advertising spend by 50%. The platform allows them to post job ads across multiple portals and manage applications efficiently through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

“We used to spend so much time and money posting jobs across different platforms. Now, we post once through Employment Hero and it goes everywhere we need it to.”

Majid highlights the automated filtering system, which allows them to quickly assess which candidates meet the job criteria. “Instead of manually sorting through applications, we can set parameters that automatically sort candidates into categories like ‘review,’ ‘interview,’ or ‘rejected.’ That alone has saved us hours of work each week.”

The ATS also enables seamless communication between hiring managers and HR. “We can tag managers in real-time to review applicants, leave comments and collaborate instantly. The system keeps everything in one place, so there’s no lost information or email chains to track.”

Additionally, the ATS has made onboarding much smoother. “Once we hire someone, we can move them straight into onboarding without re-entering their details. It’s all integrated, which saves even more time.”

Happier employees and more engaged managers

With faster payroll processing, improved rostering and a smoother recruitment process, both employees and managers at Zerella Fresh have seen tangible benefits.

Senior management has praised the platform’s efficiency and oversight capabilities, particularly in time sheet management and leave applications. “It’s taken a huge administrative burden off our managers. They can approve timesheets and leave requests with just a few clicks.”

For employees, the biggest impact has been receiving their salaries on time, every time. “People notice when payroll runs smoothly. There are no delays, no errors – just money in their account when they expect it. It’s improved trust and satisfaction across the board.”

The self-service functionality has also empowered employees to manage their own HR needs. “They can check payslips, update details and apply for leave from their phone. It’s made everything more accessible.”

Ready to transform your workforce management?

Zerella Fresh’s story is a testament to how the right technology can streamline complex workforce operations, saving time and money while improving employee satisfaction. If you’re looking to optimise payroll, recruitment and rostering for your business, it’s time to explore what Employment Hero can do for you.

Book a demo today to see how Employment Hero can help you manage your workforce with ease.