How Harbour Link built HR discipline in a high-pressure logistics environment

About the business

Harbour Link Container Services operates in the drayage and marine container services space, supporting the movement of shipping containers from/to the Port of Vancouver marine terminals and import/export customers. The business plays a critical role in Canada’s Supply Chain, keeping goods moving, coordinating yard operations, transportation and administration in an environment where timing and accuracy matter.

The work is fast-paced. Yard teams, coordinators, drivers and office staff all need clear information and dependable systems to do their jobs well. As the business evolved, so did the need for strong internal support structure.

Justin Hundle, HR Manager at Harbour Link, joined the business about a year and a half ago with a clear mandate to strengthen the HR function to the benefit of the entire organization.

The challenge

When Justin first came to Harbour Link, HR existed, some systems were in place, but it wasn’t yet delivering meaningful value to the business.

Some processes were in place, but many were fragmented. Information lived across different systems, spreadsheets, emails and paper files. Adoption was inconsistent, and visibility was limited.

One area in particular made that especially clear.

“Performance reviews were done on paper before Employment Hero or in a
Word document.”

There was no central tracking, no shared timeline and no reliable way to know whether reviews had been completed. Even basic follow-through depended on manual checks and memory.

Time off tracking created similar challenges. Balances were managed outside of a central system, making reporting difficult and increasing the risk of errors and corrections.

As HR responsibilities expanded, the lack of structure began to weigh on the organization.

The solution

Employment Hero was already in place when Justin joined Harbour Link, but it wasn’t being used to its full potential.

Rather than introducing something new, Justin focused on making Employment Hero the backbone of how HR work actually happens.

“I put a lot of time and focus into actually using Employment Hero as a tool.”

He rebuilt core HR processes directly inside the platform, starting with the foundations. Time off tracking, employee records, performance reviews and recruiting were all brought into one
place.

Managers and employees were gradually brought along with clear expectations around usage.

“Everybody has been using it.”

Over time, Employment Hero shifted from being a system that existed in the background to one that actively supported day-to-day work.

What changed

The biggest change wasn’t the software. It was behaviour.

Performance reviews with structure

Paper-based performance reviews were replaced with a structured digital process inside Employment Hero.

For the first time, reviews were built into a clear process with defined timelines and tracking.

“We finished every single performance review. Now people have come to expect it.”

What had once been inconsistent became expected, and managers began to rely on the system to guide the process rather than chase it manually.

Time off tracking and confidence

Time off and PTO were moved out of spreadsheets and into Employment Hero, giving HR and managers clearer visibility into balances and usage.

Regular audits helped ensure information stayed accurate and up to date, reducing
corrections and uncertainty.

Recruiting and consistency

Recruiting workflows were also brought into Employment Hero, reducing manual effort and improving consistency.

“Employment Hero has a really nice, smooth format for your job postings.”

Job ads could be created once and pushed to job boards without repetitive setup, making hiring easier to manage alongside other HR responsibilities.

The impact

Employment Hero didn’t just support individual HR tasks. It changed how Harbour Link approaches HR as a whole.

Processes that once relied on emails, paper and spreadsheets are now standardized and visible. Managers know where to go. Employees know what’s expected.

That clarity drove adoption.

“We got a lot of compliance and quick adoption.”

With HR processes embedded into everyday work, Employment Hero became the default system rather than an optional one.

Why it matters

In a logistics environment, small breakdowns can quickly turn into bigger problems.

Justin knows exactly where the strain would show up without a central system.

“Our PTO, and time tracking. That’s going to be a highly impacted area.”

Having a single system for time off, employee records, reviews and recruiting gives Harbour Link confidence that its HR foundations can support the pace and complexity of the business, both now and as it continues to evolve.