“A total gamechanger”: Canterbury CEO on Employment Hero Payroll
At a glance
Company
Step Ahead
Location
Canterbury, New Zealand
Employees
20
Product
HR Software, Payroll
Read this case study if:
- You’re part of a mission-driven organisation, juggling clunky, outdated systems
- Administrative tasks like payroll and HR are taking time away from more meaningful work
- You need a digital platform that’s powerful, intuitive, and designed for small teams
About Step Ahead
Step Ahead is a New Zealand-based nonprofit organisation specialising in delivering community-based activity and services to individuals with chronic mental health conditions. For over four decades, they’ve played a pivotal role in providing vital support to people transitioning from specialised psychiatric care into broader community services. With a dedicated team of just under 20 employees, Step Ahead manages the complex needs of nearly 400 clients across four locations in the Canterbury region.
As their team grew, so did the challenges with managing HR and payroll, which relied heavily on outdated, paper-based systems.
We talked to CEO Bryan Gilchrist, who shared how managing internal HR and payroll had become a major stressor.
“It was a nightmare”
Bryan recalls the pre-Employment Hero days with a laugh: “I’ve actually blocked most of it out; it was that bad.”
Step Ahead was stuck with a completely paper-based system. Staff tracked hours using physical timesheets, which Bryan reviewed manually. Payroll took up to two full working days, and the outdated software they relied on was clunky, unintuitive, and on the verge of expiring.
“We had a book of instructions just to run payroll,” he says. “If you made a mistake, you had to start from the very beginning. It was a nightmare.”
With no dedicated HR department, the burden fell on Bryan and his finance manager. Something had to change.
The right recommendation at the right time
As luck would have it, Step Ahead’s treasurer, who also worked in mental health in the not-for-profit sector, had just switched to Employment Hero at their own organisation. They recommended Bryan take a look.
After reviewing two other providers, Bryan quickly realised that Employment Hero stood out.
“This was by far my favourite,” he says. “It had the most usable components and was the most intuitive. I didn’t even have to read the instructions, I just figured it out as I went.”
Onboarding Employment Hero? Refreshingly simple, even with the complexity of New Zealand’s employment laws.
“Incredibly easy. One of the easiest and most intuitive things I’ve done.”
Payroll in minutes, not days
Before Employment Hero, payroll was a dreaded, two-day ordeal. Each pay cycle began with staff physically filling out paper timesheets. These were handed in and reviewed one by one by Bryan himself.
Now?
Electronic timesheets have replaced the old handwritten versions. Staff enter their hours directly into Employment Hero, and Bryan can review and approve them from anywhere. If adjustments are needed, he can edit them on the spot, instead of the back-and-forth he was used to.
“It takes no time at all. I don’t have to do anything besides review. And if my finance manager goes on leave, I can step in and do it myself. That would have been impossible before.”
Where payroll once caused stress and delay, it’s now a seamless part of operations.
From a wall calendar to instant leave tracking
Leave tracking also got a major upgrade.
Previously, teams relied on a physical dry-erase calendar at one site. If someone needed to know who was away, they’d have to call the main office and have someone check the wall.
With Employment Hero, leave is fully integrated with Outlook calendars. Everyone on the team can instantly see who’s away, when, and for how long.
“Everyone can instantly see everyone who’s on leave,” Bryan explains. “I use it on my phone when I’m out in the field. It’s phenomenal stuff.”
This transparency has helped Step Ahead plan more efficiently and cut down on communication overhead across teams.
Easy tracking of certificate renewal dates
Step Ahead staff need valid certifications to perform their roles, like First Aid training. In the past, tracking certification expiry dates was a manual process, all done on paper.
“Now the system notifies the employee and me as the manager when a certification is about to expire,” says Bryan.
With everything now digitised and automated, Bryan’s team can rest assured that all certifications are up to date and fully compliant — no more guesswork or expired documents slipping through the cracks.
Time back for what matters most
Perhaps the most valuable change of all? Time.
By streamlining and automating key tasks, Employment Hero has returned precious hours to Bryan and his team.
“I’m no longer buried in admin. I can focus on fundraising, compliance, and ensuring our service model is being delivered properly,” he says. “These are the things I should be doing as CEO, but couldn’t because I was stuck in payroll.”
Now, Bryan spends more time driving Step Ahead’s mission and less time on repetitive admin, a win for him, his team, and the 400 clients they serve.
“If I can do it, anyone can.”
When asked if he’d recommend Employment Hero to other nonprofits, Bryan doesn’t hesitate.
“I’d absolutely recommend it. It’s a total game changer. If I can do it, someone who doesn’t like reading instructions, anyone can. It’s that intuitive.”
From paper files and whiteboards to dashboards and digital calendars, Employment Hero has helped Step Ahead modernise its back office so it can continue delivering life-changing services on the front line.
Want to experience Employment Hero for yourself?
Employment Hero is your all-in-one Employment Operating System for HR, payroll, and recruitment built to simplify compliance, automate admin, and empower your people. From onboarding to offboarding, we streamline every step of the employee lifecycle so you can spend less time on processes and more time scaling your business.
Want to see how companies like Waterware are transforming their HR operations and driving real business impact? Book a demo with our business specialists today.
