Behemoth Brewing: Pouring passion into payroll and HR

From scrappy startup to industry favourite

Behemoth Brewing started the way all great stories do – with a homebrew, a big dream and a love for fun. Founded in Auckland over a decade ago by Andrew Childs and co-run by his wife Hannah, Behemoth has evolved into a booming hospitality and manufacturing business spanning four venues, a flagship brewery, and a team of around 50.

Operating out of their Mount Eden HQ, which houses the iconic Churly’s brewpub, the Behemoth team combines serious brewing with seriously good times. But as the business grew, so did the complexity of managing its people.

The old way: lost contracts, scattered files, time-consuming payroll

Before Employment Hero, Behemoth was managing hiring and HR with “a million different docs across Google Drive and Gmail. We hoped we could find the documents if needed later,” said Hannah.

Onboarding was ad hoc and inconsistent. One person handled hiring, while another person sent the contracts. Notes were lost. Contracts were versioned incorrectly. Job descriptions weren’t attached. As Hannah puts it: “There was a lot of just not knowing exactly where things were when you needed them.”

Payroll wasn’t much better. They used Deputy for rostering and iPayroll for pay runs, with no integration between the two. Leave applications had to be manually checked and entered. “It was a four-step verification process, just to avoid errors. There was a lot of double handling.”

In a business where speed and service are everything – whether pouring pints or brewing batches – that kind of inefficiency held the team back.

The new way: one all-in-one employment operating system

Everything changed when the team pitched Employment Hero as a solution. The platform now powers Behemoth’s HR, recruitment, onboarding, payroll, compliance, performance management, learning, and reporting – all from one dashboard.

Hannah calls it “an all-in-one employment operating system” and credits it with saving an entire full-time employee: “we used to have a full-time HR manager. Now I do it one day a week.”

Smarter compliance, simpler onboarding

Upokoina, Behemoth’s Hospitality General Manager, says the platform’s compliance features have made life dramatically easier: “from contract agreements and AEWV compliance to flagging certifications before they expire – the platform helps us keep on track.”

The onboarding journey is also fully streamlined. Employment Hero prompts each step, removing the guesswork for managers and ensuring no paperwork is missed.

“It saves easily three hours per person,” Hannah estimated. “That’s a whole day between two people. Time that can be spent building the business instead of just keeping it going.”

Empowering staff with self-service

With a team that spans roles, shifts, and locations, empowering employees to manage their own work details has been a game changer.

Brewer Javier loves the simplicity: “I have the Employment Hero app on my phone. I can sign documents, check my timesheets, and leave balance – everything is there. It helps me organise my life.”

This autonomy has freed up time for managers and improved the employee experience. 

Olly, who supports the team from a broader operations perspective, agrees: “having access to everything in one place makes our lives so much easier. Whether it’s checking contracts, finding details or managing training, it’s just simple. And that means we can focus on delivering great service and great beer.”

Performance and engagement, systemised

One of Hannah’s favourite features is performance management. Behemoth has moved from one-off, ad hoc reviews to a structured cycle using Employment Hero’s customisable templates.

That structure supports Behemoth’s core values too – quality, fairness and fun. “It gives us the framework to live those values, and the data to check that we actually are,” said Hannah.

Learning and reporting at scale

With cross-trained staff moving between venues and departments, onboarding and upskilling are essential. Upokoina uses the learning management system to share standard operating systems, health and safety information, and team-specific training across the business.

Olly adds: “we’re able to roll out new procedures and policies instantly. Whether someone’s new or moving departments, they can get the exact info they need right away – no delays, no gaps.”

Employment Hero’s reporting tools also help leadership keep a finger on the pulse. “I check diversity stats, age ranges, attrition – it gives me a snapshot of how we’re doing and helps me know if we’re living our values? Are people sticking around? It helps us answer those questions,” said Hannah.

The real impact? More time to connect

For Hannah, the biggest value isn’t just operational efficiency – it’s emotional bandwidth.

The bottom line: less admin, more culture

Behemoth Brewing runs on passion – for beer, for people, and for doing things a bit differently. Employment Hero supports that mission not by taking over, but by getting out of the way.

Want to see how Employment Hero could work for your business?

Book a demo today and discover the all-in-one employment operating system built to grow with you.