About Semtex

Founded in  Palmerston North, New Zealand, Semtex Plumbing is a family-owned business with roots that run deep, both in the local community and in the underground infrastructure they service. What began a decade ago as a one-man operation has since grown into a thriving team of over 40 staff, delivering high-quality plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying services across the greater Manawatu, Horowhenua and Wellington regions. 

Semtex is known for tackling a wide variety of jobs – from general residential maintenance to large-scale drainage and hydraulic commercial works. Their reputation for reliability, professionalism, and no-fuss service has cemented them as a trusted name in the industry.

At the helm is Hayley Nieper, co-founder and business manager, who wears many hats –  from accounting and compliance to HR operations. As the business scaled, Hayley and her team recognised the need to modernise the way they managed people, payroll, and processes – and that’s where Employment Hero came in.

Dripping with paperwork

Before implementing Employment Hero, HR and payroll at Semtex were, in Hayley’s words, “largely manual, and there was a lot of paperwork .” New contracts were created and printed along with a raft of other documents with every new starter. Payroll updates required employees to contact the right office person, and even small changes would end up taking far too much time. It wasn’t sustainable or scalable.

Looking through the lens of accounting and compliance, Hayley knew they needed something better to add efficiencies to the business.

After trialling multiple platforms, they found that Employment Hero stood out for its all-in-one approach, compliance-friendly features, and knowledgeable, easy-to-contact support.  They signed up and had their HR and payroll streamlined in no time.  

Sealing the leaks in onboarding and offboarding

Hayley says they noticed the benefits straight away, particularly when it came to onboarding and offboarding.

New hires now receive digital contracts and set themselves up in the system, ensuring nothing is missed. Custom checklists ensure everyone is kept in the loop, without one person having to chase everyone down. Offboarding is just as seamless, with automated reminders for equipment returns and access deactivation.

Employees, including those new to the workforce, often comment on how easy and professional the onboarding process feels. One even thanked Hayley for making the experience “so welcoming,” despite it being just business as usual for the company. 

Whether it’s preventing outdated contract templates from reaching the new hire to ensuring that everyone has the latest compliance documents, Employment Hero has been a game-changer. 

Flushing out admin time

The self-service benefits don’t just stop at onboarding, they extend to all parts of the business. Employees now have the ability to update their own details, like bank account info, apply for leave, complete performance reviews directly through the platform, or keep up to date with company policies.

Before Employment Hero, Hayley estimated an HR role would have taken around 20 hours per week. Now?

That time saved is now being reinvested into strategic work – those “nice-to-dos” that always used to sit on the back burner.

She’s already recommended the platform to several other local businesses, even giving a live demo to friends so they could see how it works in practice. 

Want to experience Employment Hero for yourself?

Semtex’s experience with Employment Hero just shows how hands-on businesses like those in the construction industry can benefit from an Employment Operating System. What started as a simple search for efficiency ended up helping Semtex level up both operations and professionalism, from onboarding to offboarding and so much more.

Want to experience it for yourself? Book a demo with our business specialists today.