How Employment Hero helped Smokeball scale globally

Smokeball’s story

The lowdown

Founded in Australia by legal and tech experts in 2012, Smokeball provides industry-leading practice management software for lawyers and conveyancers. With 15,000 clients worldwide, Smokeball is much more than software – they’re a trusted partner dedicated to empowering legal professionals to succeed. As HR and payroll tech pioneers supporting SMEs, it’s an origin story we relate to at Employment Hero.

Since 2021 we’ve supported Smokeball’s global expansion, and we were thrilled when they opened their UK offices in 2023. We spoke with Abigail Malloy, People and Culture Manager at Smokeball about the difference Employment Hero has made since they adopted our platform.

How it started

Scaling a global business

Smokeball’s rapid expansion meant they needed a more robust HR and payroll platform with more functionality to meet their growing needs. Abigail said one improvement came with our reporting functions “which are a lot more sophisticated.”

Then when Smokeball expanded into the Philippines, we were able to act as Employer of Record, streamlining operations and bringing everything under one roof.

Abigail says that was a no-brainer, helping Smokeball to “align along the way that we work across teams and make sure that things are really efficient for us.”

Solving messy payroll integrations

When you have a global workforce but only one payroll person, it’s a lot to ask, and as Smokeball grew, this function became overwhelming. Our integrated HR and payroll solution offered automation that made payroll processing easier and faster.

“…having a system like Employment Hero which is able to automate a lot of things for us and make our life significantly easier… It was a bit of a no brainer.”

Performance management that actually performs

With teams around the globe, data on performance management can easily get lost – and not just in translation.

Now, with everything centralised, documents are secure, audits are painless, and employee career progression is clearer.

“… having an actual go to point now where we can put something into the employee file, we know that it’s safe and secure, and that they can access it has made our lives a lot easier.” 

How it’s going – what we bring to the table

Local knowledge, Global Teams

Operating globally, Smokeball relies on accurate, up-to-date information to ensure compliance. Our Global Teams provide localised expertise, making global operations smoother.

“It’s really comforting to know that we have a team who was able to provide us with that information, because it’s not the easiest thing to try and research individually..”

Trusted experts

Even with HR experience in-house, Smokeball benefits from our expert-vetted templates and tools, ensuring compliance and giving peace of mind.

“…whilst we do have experience in HR, it’s nice to know that the documents we’re using now, the Employment Hero templates, have been knocked over by content experts, legal experts and experts in the HR field. We feel more secure using that information.”

Real time support, when you need it

From quick answers to expert advice, our support team has been a vital resource for Smokeball.

“The teams are fantastic. The HR support line has been a really wonderful tool for us to just bounce ideas off people and get a sort of collaboration between us and other HR experts in different fields, which has been really, really beneficial for us…. 

“The team is so responsive…. If they have questions around the platform, they know that someone’s gonna get back to them quickly.”

An HR system that’s there for you

Smokeball’s HR team now has the tools they need to focus on people, not paperwork. With payroll integration, employee engagement, and a strong company culture, we’ve helped them simplify to amplify their mission.

“I think the reporting functions within Employment Hero are a lot more sophisticated. The platform itself is really intuitive and easy to use. It has some great functionality for us, and I think will continue to help us grow and scale in a way that’s efficient and really effective.”

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help your business and be there for you as you scale – speak to one of our business specialists today.

Want to learn more about our products? 

Our next gen platform has arrived. Our all-in-one HR, hiring and payroll solution is built to flex with your business. From recruiting top talent and streamlining onboarding to automating complex payroll processes and boosting employee engagement—all supported by our dedicated UK-based team. Spend less time on admin and more time on what matters: your people.