Humanforce partnership transforms HR at Story House Early Learning

Humanforce, a global provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions, has collaborated with Story House Early Learning to enhance the efficiency of its workforce management operations. Story House Early Learning is a national provider of early childhood education and care services with operations in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

Katie Ludwig, Head of People and Culture at Story House Early Learning, discussed the significant impact that Humanforce's HCM suite has had on their operations. "When I joined Story House almost three years ago, our HR processes were highly decentralised and manual, making it difficult to manage our dispersed workforce. Implementing Humanforce has given us the transparency and efficiency we needed. Now, our team members, who we call 'Story House-ers', have easy access to their employment information, and we have centralised oversight to ensure compliance and streamlined administrative tasks," she said.

The adoption of Humanforce's comprehensive HCM suite has led to measurable improvements in employee engagement and retention for Story House. The early education sector faces significant challenges with staff turnover, a point highlighted by a United Workers Union (UWU) report. The report, released in October last year, found that about 95% of the nearly 1,000 Australian early childhood centres surveyed had experienced staff departures in the preceding 12 months, with 78% reporting more than three educators leaving.

"We've seen a year-on-year decline in turnover of more than 5%, which is significant in our industry. Humanforce's tools have played a key role in this by creating a supportive and efficient work environment," Ludwig stated.

Story House Early Learning, which operates approximately 50 services with 1,500 team members, had specific HR needs given the nature of its operations. "Our focus is on educating and caring for children, so any systems or processes we implement need to free up our team members to focus on their core roles," Ludwig explained. "Humanforce has been instrumental in achieving this by reducing the administrative burden on our leaders and providing tools that support our staff's wellbeing and efficiency."

Humanforce has also improved the management of shifts and scheduling. Managers can quickly offer shifts to team members via a mobile app, allowing Story House leaders to focus more on their primary duties rather than administrative tasks. The 95% of employees who use the Humanforce app have access to self-service features such as viewing their roster, clocking in and out, and applying for leave. This accessibility has contributed to a more engaged and satisfied workforce.

Another feature appreciated by Story House is Humanforce Thrive, which allows employees to access a portion of their earned wages as needed. This provides financial autonomy and reduces reliance on payday loans or credit cards.

Clayton Pyne, CEO of Humanforce, elaborated on the benefits of Thrive, stating, "Humanforce Thrive allows childcare operators to improve their employee value proposition (EVP) by bringing a wellbeing and benefits proposition to employees. It offers individual workers more control over their day-to-day lives, with one powerful example being on-demand access to pay, which liberates cash flow in ways that can make a meaningful difference to employees' lives."

Humanforce has also helped Story House effectively manage compliance, particularly in the regulated early education sector. According to Pyne, "With Humanforce, they can now easily track qualifications, manage expiry dates, and automate notifications, ensuring the company remains compliant without the need for manual record-keeping."

Humanforce also enabled Story House to gather meaningful insights from its workforce, leading to better employee engagement. The response rate to onboarding surveys has reached 65%, and regular surveys have a 40% response rate, up from 10% using a third-party platform. This feedback helps Story House continuously improve the candidate and onboarding experience while aligning strategic goals with employee needs.

"Humanforce has been a game-changer for us. Their solutions have not only streamlined our HR processes and improved compliance but also empowered our staff by giving them greater control over their work and finances. The ability to access real-time data and feedback has been invaluable in helping us create a supportive, efficient, and compliant work environment," Ludwig concluded.