Success story: 35-year-old retail company turns to HR compliance for peace of mind

For more than 35 years Harrolds has occupied prime retail space on the iconic Collins Street in Melbourne delivering a signature service to clients that they can’t get anywhere else. Growing into a House of Brands, with stores in Melbourne and Sydney, Harrolds has become an exclusive supplier of luxury brands in Australia. With a long list of clients who trust their judgement and opinion, it was time for Harrolds to trust another Australian-born business to take their HR, Workplace Health & Safety (WHS), and people management to the next level.

Working alongside 120 staff, People and Culture Manager, Siobhan Bowles remembers just how much she worried about workplace compliance before Citation HR came into the picture.

After searching for an HR provider that ticked all the boxes and could easily meet the demands of a growing business, Siobhan found Citation HR. Finding a provider that could scale their support as the company expanded, plus offer an HR & WHS solution in one place was simply the icing on the cake for the team at Harrolds.

“Having a completely automated, intuitive, and comprehensive HRIS system on our side has helped us not only reduce the potential for human error but also streamline our HR, WHS and people management processes,” Siobhan says.

A partnership born with shared values

Using both Citation HR’s HR and WHS management software, Harrolds has been able to scale up its HR, transforming the way it manages its people in ways that wouldn’t have been possible without a comprehensive and intuitive HRIS system.

Settling on adopting both our HR and WHS management software was an easy choice for the team at Harrolds. Since introducing this industry-leading HRIS system, Harrolds has scaled its HR to meet its growing needs, turned lengthy and inefficient processes into proficient ones, and a wealth of legally compliant workflows, checklists, and resources at its fingertips.

The cost of recruiting, onboarding, and training multiple people to fill the roles that software can do for a business can be a significant financial strain. After a few conversations with the Citation HR team, Siobhan and her team knew that what Citation HR could offer Harrolds was not only the most cost-effective choice for the business but also the right one.

“Working within a family-owned and operated business fosters an environment that focuses very much on our values and quality service, and this translates into much smaller teams than you’d expect for a business of our size,” Siobhan says.

Compliance is the name of the game

Over the past 12 months, Australia’s industrial relations framework has undergone the biggest changes in over a decade and these complex amendments to legislation are enough to make any business owner worried about maintaining compliance. It only takes one mistake to be non-compliant, and if big businesses backed by experienced HR teams can get it wrong, then it’s easy to see how a smaller one can get caught out.

“Having Citation HR and their workplace relations experts behind Harrolds gives my team the peace of mind we need to be confident in our HR practices.

“Whether it’s the onboarding or termination process, we know that the workflows, checklists, and wealth of legal IP inside Citation HR will help us get it right every time,” Siobhan says.

Support at the end of the line, every time

“The peace of mind and expertise the gives our HR team is invaluable. Whether we simply need to sound out a course of action or work through a process step by step, they’re there for us with the answers.

“Like with everything we go through peaks and troughs with our usage of the HR Advice Line, but even in our lows we’re on the phone with our dedicated account manager at least twice a week.

“Just knowing there is a group of qualified people we can call to ask a question and get the right answer, gives our team the assurance we need to do our jobs with confidence,” Siobhan says.

Citation HR gives you the tools to efficiently manage your people and streamline important processes

Staying on top of compliance and people management can be a time-consuming and challenging task for businesses of all shapes and sizes – and this is where a complete, compliant, and cost-effective HR & WHS solution can give business owners the peace of mind they need to get back to what really matters, running the business.

A great place to start is by simply checking in with your HR practices by taking advantage of a no-cost Workplace Compliance Consultation. Citation HR’s experts will complete a thorough evaluation of your HR that’ll help uncover any hidden risks before they become problems.

Join Citation HR and make the most of industry-leading HR software, 24/7 HR Advice Line support and expert advice to help you identify any areas for improvement and stay compliant so you can focus on what your business does best.