HR and payroll software two zoos trust when it matters most

Payroll shouldn't hinge on whether one person is in the office. That was the risk Paignton Zoo and Newquay Zoo, run under the Libema group, carried before they added Ciphr's payroll to their existing HR system. Watch Hannah Barker, head of people and culture, explain what changed once payroll had a team behind it instead of one person.

Before Ciphr, Barker’s team ran on spreadsheets, filing cabinets, and one person who held the entire payroll process:

"Before Ciphr, it was a lot of spreadsheets. Life was full of spreadsheets completely and we had information everywhere. So managers had filing cabinets, we had filing cabinets within the people team and within the payroll team... And we also had the big issue of there was only one person in payroll. So if he was off, it meant that nobody could manage the payroll and run it successfully, which was not a good position to be in."

The team already used Ciphr for HR and wanted payroll to connect straight into it, so staff across two sites wouldn't need to learn a new system:

"We went with Ciphr because we really liked the look of the layout of it. It was really easy for people to use. So it meant that because we've got a lot of people on the ground, we felt confident they would be able to pick it up really easily without having to have lots of training... It just all looked so good and so up to date and exactly what we needed."

One integrated system for HR and payroll changed two things at once: how confident the team feels in its compliance, and what happens on the day someone in payroll is off sick.

"We've got records all in one place, which means that we're really confident in our compliance. It makes that data available... We know we've just got one version of things and it's the correct version... We're much more able to make sure that everybody has access to what they should, and only what they should."

On the payroll risk specifically:

"The biggest impact for us is that security around not it all being on one person for the payroll. So the fact that we have that security and backup of a team that are able to help look after us, that have that knowledge and have that accreditation, has just made a real big difference for our day-to-day... We know that we're safe and secure."

"The Ciphr team were absolutely wonderful. Everyone that we meet is so lovely. They're so helpful. They're able to explain things really easily and help with any queries that we have. So it's just a dream to work with."

"If someone asked me whether to choose Ciphr, I would say absolutely go for it. We've had nothing but great experience with it. We've had loads of support. Everything works really, really well. It's constantly being looked at for the HR software in terms of how it can be upgraded, what additions can be added. So there's always new releases, and we get those new releases as part of the package. So don't think about it, just go for it."

Two zoos, one payroll team that used to rest on one person. Watch the video to hear Hannah Barker explain what changed.