Join Oliver Kent, our Head of Customer Success, as he interviews Newport City Council’s Head of HR Kevin Howells for this episode of the MHR Show.
We have partnered with Newport City Council for over seven years now, and throughout this time the organisation has experienced a lot of change, but their main goals have always stayed the same: attract, develop and retain the best talent, provide opportunities for employees, and deliver the best service to the residents of Newport. MHR’s solutions and continued support have enabled Newport to streamline their processes and drive digital transformation throughout the organisation.
A partnership to last
Before partnering with MHR, the council was dealing with paper files and a clunky, manual system that was labour-intensive. Their partnership with MHR marked a significant shift from a cumbersome system to a modern, digital-first system that empowers managers and employees. Kevin still remembers being impressed by MHR’s system demo and could instantly see how the system would drive efficiency and effectiveness for the council.
Driving digital transformation
At first, there was some resistance from the council’s employees when it came to embracing a digital-first process, but with the support and education from MHR, the team transitioned successfully and quickly saw the benefit. Now, their services are manager-led and employee-led, with no need for paper payslips or files, giving every employee visibility of their information. A digital-first approach has also saved the organisation time and money in the long run, aligning with the council’s wider corporate plan.
Engaging employees in the process
Kevin notes that employee and C-suite buy-in has been there since day one, given that senior leadership could see clear ROI from the system and employees were engaged in the process since the start. The system has been key for attracting new talent to the organisation too, now that applicants have a smooth application and onboarding experience.
Newport's never standing still
Newport City Council is a forward-thinking organisation, known as the most efficient and effective HR and payroll service in their area. Now that they’re using the software to its full potential, they've even started to help other local authorities to make the same changes to digital-first HR and payroll, sharing their knowledge along the way.
