Powerhouse Supercharges HR Infrastructure with Modern Technology

At Powerhouse, people are empowered by thoughtful processes and state-of-the-art technology. 

The commercial infrastructure management company is on a fast trajectory, and their HR team — charged with a five-year strategic plan — searched for an HCM provider to meet their immediate needs and could also sustain major growth into the future. 

“We wanted everything under one umbrella,” says Brittney Hale, Senior Director of HR and Organizational Development.  

When they launched UKG, however, the umbrella leaked, leaving the HR team to plug the holes. 

“Our goal was a one-stop shop,” Brittney explains. “UKG just never did exactly what they said it should do at the end of the day.” 

Then, Powerhouse’s new Senior VP of HR introduced them to Paylocity.  

The Challenge

HCM Inefficiencies Reach a Tipping Point

"UKG was cumbersome and messy."

Off to a Slow Start
Among the services Powerhouse provides, they are experts in multi-site rollouts and facility refresh programs. Unfortunately, their last HCM rollout — their fourth in ten years — didn’t go according to plan.  

“When we implemented UKG, the team had to spend weekends in the office trying to pull information and data in,” Brittney remembers.

Recruiting and Onboarding Out of Sync
To meet high-growth goals, Powerhouse needed to quickly get exceptional new hires in the door and up to speed. But the HR team was mired in manual processes and systems that didn’t talk to each other.  

Existing LMS Taps Out
Training is the engine that drives the Powerhouse culture of innovation and continuous improvement. But to provide the skills development, compliance, and industry-specific training employees need, the HR team had to fill in a lot of gaps.

“From our old system, we didn’t get much of anything,” says Melissa (MJ) Jefferson, Senior Manager of Training and Development. “So, we were always outsourcing, curating, and creating content.” 

Disjointed Tech Creates Information Silos
In addition to UKG, Powerhouse was also still using other systems (and plenty of old-fashioned spreadsheets) to manage core HR functions like recruiting, compensation, and succession planning. These data silos made custom reporting inefficient, inaccurate, and expensive.  

Employees, many of whom work in the field, had to switch between multiple mobile apps to access payroll information and training, resulting in a fragmented user experience. 

The Solution

Finding Shelter Under One Roof

"The team can really let the system work for them."

Start With the Right Foundation
Working with Paylocity’s solutions and implementation consultants, Powerhouse was able to customize a platform that fit their business needs now while laying a foundation for long-term growth. 

Consolidating core functions like payroll, recruiting, onboarding, and benefits boosted efficiencies immediately. And saving time meant the HR team could focus on strategic goals and initiatives. 

Build Employee Success from the Ground Up
One way Powerhouse prioritizes their people is by offering training and career development opportunities, beginning with orientation, and continuing throughout an employee’s tenure. So, leveraging Paylocity’s integrated LMS was a no-brainer. 

The training and development team quickly incorporated custom content to connect employees to the company’s vision, mission, and core values. They soon discovered several added benefits, like Paylocity’s extended course catalog and the ability for internal subject matter experts to record and share knowledge directly on the platform.

Centralize Data and Increase Visibility 
Consolidation also simplified reporting. With data streams flowing through a centralized location, HR, finance, IT, and leadership all work from one true source of information — the employee record. Role-based access ensures confidentiality while allowing for a more holistic view of each employee. 

“We feel more confident in the data we’re providing because we know it's accurate,” Brittney notes. “Wherein with past systems, we were pulling things together from multiple sources.”

The Results

Flipping the Switch: Powerhouse HR Recharged

"We didn’t know how green the grass could be."

Smooth Sailing and Clear Skies Ahead 
The HR team at Powerhouse was realistic: They didn’t expect switching to a whole new HCM system would go off without a hitch.

They were pleasantly surprised. 

“With Paylocity, everybody on the implementation team is so kind and helpful,” Brittney says. “They want to support you and make sure you’re successful at the end of the day.” 

Expanded LMS Is a Game Changer 
Between ready-to-launch compliance and safety training, in-product demos, and user-generated content, the Powerhouse training and development team now directs resources where they can make the most impact. “I was able to customize the content based on what we needed, which took a lot less time than building it myself and sending it out to employees,” Katherine says. 

MJ adds: “The safety bundle is cost effective and definitely meets our needs. Having our pick from Paylocity’s training catalog is a huge, huge benefit. The greater impact is that it reduces risk for the organization and helps ensure we have an inclusive work environment.” 

Best of all, employees have anytime-anywhere access to Paylocity’s Learning module on the same mobile app they use to clock in and view their paycheck.

Data Insights Energize Engagement 
With flexible reporting at their fingertips, Powerhouse can prioritize workforce initiatives based on relevant, timely and accurate data.  

“Anybody can get the information they need,” Brittney explains. “Teaching our leadership teams how to utilize Paylocity makes their jobs easier, where other systems only increase the amount of work they would have to do. Now, because it’s easy, we have more engagement from the leadership team, which leads to more engagement from the employees.” 

Connected Tech Connects the Organization
Powerhouse leverages Paylocity’s social collaboration hub and other integrated employee experience tools to share news, celebrate personal and professional milestones, and keep a pulse on morale.