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Copy linkCascade is the present, past, and future for Futures Housing Group
Futures Housing Group is a not-for-profit housing association that has been providing affordable homes and supporting communities across the East Midlands for over 20 years. With more than 10,300 homes stretching from Derbyshire to Daventry, the organisation is committed to its vision: Providing quality homes and services for better futures. The organisation employs 478 staff members dedicated to enhancing the lives of its residents.
Highlights
- A 14-year partnership with IRIS Cascade
- Employee engagement and satisfaction improved
- Over 130 workflows and 20+ screens built to ensure the system carries the administration load for FHG
Sallyann Gretton joined Futures Housing Group as an interim HR twenty years ago and has since become a pivotal HR Specialist. At the time of her arrival, there was no formal HR system in place; HR processes, including holiday tracking and flexi-leave, were managed using Excel spreadsheets. This manual approach persisted until 2007, when the finance team attempted to implement a new HR system that ultimately failed due to dissatisfaction from both HR and finance.
In 2009, recognising the need for a reliable and flexible HR system, Sal led the effort to procure a new solution that would meet the diverse needs of their technical and non-technical staff.
A HR system built for all employees
When Sal went out to procure the right HR system for the business, there were several must-haves she had in mind:
- User-Friendliness: The system needed to cater to the needs of all staff, including those who might not be confident using tech.
- Data Management: The reliance on spreadsheets meant everybody was singing from different hymn sheets, with a critical need for a central system to hold this key information.
- Reporting Capabilities: It was crucial that the system could provide reports and make sense of their data, so it could be used to make improvements across the business.
- Integration: There was a need for a cohesive system that integrated HR, payroll, and recruitment processes.
After evaluating various options on the market, Futures Housing Group chose IRIS Cascade back in 2010. Sal tells us, “I went into the procurement process with a completely open mind, but Cascade was head and shoulders above the rest. Over the years I’ve kept an eye on what else is available on the market – but nothing else offers that flexibility, and user-friendliness, quite like Cascade.”
Launching Cascade – and how employees got involved
In order to make Cascade a success, the team held an internal competition to allow the team at Futures Housing Group to give their HR System a name. Many got involved, but the winner was a graduate who suggested ‘The TARDIS’ which stands for Time, Attendance, Resourcing, Development Information System. This competition fostered excitement and ownership among the staff and had them championing Cascade from day one.
Sal tells us, “We personalised the system from day one, to make employees embrace it and think of it as ours. We still refer to it as The Tardis today, and our home screen shows employees our values. It really has become such an integral part of our business.”
Since 2010, Cascade has become fundamental to the daily operations at Futures Housing Group. From a secure, cloud-based system that ensures up-to-date employee data, eliminating issues with lost or duplicated records to automated workflows. In fact, over 130 custom workflows have been created, optimising HR tasks and enhancing efficiency.
What’s more, Cascade has brought enhanced reporting and monitoring, with a dashboard that allows quick access to critical information, helping the executive team and HR team to monitor trends and address issues proactively. Employee Engagement has also improved, with features like "All About Me" and “Our Futures Stars” which enable personalised recognition of staff, contributing to higher employee satisfaction and retention.
Sal tells us, "Cascade allows us to do these little things that make a huge difference, such as giving an employee a personalised gift on their birthday, or for a company award. If someone has shared their hobbies and interests on Cascade, we can make sure the gift they receive is something that they would really like. That little bit of effort goes a long way to keeping your employees happy."
Supporting the employee life cycle
Futures Housing Group uses Cascade to manage the entire employee lifecycle, from recruiting, paying employees, HR administration, developing employees, retaining them, and then offboarding them. This makes it a crucial tool for fostering employee engagement, retention, and overall organisational success.
Sal explains, “Our previous HR system relied heavily on numerous bolt-ons to cover the entire employee lifecycle, which made it cumbersome and inefficient. With everything integrated into Cascade, we’ve streamlined our processes significantly, enabling us to enhance the experience for our employees.”
Foreseeing the future at Future Housing Group
Futures Housing Group recently renewed their contract with Cascade for another three years, indicating their satisfaction with the system. Sal tells us, "I haven't found a system that compares to Cascade. Its flexibility and ease of use are unmatched. After using it for fourteen years, I can confidently say that despite some of the hurdles we’ve had to jump over the years, it has become an essential tool for our organisation! I would highly recommend it.”
The partnership between IRIS Cascade HRi and Futures Housing Group proves how a well-chosen technology can transform organisational efficiency and employee engagement. By prioritising the end user, integration between HR, payroll and recruitment, and proactive reporting, Futures Housing Group has positioned itself to continue delivering on its mission to provide quality homes and services for better futures.
