How Funlab simplified HR to engage a next-generation workforce

At Funlab, fun is serious business. The entertainment group, which operates across Australia, New Zealand, and the US, is known for its playful venues and high-energy experiences.

When Chief People Officer Chelsea Mannix took the stage at Dayforce Summit last year, she shared how supporting culture at scale requires more than strong values — it requires the right systems.

“Funlab’s culture centres around having fun with our guests,” says Mannix “When our people – or ‘Motherfunners’, as we like to call ourselves – are having fun at work, it’s infectious and will influence our guests’ experience.”

With 94% of the workforce under 40 – most between ages 18 and 21 – Funlab has a responsibility to set clear expectations and support early-career development.

“We’re getting our young employees ready for the workforce, so we have to be really clear on the kind of expectations they have and what they need,” says Mannix. It’s a mindset that puts people at the centre. And it’s why Funlab took a closer look at how technology could help support a better employee experience.

Building a culture that scales

Funlab’s culture is built on three clear foundations: purpose, belonging, and growth.

“Most people want to feel a sense of purpose when they come to work,” Mannix shares. “For our young staff, that looks like a place where their values align and where they can meet new people, develop friendships, and find their people.”

“Most people have an expectation that they develop, learn, grow in their workplace, and even if they aren’t progressing, they’re learning skills they can take into their future,” says Mannix.

But as the business grew, so did the complexity behind the scenes. Managing rosters, pay, and new team members meant juggling multiple systems and logins.

As businesses grow, simple processes often become time-consuming and more complex. Research by Dayforce shows that 78% of people at least slightly agree that work takes too long because processes are too complicated. Lack of technological support and ineffective communication are among the top sources of friction, with a third of workers saying they don’t spend enough time on the work that matters.

Mannix saw Dayforce as an opportunity to fix that. “We needed to meet people where they were at, not with a million logins and systems,” she shares. “So, for us, once we realised that having a single system was possible, it became absolutely critical.”

One platform that simplifies work for teams and leaders

For Mannix, usability was non-negotiable. “We’ve used other systems in the past that had lots of training manuals and videos, and in reality, our people just wouldn’t view them. They want to be able to work it out themselves, which they do with Dayforce,” she says.

With Dayforce, Funlab now has a single solution that brings all HR-related tasks together in one place. Employees can check their rosters, update their details, review their performance, and view their pay, all on the same platform.

“We have our Motherfunners reach out to us to thank us, to tell us how the system is so much better, how they can see the information they need and feel confident they’re doing things in the right way,” says Mannix.

That clarity and ease of use have helped teams spend less time on admin and more time supporting guests. It has also helped Funlab address common challenges, such as compliance, visibility, and engagement.

Mannix shares that it’s just been as valuable for management and strategic decision-making. “It’s been a game-changer, being able to see all of our people and understand exactly where they are at.”

Supporting adoption through clear ownership and communication

Funlab took a thoughtful approach to implementation, bringing in an HRIS specialist to lead the work and ensure it reflected the business's needs.

“I know we would have been too busy with our day jobs, so we needed someone to listen to our problems and look at ways to solve them with technology,” says Mannix.

Each Dayforce module was assigned a dedicated owner inside the HR team, with a clear focus on continuous improvement. “There is a person responsible for each module. They’re responsible for looking at updates, process, improvements, and legislative changes,” says Mannix.

To keep things moving, Dayforce is now a regular topic in their weekly work-in-progress meetings. “You have to be constantly on top of it, talking about it, looking at what you can do to improve it. We have a WIP every week where we will add in a section just to talk about the system and how it’s being used,” Mannix shares.

To build excitement, the team made launch communications fun and visible. Managers shared updates in team meetings, and internal comms channels were used to showcase enhancements, where content was designed to be engaging, even playful. “Because these things can be considered boring, we created fun content around it,” Mannix adds.

Real results, real impact

• Increased engagement: Team members feel more confident navigating their work, performance, and pay, in one place.
• Improved compliance: A single system of recording makes it easier to store and retrieve data for audits.
• Better visibility: Funlab’s HR and leadership teams can now see where people are, what they need, and how to respond faster.
• Stronger adoption: Team members regularly express appreciation for the platform's ease of use and clarity.
• Reduced friction: Managers and staff spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on delivering fun guest experiences.
• Scalable processes: Funlab is equipped to support HR operations across three countries.

Successful transformation starts with listening

When asked what advice she’d offer to others rethinking engagement, Mannix shares that it all starts with listening.

“Listening to your people is the first step in understanding what they need and what they want,” says Mannix. “There's no point designing something that isn't going to be adopted just because it sounds good on paper.”

That mindset has helped Funlab become a place where people feel they belong and are happy to return.

“We pride ourselves on being a place where people can grow,” says Mannix. “Many of our Motherfunners come back, so every stage of the employee lifecycle is important to us, even the exit.”

For Funlab, Dayforce has helped elevate the employee experience to be as fun, functional, and people-first as the brand itself.

Connect talent, skills, and growth in one view

Discover how you can uncover capability, accelerate talent movement, and support employee growth across the whole employee journey at our next Solutions Spotlight in 14 July, 11:00 a.m. AEST/1:00 p.m. NZST. 
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