CHT empowers care through connected people and streamlined HR technology

For more than 60 years, CHT Care Homes (CHT) has been a trusted name in aged residential care across New Zealand, supporting almost 1,500 residents in 21 care homes. Guided by a mission of providing access to quality, affordable care, the not-for-profit organisation puts people first in everything it does.

Behind the scenes, rising demand and outdated systems created operational challenges.

“We had one system nearing end-of-life, compliance complexity, and significant plans for growth,” says Stuart Tabuteau, Chief Financial Officer at CHT. “We knew our existing systems and manual processes would struggle to adapt and scale without a substantial investment.”

To continue delivering high-quality care while expanding its footprint, CHT needed a smarter, more connected way to manage its people — one that could streamline operations, support compliance, and empower its frontline teams.

When legacy systems slow down progress

Before engaging with Dayforce, CHT was facing two major workforce challenges. Its time and attendance system was nearing end-of-life, and its payroll platform wasn’t keeping pace with the complex New Zealand Holidays Act. Manual processes and limited self-service caused delays and increased risk.

“Our people had a real lack of visibility and transparency of their own data and what they were being paid, which resulted in many payroll queries,” Tabuteau explains.

With paper forms still used for things like leave requests and timesheet updates, errors were common. And with the majority of CHT’s employees working in non-desk-based roles, mobile access to tools and information was essential.

As CHT prepared for further expansion, it became clear that its existing systems couldn’t scale to meet the business’s needs.

Putting people at the centre of transformation

Tabuteau and his team understood that improving operations was as much about the people as it was the technology, particularly when working with a large, distributed, and hands-on workforce.

“Since we started with limited integration and automation, we spent a lot of time mapping out processes,” says Tabuteau. “We knew success was going to come from our people, and that adoption could make or break this project.”

CHT prioritised a thoughtful change management strategy from the beginning. Communications were tailored to different employee groups, and managers were given practical, accessible training. Dedicated workshops helped engage key stakeholders. Crucially, CHT also developed a network of subject-matter experts in each care home to act as on-the-ground change champions.

“We did have a lot of staff who were initially a bit apprehensive about new technology, so we thought the change champion role was critical for us,” says Tabuteau.

“In terms of budget, I underestimated the change management effort at the start of the project, but we took the advice of our consultants and upped our spend,” Tabuteau reflects. “Like any big change, implementation is always a challenge, but we did a great job with adoption and gaining key efficiencies, and overall, the project was a huge success.”

From paper to platform with measurable results

Since going live with Dayforce, CHT has streamlined operations and strengthened accuracy across workforce functions, from rostering and time tracking to payroll and managing compliance.

Payroll is now faster, more transparent, and more accurate. “Changes in workforce management flow instantly through to payroll, and employees can see exactly how they're being paid for each component of a shift,” says Tabuteau.

The manual processes that once caused bottlenecks, such as paper forms and reactive adjustments, are now entirely digital. As a result, approval cycles are faster, and payroll queries have declined.

“Our compliance risk with the New Zealand Holidays Act has been largely eliminated, which we had validated with external auditors,” Tabuteau shares.

Real-time workforce data also helped support CHT’s growth. “Two pay runs after launch, CHT onboarded 380 new employees without adding any additional payroll or recruitment headcount,” Tabuteau adds.

Building engagement through better systems

With Dayforce now embedded across HR operations, CHT is experiencing stronger employee engagement and participation, particularly in learning and compliance.

The platform has become a key communications tool and a reliable source of truth for mandatory training. Since implementation, employee engagement survey participation has doubled, and cyber awareness training completions have significantly increased.

“We’ve seen a real uplift in engagement with learning content, and that speaks to the usability and accessibility of the system,” Tabuteau says.

Looking to the future with confidence

As CHT continues to grow, Tabuteau sees Dayforce playing a bigger role across its HR operations.

“We’ve got a fantastic product here, and we’re using it well, so our focus is to launch more applications and get the most out of it,” says Tabuteau. Succession planning is next on the roadmap, along with deeper integration across HR functions.

For other organisations embarking on a similar transformation, Tabuteau’s advice is clear: lead with people.

“Getting buy-in early and taking everyone on the journey is key. And it’s really important not to see it as just a technology project, because it’s ultimately a people project.”