New Look fashions HR management transformation

Buying new clothes isn’t just about shopping, it’s about finding something that delights you and expresses your personality. Whether you’re doing that for yourself, a friend, or a family member, New Look is all about making the experience accessible and fun. That same brand spirit is embodied by New Look’s diverse workforce of 8,500 employees, multicultural and ranging in age from 18 to 80. “There’s something very special about our culture, the way we work, and our values,” says Lisa Nash, Head of People at New Look. “It has pace, passion, and energy. We call it the ‘New Look feeling’ and people absolutely make it.”

Eighty percent of those people work in shops and distribution centers located largely across the UK. With a predominantly hourly, deskless workforce, with schedules that vary depending on store traffic, New Look required a tailored approach when it came to supporting its people. “It was important for us to find a mobile-first technology that allowed shop-floor colleagues to easily access what they needed, so they could deliver that New Look feeling for our customers,” says Nash. 

Finding the right fit

The company’s HR operations had been underpinned by six different people systems. As a result, processes were time-consuming, admin heavy, and didn’t meet the needs of shop-floor staff. Managers hiring new shop-assistants would have to delay start dates due to processing issues which, given retail’s high labor turnover, set the company back. Slow manual processes meant new recruits would often have to wait eight weeks for their first pay period. “It was quite archaic in terms of technology,” says Nash. 

New Look’s goal was to scale. Found on most UK high streets and servicing customers worldwide through its e-commerce site, the retailer wanted to consolidate systems, grow its omnichannel offering, and continue to provide that New Look feeling.  The company needed a solution to streamline hiring, onboard staff efficiently, and ensure quick, accurate payroll processing.  

New Look was drawn to Dayforce. The platform could be configured to fit the unique needs of a large global retailer with a diverse, mostly tech-savvy, multi-generational team—all looking for a seamless experience to support their work. 

“Dayforce had what we were looking for,” says Nash. “Pay, HR, and time and attendance integrated into one solution. That’s where we knew we could drive the greatest efficiencies.”  

Tailoring a single solution to fit all 

The impact was swift. Within a week of Dayforce going live, 98% of New Look’s workforce had logged in, with its intuitive technology quickly becoming second-nature to staff.  “We have a high proportion of Gen Z and Millennials, and ensuring we provide a great experience to a multi-generational workforce is important to us,” says Nash. “What Dayforce enables us to do is tailor the experience, so it works for our people.”

This applies equally to New Look’s multicultural staff. A significant proportion of the company’s workforce, particularly those in the distribution center, do not speak English as a first language. Using Dayforce language packs, New Look is fostering inclusivity by providing localized interfaces, enabling employees to access tasks and schedules in their preferred language. This aligns with New Look’s commitment to diversity and creating a sense of belonging that is integral to inspiring the ‘New Look feeling.’  “We found our slogan meshed with the Dayforce aim to make work life better,” says Nash. With one unified platform, the company is empowered to reach, manage, and engage its entire workforce.

A complete systems makeover

Having all HR operations supported on a single platform has been transformative. “You cannot underestimate how much difference a single login makes for store managers,” says Nash. It’s been especially valuable as New Look's People Team doesn’t operate on weekends, while its 24/7 workforce benefits from round-the-clock, self-service access to all their HR needs. “Pulling all our solutions into one system has created efficiency and given us control,” says Nash.

Delays to the hiring process have been eliminated. “With Dayforce we can make an offer, get people in the system, and managers can see them on the schedule straight away,” says Nash. “It’s truly incredible.

Pay and time processes have also been transformed with continuous calculation and a single source of data. “Our compliance is stronger, we can get people into the business faster, and we can pay them quicker,” says Nash. “It’s made a huge difference for us.

Leaders have instant access to reports, analytics, and dashboards. They are now able to proactively surface insights through built-in Power BI, eliminating the need to prompt colleagues or wait for assistance and empowering a more strategic business approach.

Supporting workforce wellbeing 

Since partnering with Dayforce, New Look has introduced improved financial wellbeing benefits for its workforce. Staff now have access to live pay slips and detailed explanations that provide a clear, at-a-glance understanding of their earnings. The company’s historic payroll solution lacked this feature, resulting in frequent pay-related queries being directed to store managers and the People Team. With the volume of queries reduced, managers can now focus more on nurturing staff and driving sales.

Previously, New Look was unable to offer pay advances. Now staff can access earned pay through Dayforce Wallet, giving them greater autonomy over their personal finances. “The way Dayforce Wallet lets us release already earned net pay to our people in a safe and responsible way is game changing,” says Nash. “It’s incredibly popular with staff, giving them control and reassurance.

Using data to meet demand and maximize sales

With Dayforce, New Look now supports flexible scheduling while maintaining operational efficiency and cost control. The company’s variable shift model guarantees core weekly hours for colleagues, with adjustments based on trade and demand. With Dayforce, it uses sales data and foot traffic, gaining crucial insight to drive decision-making. “The most expensive resource for any company is its people,” says Nash. “Having greater visibility into that resource with Dayforce and understanding how best to deploy it to maximize our sales and profit, has been phenomenal.

With Dayforce Time and Attendance, New Look employees can manage their vacation and work schedule via the Dayforce mobile app without having to be in-store to book or get approval. Requesting or swapping shifts, arranging time off, can be done anytime from anywhere, streamlining processes and reducing the need for manager intervention. Additionally, Dayforce Assist allows them to simply ask the system to book holidays, eliminating the need to navigate menus or manually input requests, making the process even simpler.

Creating a value-added future

Nash is unequivocal in her assessment of the partnership between New Look and Dayforce. “It’s been incredible,” she says. “From day one, Dayforce has been open, receptive to feedback, and dedicated to ensuring we get the most from the product.” Looking ahead, New Look is particularly interested in how Dayforce is embracing AI. Dayforce Intelligence stands out for its closed-loop system, helping ensure that sensitive people data remains secure and GDPR compliant. New Look is keen to see how its layering across Dayforce will further transform and add value to how the company works and delivers that New Look feeling.

For Nash herself, the journey with Dayforce has been transformative on a personal level, empowering her to think more strategically about workforce planning and the future rather than fixing broken systems. Previously my role involved lurching from one crisis to another, constantly trying to sticky plaster something,” she says. “Dayforce takes all that headache away. Now I’m focusing my time where it should be spent – on the future.