Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride’s workforce game plan

At Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride, soccer isn’t just a sport. It’s a shared passion that unites an entire community. On match day, the roar from The Wall, the club’s famous fan section, fills Inter&Co Stadium, fueling players, staff, and fans alike.

Behind that energy is a team of more than 500 employees working seamlessly to deliver unforgettable experiences, from ticketing to training, operations to HR.

“Our teammates are our first fans,” says Monica Figueroa, Senior Director of People and Culture. “We want to bring them into the soccer culture and have that energy flow into our community.”

Disconnected systems slow a growing organization

When Figueroa joined in 2019, the club was expanding quickly, but its systems weren’t keeping up. HR and payroll were spread across five different platforms, manual processes created inefficiencies, and employees often struggled to access the information they needed.

“I walked into a stack of employee files and said, ‘Okay, we’ve got some work to do,’” she recalls. “We needed one system to bring everyone together as one team, one club.”

The People and Culture team needed a single solution that could scale with the organization, reduce manual work, and empower staff across every location, from the stadium to the youth development academy.

One platform. One team. One goal.

To streamline operations and strengthen workforce management, the club implemented Dayforce, streamlining HR, payroll, workforce management, talent, reporting and analytics, and flex workers into a single, connected platform. “We saw that Dayforce provided us things that others could not,” says Figueroa. “We have a very diverse workforce, and we need multiple languages. It's been very impactful for teammates to understand benefits and pay slips in their own language. Being able to meet them where they are and be ready for the future was very important to us.”

A key part of that employee experience is Dayforce Wallet, which gives employees greater flexibility and control over their earnings. “We’re in a world of instant gratification—people can get anything they want on demand, so getting access to the money you’ve already earned was really important to us.” Figueroa adds. “With Dayforce Wallet, our employees can access their pay when they need it. It’s simple, immediate access to their money, with no burden on them or our teams.”

“Having all of the Dayforce products under one system has allowed our team members to have full autonomy of their work,” says Robbin Juarez, Payroll and Benefits Manager. “They know where to find their paychecks, schedules, and benefits — and it honestly decluttered my inbox by a ton.” With Dayforce Payroll, the team reduced processing time from three days to just six to seven hours, cutting payroll time by 75%.

Perhaps the biggest shift in consolidating systems is data visibility. Leaders now see a complete picture of teammates, including how they contribute to, grow, and support the club’s culture. “I’m getting a holistic view, and employees are demanding more from employers,” says Figueroa. “They want flexibility, upward movement and horizontal projects. That wasn’t tracked before. Dayforce is helping us break down those walls.”

Recruiting and onboarding teammates for day-one impact

In a highly competitive market like Central Florida, Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride knows it must stand out to attract and retain talent. “People are our most important asset,” says Figueroa. “And they have options — full-time, part-time, gig. We need to support them on their terms.”

With year-round hiring tied to matches and events, Dayforce Recruiting helps centralize and streamline candidate management. “It ties back into our candidate pool, so we get people who are passionate about and want to work in sports,” says Juarez. “We also post to other job sites that feed into Dayforce Recruiting, keeping all our talent in one area.” Having all candidates in one place also allows managers to quickly review and assess talent, helping accelerate time to hire.

That clarity carries through to Dayforce Onboarding. “Previously, onboarding took five to seven days,” says Figueroa. “Now, when my teammates arrive on day one, the onboarding is done and they are ready to work.”

With immediate access to benefits, schedules, upcoming events, and multilingual documents, new hires can focus on their roles and contribute right away. “We onboard from all over the world. Our teammates are able to create impact on day one, and I have never seen that before in our workforce,” adds Figueroa.

At 90 days, 98% of new teammates report satisfaction with their onboarding experience. “I connect that right back to Dayforce,” Figueroa adds.

Information that meets teammates where they are

With teammates constantly on the move, the People and Culture team needed a way to share vital information without slowing anyone down. That led them to Dayforce Hub, a central platform connecting everyone in the organization. By focusing on common questions like payroll timing, open enrollment, benefits, parking, and first-day logistics, the team reduced administrative work and made information easy to find.

Eighteen months in, the results are clear. “We really see a reduction in the admin work,” says Figueroa.

The Hub has also become a central place for connection and recognition. “Our teammates enjoy being able to find updates about what’s happening across the organization and see who’s being recognized each month,” adds Juarez.

Together, these improvements have made the Hub a powerful tool for communication, engagement, and retention, giving teammates confidence that the information they need is always within reach.

Workforce agility to power every match

To fill shifts quickly during high-demand events, Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride turned to Dayforce Flex Work for instant access to flexible talent.

The impact was immediate. Dayforce Flex Work helped close staffing gaps, covering an additional 30% of shifts during peak periods, while boosting retention. “Within just a few months, we’ve seen that our talent wants to stay,” says Figueroa. “We're now seeing our shifts being picked up within seconds because they got to see our culture, and they are converting to employees, which is wonderful to see.”

Managers have felt the impact as well. “The feedback from our managers has been incredible,” adds Juarez. “They’ve found the platform simple to use and love how easy it is to onboard and communicate. They can add notes for specific event needs and even ask teammates about things like food preferences when meals are provided for high-demand games. It’s been very well adopted across our organization .”

Dayforce Flex Work has also supported the club’s sustainability goals. “We have a recycling program focused on reducing our carbon footprint in Central Florida, and it’s been a meaningful initiative for the club,” Figueroa explains. “By leveraging Dayforce Flex Work, we were able to track real results. In just six months, recycling at Inter&Co Stadium increased by 25%, creating a positive impact that extends directly into the community.”

A team effort for seasons to come

For Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride, the partnership with Dayforce is built on collaboration, shared vision, and trust. “They delivered on what they said they were going to deliver,” says Figueroa.

Looking ahead, the club plans to expand its Dayforce foundation with AI and learning tools, advancing a partnership that continues to transform how its people work and thrive.

“I could rave on and on about Dayforce,” says Juarez. “It has truly made my work life better.”

“I tell people that when we’re winning off the field, our team members can focus on winning on the field,” she adds. “Dayforce gives us the tools and confidence to make that happen.”