Home Appointments & Contracts Footwear retailer Pavers overhauls HR tech infrastructure

Footwear retailer Pavers overhauls HR tech infrastructure

Kieran Hicken from Cascade HR with Pavers' HR team

York-headquartered footwear brand Pavers has overhauled its HR technology infrastructure, with the help of Cascade.

Established in 1971 by Catherine Paver, Pavers shoes now has 170 stores in the UK and Ireland plus a growing e-commerce presence. With customer service still the driving force behind Pavers’ omni-channel experience, the family business sought to invest in a next-generation people management system that could help future proof the company moving forward.

Thorough marketplace research brought several vendors to Pavers’ attention, before the hunt stopped with Cascade’s cloud HR software.

Having previously been reliant on only the data available from the firm’s payroll vendor, Pavers now hopes the technology overhaul will save the HR team at least 20% of time on administration alone, per month, at the same time as boosting their reporting capabilities.


Commenting on the roll out of a new HR solution, Pavers’ Learning & Development Manager, Sarah Watson, said: “With strong family values that have proven a testament to our continued growth despite the often-challenging retail climate, we are keen to safeguard the experience provided to customers and staff alike. Investing in our people is a key strategic imperative for the company, but really this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the environment we want to create for over 1,700 people across the workforce.

“So we sought to revolutionise our approach to HR. Our payroll provider has long delivered rich information to us from a remuneration perspective, but to effectively gather and maintain wider people metrics, using spreadsheets alone, was proving difficult to manage.

“We chose Cascade to take us on this technology journey because – aside from their system – it was their approach to post-installation support that appealed to us. At nearly 50 years old, we’re building a company fit for the next half a century, and savvy people reporting that uncovers trends, safeguards our employees and maximises their potential, will be crucial to that.”

The easy-to-use system empowers line managers to better support their team with everything from absences to development, engagement and retention. Further learning management functionality is due to be rolled out to the workforce over the coming months.

Headquartered in Leeds, less than 30 miles from Pavers’ York HQ, Cascade also celebrates a rich history born and bred in Yorkshire, with 1000 HR and payroll customers now on its books.