HR automation that scales beyond onboarding

BUSINESS GAPS

The challenge

First Water had a growing list of processes and an even bigger growth plan. They wanted to avoid the classic scaling trap where HR becomes a bottleneck and managers end up chasing updates across email threads.Their key challenges were:

• Preparing for rapid headcount growth while keeping processes consistent
• Managing a growing number of requests and approvals without manual follow ups
• Supporting employees and managers with clear steps, reminders and visibility
• Doing all of the above with a small HR team

50SKILLS

Our solution

First Water started with onboarding and expanded steadily over the following 24 months. They now run 15+ active processes in 50skills and have completed 15,000 actions to date.

Examples of workflows include:

• New employee onboarding journeys
• First week training journeys with step by step tasks and reminders
• Expense claims captured in a structured format and sent to accounting
• Event registrations
• Equipment and clothing requests
• Visitor processes
• Birthday messages and milestone notifications

More recently, the HR team has been using the AI powered Navigator, a chat based feature that lets you prompt AI to create or edit workflows, to build and refine journeys faster, especially for training. It supports quick iteration, so the HR team can improve the experience without needing a major rebuild each time.

BUSINESS IMPACT

The results

1 hour saved per onboarding

While many of the gains show up in smoother operations and fewer headaches, the clearest measurable impact is time saved during onboarding. First Water save 1 hour per new employee onboarding by automating steps, sequencing tasks and cutting down on manual chasing.

15+ active processes after 24 months

First Water moved beyond a single onboarding journey and built a library of workflows that support day to day operations across the business, reducing reliance on email, removing manual follow ups and giving teams clearer ownership of tasks and approvals.

15,000 actions completed

From reminders to approvals and task completions, First Water has now run 15,000 actions through the platform, reducing manual admin and keeping requests moving.

Peace of mind for HR, managers and employees

The benefits are not purely about time savings. Automation gives employees clear next steps, helps managers stay informed, and gives HR confidence that key tasks are not being missed.