Investing in the future of digital HR with Sarwa
Any business going through a growth phase needs the right HR support systems in place. However, knowing where to focus that investment so that it enables the most efficient and effective operation isn’t always easy. We sat down with Elizabeth Donaghy, Head of Internal Operations at Sarwa, to find out how Bayzat’s HR and insurance platform provided the foundation for growth.
Setting the scene
Founded in 2017, Sarwa is an online platform that makes investing in global markets simple and affordable for investors in the Middle East. It provides a suite of technology services to make investing smarter and low-cost, giving users access to personalized services that have traditionally been out of reach for casual investors.
It now has more than 13,000 clients registered across its trading and investing platforms, representing significant growth throughout its first few years of operation. This means its internal team has also grown quickly – from 10 people in 2020 to nearly 60 by the first half of 2022. As such, Sarwa turned to Bayzat to help it establish a foundational HR system that would support its growth, save its team members valuable time, and streamline the medical insurance process.
It now has more than 13,000 clients registered across its trading and investing platforms, representing significant growth throughout its first few years of operation. This means its internal team has also grown quickly – from 10 people in 2020 to nearly 60 by the first half of 2022. As such, Sarwa turned to Bayzat to help it establish a foundational HR system that would support its growth, save its team members valuable time, and streamline the medical insurance process.
Key issues
Lack of digital support system to enable rapid growth
No digital platform for annual leave, expense and payroll
Time-consuming manual workflows
Lack of streamlined insurance processes
Making work better
When Sarwa first approached Bayzat, it didn’t have any digital HR systems in place. Key HR and payroll processes were all done manually through complicated spreadsheets, and there was no way to track employee trends or behaviors. This would have led to a significant time-drain and a lack of accuracy as the team continued to grow. As the company had ambitious growth plans, it recognized the need for a support system that would make life easier for its small HR team. So, it implemented Bayzat’s HR management and insurance platform to streamline key HR processes and improve the user experience.
Sarwa now runs all of its annual leave processes, work expenses and payroll (specifically payslips and pay information) through Bayzat. This has delivered significant time savings across the business, both for the HR team and employees. Employees can now easily apply for leave and submit expenses through the app, while the HR team has enhanced visibility into when and how people are taking their leave.
Sarwa now runs all of its annual leave processes, work expenses and payroll (specifically payslips and pay information) through Bayzat. This has delivered significant time savings across the business, both for the HR team and employees. Employees can now easily apply for leave and submit expenses through the app, while the HR team has enhanced visibility into when and how people are taking their leave.
“The usability has been key,” said Elizabeth. “It’s been easy to adapt, easy for employees to use, and easy to manage on the back end. The ability to just set people up and track annual leave has been hugely beneficial for us as a business. And the Bayzat team was incredibly helpful throughout the process.”
In terms of medical insurance, Sarwa previously managed policies on an individual basis directly with the insurance company. It has now moved its Dubai staff over to a group medical insurance policy, using the Bayzat platform to streamline and automate the processes involved. This has removed a lot of the manual work (such as when adding new joiners to the policy) and saved Sarwa’s team significant time. Sarwa has also tapped into Bayzat’s local sector knowledge for insights into their insurance strategy – helping to ensure that they adopt the best policy for the business.
“The main saver has been the insurance part; how it’s integrated into the back end when we’ve got new joiners coming on board – especially given our current growth,” added Elizabeth. “It’s just a few button clicks and a bit of data entry to get their insurance set up and Bayzat automates everything in the back end. If you do that manually there are spreadsheets to fill out, forms to get signed and it’s just painful.”
In terms of medical insurance, Sarwa previously managed policies on an individual basis directly with the insurance company. It has now moved its Dubai staff over to a group medical insurance policy, using the Bayzat platform to streamline and automate the processes involved. This has removed a lot of the manual work (such as when adding new joiners to the policy) and saved Sarwa’s team significant time. Sarwa has also tapped into Bayzat’s local sector knowledge for insights into their insurance strategy – helping to ensure that they adopt the best policy for the business.
“The main saver has been the insurance part; how it’s integrated into the back end when we’ve got new joiners coming on board – especially given our current growth,” added Elizabeth. “It’s just a few button clicks and a bit of data entry to get their insurance set up and Bayzat automates everything in the back end. If you do that manually there are spreadsheets to fill out, forms to get signed and it’s just painful.”
Planning ahead
Its experience with Bayzat has been such a positive one that Sarwa is already looking forward to what comes next. For example, it is testing other Bayzat modules such as Shift Scheduler, as well as setting up templates for salary letters through Bayzat – another manual task that can be streamlined thanks to the usability and functionality of the Bayzat platform.
It is also planning on moving its Abu Dhabi staff over to a group medical insurance policy with Bayzat next year, giving all its employees access to the benefits that Bayzat provides. As Elizabeth said, “The medical insurance is spot on.”
It is also planning on moving its Abu Dhabi staff over to a group medical insurance policy with Bayzat next year, giving all its employees access to the benefits that Bayzat provides. As Elizabeth said, “The medical insurance is spot on.”
The bottom line
As we started working with Bayzat during a period of rapid growth, we needed a platform that we could set up and start using immediately. This is exactly what the team delivered. From dealing with insurance companies, to managing time off and submitting expenses, Bayzat makes it all easier. I really enjoy working with them.
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