Case studies

Trafalgar Entertainment

Transforming Workforce Management across a National Theatre Group

Staff - 800+
Package - Workforce Edition + Recruitment Add-On

Trafalgar Entertainment is a fast-growing UK-based live entertainment company that operates theatres across the UK, with staffing levels fluctuating between 800 and 1,000 employees depending on seasonality, particularly during peak panto periods.

Billboard advertising Michael Ball's UK tour 2026 at Bradford Live, with an image of Michael Ball, on a building with architectural details including towers labeled 'Live' and 'Bradford,' and a clear sky with the sun shining.
A large indoor concert or event space filled with a crowd of people watching a performance on stage. The stage is lit with vibrant yellow, orange, and pink lights, with a large LED screen and various lighting fixtures. The venue has brick walls and an industrial-style ceiling with pink and purple lighting accents.

The Challenge Before StaffSavvy

  • Inconsistent processes and practices across venues

  • Multiple systems operating independently without integration

  • Limited visibility and consistency of staffing and event data

  • Localised recruitment processes that were not fully optimised

  • Communication challenges across permanent, casual, zero-hours and freelance workforces

The Solution

StaffSavvy offered a single integrated workforce management platform, allowing the business to centralise and streamline recruitment, onboarding, staffing, compliance and reporting processes across all venues.

The move to one integrated system offers the potential for:

  • Greater operational consistency across venues

  • Improved oversight and governance

  • Real-time staffing and labour reporting

  • Streamlined communication with different worker groups

  • Better workforce planning and decision-making capability

Front view of Trafalgar Theatre at night with bright signage

The Results

Centralising Recruitment & Onboarding

Centralising recruitment processes enables the business to standardise:

  • Job specifications

  • Salary benchmarking

  • Hiring processes

  • Candidate experience

Combined with the Indeed integration, the business experienced an 80% increase in job applications.

The onboarding process is also significantly strengthened. New starters are required to upload right-to-work documentation and complete mandatory training before shifts can be assigned, improving compliance and operational readiness across all locations.

Screenshot of the StaffSavvy online platform displaying a dashboard titled Manage Positions with job listings, statuses, number of applicants, and shortlisting results. Buttons labeled Create New Positions and Archived Positions are at the bottom.

Data Transparency Wins

Access to live workforce data and reporting transforms operational planning and decision-making.

Managers can now:

  • Analyse average shift lengths and labour costs by department

  • Compare staffing costs against individual touring productions

  • Monitor overtime trends and identify resourcing gaps

  • Allocate staffing costs accurately across Front of House, Box Office and Hospitality functions

This level of visibility is enabling more informed staffing, budgeting and workforce planning decisions across the organisation.

Custom Reports on StaffSavvy

Improved Staff Communication

The platform also improved communication across a diverse workforce by enabling customised access permissions for casual, zero-hours and freelance workers, ensuring employees only see information relevant to their role and contract type.

Screenshot of a digital form titled 'News Message' with options to filter recipients and staff skills. The filters include options for staff contracts with checkboxes for Casual, Permanent, Part Time, Freelancer, Volunteer, Contractor, and other categories.

Client Feedback

“The system has the potential to be transformative for us, bringing together workforce data, improving visibility, and simplifying a number of processes across the business. The user experience for both staff and applicants has improved significantly, helping us create a much more seamless and user-friendly setup. The increase in job applications alone demonstrates the positive impact.

One of the biggest benefits has been the level of operational insight now available to managers, allowing us to better understand staffing costs, shift allocation and departmental planning across our venues.

As a business with a complex operating model across multiple venues, there have naturally been local amendments and bespoke developments required along the way. We are also still continuing to understand the full potential of the system, with opportunities and functionality that we are yet to fully utilise as we continue to evolve our approach.

Throughout the process, the support and customer care from the StaffSavvy team has been exceptional. They have been responsive, solutions-focused and supportive throughout implementation and ongoing development, particularly when working through some of our more complex staffing rules and operational requirements.”

Trafalgar Entertainment