YOUMANAGE, a fast-growing tech company, was set up in 2010 by Nick Pye to change the way businesses use HR software. The firm experienced more than 50% growth in 2018 and is on track to exceed that figure this year.
Name: Nick Pye
Age: 51
Position: CEO
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?
YouManage.
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Stirling Innovation Park.
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
A FEW of us had worked in the HR/tech space before. We wanted new generation software with compliance-led motivation. It is often initiated by line managers and we wanted to solve common HR issues so that’s why we set it up – to make a difference.
People who have used the software said it is different – they said instead of being handed a piece of paper or sent an email they had to remember to go into a separate software system.
I had help from Business Gateway in Stirling and Scottish Enterprise helped with funding too.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
WE try to be seen as something different to the inflexible cloud-based HR system that is one size fits all and instead have created something that will work for them on a personalised basis. We were one size fits all at the start – the customer would have to change the process to suit them but we wanted to turn it on its head so clients can do what they want with it. The system administrator can change how it works for them.
Data protection registration is a challenge in the industry as lots of small software companies hold power in the SME market so it’s about how to conduct the investment and disciplinary process.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
ANYTHING professional. We avoided manufacturing and hospitality as we weren’t in a position to build [software] for them as they have an attendance/clock-in system. We built an absence model into the software to do cleverly do what it does.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
IT is all about efficiency. We are increasing value [to companies] and we do that with the people management process. We then empower the people the software manages with responsibility. So many HR products are just a place to store data but can’t help the business grow and move forward. Much of what HR does is people focused so the conversation is around teaching responsibility and ensuring success of managers.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
WE’VE had lots of the staff working with us for years and the environment we have created is self-supporting talent. We all work together as one team to provide for clients. I was brought up in Dumfries and also spent time in Kent and London and came back to Scotland in 1995. Being in Stirling has helped. There are no downsides to being in Scotland – we’ve got clients here who want to do business locally but most clients are south of the border.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
THAT’S a long time in tech terms. The majority of HR leaders want to embrace what’s possible with innovation and you will be rewarded for that.
All of that will empower self-service users. We believe we will be a leader of HR software – many lack depth and meaningful software. We are working with Stirling University to build teams, have more office space and increase the number of people. We have done that through an apprenticeship programme which we use when we have a need to take someone on. We have grown our client services team by 60% in 18 months.
We have used Utrain strategies to help us find people for vacancies. We have 11 staff at the moment.
In 10 years’ time we would definitely still be based in Scotland. We have 10 staff based in Scotland and only one in England.
One member of our development team is in Glasgow and one is in Glenshee. I’m keen on offering people flexible working so staff can work from home as well. We don’t need people working in a single office but in the early days it was important to be in the office.
We are quite rigid in our approach to home/work days.
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