Bradfield College
Balancing Tradition with Innovation: HR Transformation at Corpus Christi College
01
Intuitive system supporting diverse academic and professional teams
A user-friendly platform enables both academic and administrative staff to adopt the system quickly with support and training.
02
Centralised reporting improving workforce planning and compliance
Accessible, real-time data supports better decision-making across staffing, compliance and resource allocation.
03
Phased implementation aligned to the academic environment
A flexible rollout approach ensures minimal disruption to term-time operations and institutional priorities.
The Background
Corpus Christi College is one of the oldest colleges at the University of Cambridge, founded in 1352 and located in the heart of the city.
As a collegiate institution, it supports a diverse community of academics, professional services staff, and students. Balancing historic tradition with modern operational demands, the College requires efficient systems to support its people, maintain compliance, and ensure smooth day-to-day functioning.
In the education sector, where staff roles are varied and often complex, effective HR management plays a critical role in supporting teaching, research, and student experience.
The Challenge
Like many educational institutions, Corpus Christi College faced increasing pressure to manage HR processes more efficiently while maintaining high standards of governance and compliance.
Manual processes and limited system visibility made it more difficult to access accurate workforce data, track key information and support informed decision-making. In an academic environment, where staffing structures can include a mix of academic, casual and support roles, this lack of centralisation created additional complexity.
The College needed a solution that would simplify HR administration, improve access to data and support better workforce planning, all while being easy for staff to use and implement without disrupting core academic activity.
The Solution
By implementing HBHR, Corpus Christi College introduced a modern, intuitive HR platform designed to meet the needs of an education setting.
The system’s simplicity enabled staff across both academic and administrative roles to quickly adopt the platform. A phased, module-by-module rollout ensured the implementation could be carefully managed around the academic calendar, minimising disruption during key periods.
With robust reporting capabilities, the College now has access to clear, centralised data, allowing for improved oversight of staffing, easier compliance tracking and more informed decision-making.
The HBHR team provided responsive support throughout, ensuring a smooth transition and offering ongoing guidance as needed.
The Results
Corpus Christi College has successfully modernised its HR processes, creating a more efficient and data-driven approach to managing its workforce.
The platform has improved visibility of staff data, streamlined administrative tasks and enabled more effective workforce planning, all of which are critical in supporting the delivery of high-quality education and student experience.
Strong adoption across teams reflects the system’s ease of use, while the phased implementation ensured a smooth transition with minimal disruption.
Overall, the College now benefits from a reliable and scalable HR solution that supports both its operational needs and its wider academic mission.