Animates Vetcare is New Zealand’s largest pet specialty retailer. They serve communities nationwide through their grooming salons, over 45 retail stores and 16 veterinary clinics. With over 850 team members united by a shared purpose, Animates is dedicated to supporting every step of a pet’s journey—offering trusted advice to pet owners, expert care, and quality products to help pets live happy, healthy lives.
The challenge
Animates’ continued success and rapid growth brought new complexity. Their HR toolkit—including recruitment and learning and development processes—was no longer keeping pace. “We didn't have a single source of truth,” recalls Juliet Davies, Head of People & Capability. “We were relying on our payroll system, spreadsheets, and paper-based processes. Nothing was integrated. Administration was time-consuming and, honestly, a burden for the People team.”
Paper forms, disconnected systems, and a lack of integration meant critical tasks were inefficient and learning content often missed the mark for such a diverse workforce—ranging from retail salespeople and grooming specialists to highly qualified veterinary professionals. The risk of increased employee turnover grew concerning, especially as team members voiced the need for career-focused development opportunities and clearer pathways for growth. “Team feedback was clear: they wanted more structured, learner-led development, including tailored career pathways,” Juliet noted.
Why Cornerstone?
Animates knew a change was needed. The People and Capability team prioritised research, taking a hands-on approach to shop the market and evaluate solutions. They distilled a clear vision: a secure, all-in-one HR platform that was scalable, user-friendly, and would empower people at every level to grow and succeed.
After narrowing their choices and releasing a detailed Request for Tender, Cornerstone emerged as the right fit. Cornerstone’s proposal aligned with Animates’ aspirations—delivering integration, agility, and the flexibility required to elevate both the team member and leadership experience. Juliet commented, “Cornerstone’s ability to customise and respond to our operational needs made them the obvious choice.”
Implementation journey
The roll-out of The Pawtal was managed by a tight-knit, six-person team, working closely with Cornerstone’s implementation partner, Tomorrow’s People. Juliet credits their recommended phased approach with driving success: “We started with HR and Learning, then added Recruitment, Onboarding, Performance, and Succession in a second wave. Everyone played their part in making the change management process as smooth as possible. The leadership team supported the vision, our people team led the initiative, managers guided their teams through ‘the why’ and our end users joined us on the journey – with everyone soon seeing the benefits.
The process was completed in under 11 months. Project management, planning, and clear communication were essential. Juliet explained, “We challenged ourselves to reconsider the design of our platform, not simply replicating what already existed, but instead striving for the best possible user experience with the new technology provided by Cornerstone.”
Hannah Fossum, L&D Manager added, “Like any change, moving from a well-established and simplistic system to an end-to-end employee experience was a steep learning curve for us all—both as users and administrators.
Onboarding was stress-free and engaging. The Animates team delivered online webinar series tailored to each division and module, supplemented by practical guides and drop-in learning hours. Hannah reflects, “We made it easy for team members to find help and adjust. The switch from paper-based to automated workflows was a big leap, so wraparound support was crucial.”
Empowering every person
Animates’ people-centric culture sits at the heart of everything the business does. “Our Learning & Development team is dedicated to building a culture where everyone feels seen, supported, and able to grow a meaningful career,” says Hannah. “Our strategy meets team members wherever they are; clinic, retail, or support office and our learning format caters to a range of styles and needs. Providing timely, relevant learning experiences is now at the core.”
Leveraging the power of Cornerstone Learning & Performance, Animates delivered pathways that go far beyond compliance, focusing on skills-based development and genuine opportunities for progression. Flagship initiatives such as Retail Career Pathways, the Client Excellence Programme and the LEAD Framework have only been possible with Cornerstone’s combination of agile technology and best practice design. Critical checkpoints, check-ins, performance reviews, goal setting, and observation checklists are now routine. This gives every team member access to meaningful development, whether they are building current skills or growing into new roles.
These transformations have been realised by the customer-facing teams. Pianika Taylor, a Retail Store Manager in Auckland, uses The Pawtal to support her team for HR, learning and development daily. “I use the check-in function on The Pawtal every day to connect with my team and invest time with them and their development. My team knows when they’re having that time with me and what to expect, so they can get the most out of their own learning and growth path.” Pianka knows the difference this makes for her team as they’ve had a significant increase in the engagement score at her store.
The importance of culture is clear at Animates, “Our culture has always prized meaningful moments and authentic connections,” Hannah shares. “Cornerstone Performance has helped us protect and amplify this, by structuring development conversations, recognition, and plans.” Data and reporting tools show true learning engagement and skills gaps for the first time, letting the L&D team take a proactive stance with future programs.
Connecting to the wider community has been invaluable. “Tapping into the Cornerstone network, seeing what’s worked elsewhere, and understanding best practices from other businesses has meant we can truly optimise for our own team,” Hannah highlighted. “Innovative features like Galaxy AI and Immerse are now advancing accessibility for every learner.”
Measurable results
There’s a reason why Juliet sums up the experience as being “transformative” as their leadership is delivering results across Animates’ teams and business:
- Learning and Development factor ↑4 to 75%, 7 points above the NZ July 2025 benchmark with 71% (↑13) saying Animates is a great place to grow
- Regular check-ins are embedding trust, wellbeing, and keeping development conversations alive
- Team members shifted from compliance-based training to skills-centred learning; 88% of learning courses completed in The Pawtal are self-registrations
- People leaders say they are better equipped—with visibility and practical tools to develop and coach their people
- 70% reduction in HR admin allowing the People team to focus on higher-value work enhancing professional development and retention
- 100% of the people team say systems and processes support getting their work done
Lessons along the way
Reflecting on the journey, Juliet’s advice for others is clear:
- Be deliberate about why you’re implementing a new system
- Start with essentials, optimise continuously, and be patient
Secure leadership buy-in early and keep teams involved throughout the process - Prioritise transparent communication—proactively share the journey with everyone
- Tap into all available resources, including vendor community networks and peer support
- Remember: meaningful culture change takes time
What’s next for Animates
Data will continue to drive identification of skill gaps and talent pipeline development, and strategic workforce planning will help Animates support continued growth.
Building strong leadership capability remains a top priority. As Juliet sums it up, “The Pawtal is enabling us to better grow and develop our team, enhance performance and make happy happen.” With AI-enabled shortlisting and new features on the horizon, Animates is poised to keep evolving, empowering teams to deliver outstanding experiences for each other, every customer, client, and pet.
