With the successful migration of Newcastle-based Exact Education today, Humly takes the next step in building a company and brand that’s revolutionising education throughout the UK. Educators, schools and nurseries will now have access to local Humly hubs across the face of England: North, South, East, Midlands and West.
“As we now integrate Exact Education in Newcastle, all Humly employees should feel proud over the last 18 months of hard work, establishing ourselves in the UK through growth and other integrations. While we operate in multiple locations, we are one company. This is an impressive growth journey,” said Humly CEO Gustav Bild-Tofftin.
And it’s all powered by an innovative next-gen platform that gives educators, schools and nurseries a far better choice by offering the power of choice – and so much more.
Here’s how we did it.
Humly acquired Newcastle-based agency Exact Education back in May 2022 for many reasons – location, first-class talent, a proven track record of success – but it was a shared vision and values that made Exact exactly right for Humly.
“Exact Education was the perfect choice for Humly. Both leadership teams have the same vision and appetite to advance how education supply works in the region and the UK,” said former Exact Company Director and now Humly Head of M&A and Integrations Alex Shanks.
But beyond the big picture stuff, Humly has a secondary proven track record – bringing companies together the right way.
“Post-merger integration of a company is challenging, and defining a clear strategy is critical. Humly nailed this process in three previous acquisitions in the UK and had a clear process for the integration of Exact Education,” said Shanks.
And, as always, the proof is in the pudding.
In less than a year, Exact has gone from a Humly newcomer to our northern standard bearer through successful integration and migration of their business, systems and personnel.
“Over the last two months, we’ve geared up towards full integration, which involves an analysis of all processes and systems and how to bridge those gaps to form one amazing company,” said Shanks.
But with so much newness for educators, schools and nurseries to experience, it’s vital to continue the same excellent standard of service. Only that service won’t continue with Humly.
It will be better.
Humly North East: Same people, better service
One key reason Exact was right for Humly was its people, their passion for education and their second-to-none local knowledge. And adding that to Humly’s revolutionary platform and approach creates a force multiplier for educators, schools and nurseries.
“Introducing Humly’s digital marketplace will be a game changer. Placing power in the hands of educators to find, choose and book the jobs they want based on their preferences is the next generation of supply education,” said Shanks.
And it’s equally dynamic for schools and nurseries.
“The process of booking supply staff will be streamlined. Schools and nurseries can now add a booking directly to the Humly platform, and this will instantly go out to all suitable educators, offering a 24/7 service, something unique to our region,” said former Exact Education company director and now Humly Regional Manager Rachel Aird.
While Humly’s approach to education is revolutionary, it’s also technologically evolutionary.
“Say it’s Sunday evening, and a school or nursery is desperate for a supply educator Monday morning, they can add a booking to our app, and it will immediately go out to every educator with the app matching the requirement. Business hours are no more. Of course, schools and nurseries can still call or email us. But now we do both. I think that’s called the best of both worlds,” said Shanks.
And that’s what Humly offers to educators, schools and nurseries: The power of choice, the power of speed, and the power to utilise it all in whatever way works best.
“The world is becoming more and more digital. Having a cutting-edge app and platform, combined with the experience and dedication of the Exact Education team, will make Humly North East the place educators go to find work in schools and nurseries in the region,” said Shanks.
By combining first-class regional knowledge and experience with our innovative next-gen platform, Humly continues to offer educators, schools and nurseries a more dynamic service than the status quo agency models in the north, and everywhere else.
And that’s how you disrupt an entire industry.
“Our educators have full control of the jobs they can access and accept on the platform any time, day or night. They can manage every aspect of supply life via the app – bookings, pay, timesheets and training – all in one place,” said Aird.
And the growth journey continues.
There are no finish lines at Humly.
Because we never reach milestones. We sprint past them to the next one. And the next.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Exact over to the Humly family. Unifying under one single brand will create a positive impact on educators, schools and nurseries all over the UK. Our aim is to increase recognition of Humly’s brand and establish a clear, consistent image in the UK market. By combining our strengths, we become a superior force in the market. This move allows Humly to offer more than we ever have before and helps us stay ahead of the competition,” said Humly Chief Commercial Officer Kristoffer Hedram.
The United States of America uses a Latin phrase, E Pluribus Unum, as its motto: Out of many, we are one. But it may as well be ours. Out of many, we are one vision, one purpose, one Humly.
“From today onwards, we operate as one company, which means we all will start benefiting from all the investments we put into our service and the Humly way of empowering every eligible educator. This is a very good start to 2023, and we can now accelerate our organic growth ambitions,” said Bild-Tofftin.
