Coming February 2027
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Ascend by Skillsat

Your whole workforce.
Human and virtual.

Next-gen human capital management, from org planning to payroll. AI where you want it, a human in the loop where it matters.

Book a demoWatch a new starter join

One record for every person, from first application to last payslip.

  • Native UK payroll
  • Data held in the UK
  • AI optional
  • 18 modules

New starters

Signed on Friday. Ready on Monday.

The record created at application carries through to IT, payroll and learning. Nobody re-keys a name, and nobody emails IT for a laptop.

AscendSkillsat Logistics GroupPeople · OnboardingPS
ABAmara BelloLogistics Coordinator · Bristol hub · Reports to Priya ShahOffer accepted

What happened automatically

Offer letter and contract signedE-signature
Employee record createdFrom her application
Joiner journey startedStart date: Monday
Tasks sent to manager, IT, payroll and buddy4 teams
ABAmara's pre-boarding portalCompleted on her phone before day onePre-boarding
Right to work verifiedHome Office share code
Written statement issued and signedGenerated from her record
Bank and tax details providedMasked from HR
Policies read and acknowledgedVersion tracked
References and DBS checkComplete
ABAmara Bello · one recordIntegrations hubAll systems ready
Microsoft Entra IDCreating account…Account created by SCIM
Microsoft 365Setting up mailbox…Mailbox and calendar ready
Teams and SlackAdding to channels…Added to Bristol hub channels
ServiceNowRaising request…Laptop request raised
UK payrollAdding to pay group…In the monthly pay group
PensionAssessing…Auto-enrolment assessed
BenefitsChecking eligibility…Enrolment window opened
LearningAssigning courses…Mandatory training assigned

Monday

Good morning, Amara

Here's what needs you today in Bristol hub.

Your first day

Laptop ready to collectSigned in with your new account
Meet your buddy, Hannah10:00, in your calendar
Two courses to completeAssigned by rule for your role

Priya's view

Check-ins scheduledDay one, 30, 60 and 90 days
Probation trackedReminders before the review date
First payslip on scheduleRTI starter details ready for HMRC

Laptop waiting, training assigned, buddy booked, and check-ins scheduled through probation.

Virtual workforce

Now hire a project manager who never loses a thread.

Nova is an AI team member. She joins the way Amara did, with a position, a named owner and a clear limit on what she may do alone. Then she runs a piece of work from start to finish.

AscendSkillsat Logistics GroupVirtual workforce · Nova (AI)PS
New AI team memberCreated from a role templateShadow mode
Role templateProject Manager
NameNova (AI)
Human ownerPriya Shah, Operations Manager
ToolsEmailCalendarProject plansTasks
Update a planAct and tell L2
Email colleaguesAct and tell L2
Email clientsAsk first L1
Monthly budgetHard cap, set by you
Create AI team member
PSPriya ShahOperations ManagerBristol hub
TETom EllisonShift ManagerBristol hub
ABAmara BelloLogistics CoordinatorBristol hub
AINova (AI)Project ManagerVirtual · UK
Position on the org chartClearly marked as AI
Mailbox and calendarnova@skillsatlogistics.example
Sign-in and accessNever wider than Priya's
Shadow mode passedNow live
Warehouse rollout: replan neededFrom Graham Fletcher, Operations DirectorTo Nova (AI) · nova@skillsatlogistics.example

Hi Nova, data migration has slipped by a week. Please update the plan and set out the main risks with mitigations. Get the technical leads to review it, then once I've signed it off, share it with the client.

Thanks, Graham

Graham is allowed to ask · within Nova's role

Nova's plan for this request

1Update the project planL2
2Write up risks and mitigationsL2
3Ask the technical leads to reviewL2
4Get Graham's sign-offNeeds Graham
5Share with the clientAsk first · L1

Three steps Nova can do alone and report. Two wait for a person, and that is enforced by Ascend, not left to the AI.

Warehouse system rolloutPlan version 7 · updated by Nova (AI)3 tasks movedGo-live: week 9, was week 8
Week
123456789
Discovery
Data migration
Integration testing
User training
Go-live

Risks and mitigations

Migration overruns againSecond dry run in week 4, with a daily progress checkHigh
Testing and training now overlapTrain in two cohorts so testers stay freeMedium
Less slack before go-liveChange freeze three days before, rollback plan agreedMedium
For review: revised rollout plan and risksFrom Nova (AI), Virtual Project ManagerTo Ravi Menon, IT Lead · Sophie Turner, Data Lead

Hi both, Graham has asked for a replan after the migration slip. Could you check the dates and the three risks before it goes to him for sign-off?

Plan v7 and risk register

Review tracker

Sent to Ravi and SophieL2 · Priya told
Ravi repliedAdd a rollback rehearsal in week 4
Nova added it as a mitigationPlan v8
No reply from Sophie after a dayReminder sent
Sophie approved2 of 2 reviews in
Warehouse system rollout: revised plan and risksFrom Nova (AI), Virtual Project Manager, on behalf of Graham FletcherTo Elena Rossi, Harbour Retail (client)

Hi Elena, the revised plan is attached. Data migration now finishes in week 5 and go-live moves from week 8 to week 9. The risk register sets out three risks and what we are doing about each. Our IT and data leads have reviewed both.

Rollout plan v8Risk register
Signed off by Graham Fletcher Client email: preview sent to Priya Approved by Priya Shah Shared with the client
Logged in the audit trailEvery step, source, approval and cost

Graham signs off, Priya approves the client email, and the plan goes out. Every step is logged with its cost.

AI, on your terms

The rules live in code, not in a prompt.

A cleverly worded email can't talk an AI team member into doing more. Every action is checked before it happens.

  • A named human owner, and never more access than them
  • People decide on hiring, dismissal, pay, ratings and discipline
  • A kill switch for one AI team member or all of them
  • Full audit and hard spending caps
  • Switch AI off and Ascend is still a complete HR and payroll system
  • L0SuggestPrepares a draft or recommendation for a person to use.
  • L1Ask firstPauses and sends the owner a full preview to approve or reject.
  • L2Act and tellActs, tells the owner straight away and offers undo.
  • L3Act and reportHandles routine, reversible work and reports in a digest.

Everything in one place

18 modules. One record.

Core HR comes with every plan. Add the rest on their own or in bundles, priced per employee per month.

Foundation

  • Core HROne effective-dated record for employees, contractors and AI team members.
  • Document managementEmployee files, templates, e-signature and retention.
  • Integrations hubConnectors, API, webhooks and SCIM to Entra ID and Okta.

Pay and reward

  • UK payrollNative gross-to-net with RTI, auto-enrolment, BACS and year end.
  • Compensation and benchmarkingBands, pay reviews, bonus plans and pay gap reporting.
  • BenefitsPension, medical and salary sacrifice, in step with payroll.

Time and absence

  • Absence and leaveHoliday, sickness and every UK family leave type.
  • Time and attendanceTimesheets, clocking, rotas and Working Time rules.

Hiring and joining

  • RecruitmentRequisitions, careers site, job boards and offers.
  • Onboarding and offboardingJoiner and leaver journeys, checks, equipment and accounts.

Talent and growth

  • Performance and goalsGoals, check-ins, feedback, 360 reviews and calibration.
  • Learning and developmentCourses, mandatory training, CPD and apprenticeships.
  • Skills and talent intelligenceA governed skills library and internal marketplace.
  • Succession and talent reviewCritical roles, successor slates and 9-box reviews.

Experience, cases and insight

  • Employee experience and HR serviceHome page, task inbox, knowledge base and HR tickets.
  • Employee relationsACAS Code-aligned case management.
  • Workforce planning and analyticsDashboards, UK statutory reporting and headcount plans.
  • AI workforceHire, govern and manage AI team members.

Built in the UK, for the UK

HR and payroll that just work.

Designed for organisations with 50 to 1,000 people, and ready to grow to 5,000.

Payroll built in, not bolted on.

PAYE, NI, RTI, statutory pay and auto-enrolment in the same system as the people they apply to. UK employment law is kept up to date by us.

Your data stays in the UK.

Stored on AWS London, with each organisation separated in the database itself. Cyber Essentials Plus before our first client and ISO 27001 within twelve months.

Live in weeks.

Guided set-up, UK templates and ready-made imports from spreadsheets, BambooHR, HiBob, Personio, Sage, IRIS and Xero.

Platform

The details that matter.

One security modelThe same access rules apply to screens, reports, search, the API and AI. Sensitive data is ring-fenced, including from your own HR team.
Sign-inSingle sign-on with Microsoft Entra ID, Okta or Google, MFA and passkeys, and a second check before sensitive actions.
Segregation of dutiesNobody approves their own transactions, and the person who changes bank details can't approve the payment.
Effective datingSee any record as it was, is or will be. Backdated changes trigger payroll retro.
Deterministic payrollA separate calculator where the same inputs always give the same pay, tested against independently signed-off datasets.
AuditA tamper-evident history, including who viewed sensitive data, with payroll records kept for at least seven years.
AccessibilityA mobile web app built to WCAG 2.2 AA, with full keyboard and screen reader support.

See it with your own organisation.

We'll run both journeys against your structure, your systems and your approval rules.

We'll only use these details to arrange your demo. See our privacy policy.

Prefer to talk? Call 01249 796906 or email info@skillsat.co.uk