across three banners
and 60+ locations
How Sporting Life Group keeps 2,500+ employees ready for change
2,500+
employees
25%
reduction
in HR Employee Services Help Desk tickets following HRIS rollout
49%
increase
in employee engagement
program participation
Sporting Life Group operates some of Canada’s most recognized specialty retail brands, including Sporting Life, Golf Town and Team Town Sports. Across more than 60 locations, over 2,500 employees help customers find the products, expertise and experiences they need to pursue their passions.
As the organization continued to grow and evolve, Sporting Life Group looked for a more effective way to support employees across its banners, locations and roles.
Challenges
Keeping employees confident through change
Retail organizations operate in a constant state of evolution.
New technologies are introduced. Processes change. Compliance requirements evolve. Employees must absorb new information while continuing to deliver great customer experiences every day.
For Sporting Life Group, the challenge wasn’t a single training initiative or communication campaign. It was ensuring that employees across three distinct banners could stay aligned and ready no matter what changes were underway.
The organization needed a better way to support major business transformations, reinforce key knowledge and create a more connected employee experience across more than 60 locations.
Most importantly, leaders wanted employees to feel confident—not overwhelmed—when change happened.
The goal wasn’t simply to deliver more training. It was to build a culture of readiness.
Solution
Creating a readiness engine for the business
Rather than treating learning, communication and engagement as separate initiatives, Sporting Life Group brought them together in one place.
With Axonify, the organization created a scalable readiness engine that helps employees stay aligned during change, find answers when they need them and remain connected to the broader business.
When leaders launch a new initiative, employees know where to go for information. When processes change, managers have a consistent way to communicate expectations and reinforce execution. When employees need support, resources are available at the moment of need rather than buried in emails or disconnected systems.
This approach proved especially valuable during the rollout of a new HRIS platform that impacted employees across all three banners. Sporting Life Group used Axonify as the central destination for training and support, providing 23 job aids, videos and reference materials that helped managers and frontline employees navigate the transition with confidence.
The same strategy extends beyond technology rollouts. Employees use Axonify to access product knowledge, operational guidance, leadership development resources and onboarding content, creating a consistent experience from day one through career growth.
At the same time, employees stay connected across stores and regions using Chat and Channels. Programs like Golf Town’s Get Out and Play initiative have Channels to encourage employees to share experiences, celebrate successes and learn from one another, strengthening engagement and reinforcing culture across the organization.
By bringing learning, communication and engagement together in a single experience, Sporting Life Group has created a foundation that helps employees adapt more quickly, execute more consistently and remain confident through change.
23
resources
including job aids, videos
and support
(Dayforce rollout)
25%
reduction
in HR Employee Services
Help Desk tickets
(Dayforce rollout)
71%
completion rate
among head
office employees
Results
Turning a complex rollout into a smooth transition
The implementation of Dayforce became one of the clearest examples of Sporting Life Group’s readiness strategy in action.
A change of this scale had the potential to create confusion, increase support requests and place additional pressure on managers responsible for helping employees navigate new processes.
Instead, Sporting Life Group used Axonify to create a centralized support experience that ensured employees had access to guidance whenever they needed it.
The organization developed and distributed 23 job aids, videos and support resources through the platform, creating a consistent learning experience across all banners.
The results were measurable.
Following implementation, support tickets to the HR Employee Services Help Desk decreased by 25%. Leaders also reported stronger confidence navigating payroll, scheduling and people-management workflows, helping the organization stabilize adoption more quickly.
Building awareness
beyond compliance
Sporting Life Group also leveraged Axonify to deliver mandatory cybersecurity training for head office employees.
Rather than treating cybersecurity as a one-time compliance exercise, the organization delivered a focused learning experience designed to build awareness and reinforce safer behaviors.
The program achieved a 71% completion rate among head office employees.
More importantly, leaders observed increased phishing-reporting behaviour through Outlook’s reporting tools, demonstrating greater awareness and stronger security habits across the organization.
Developing more
confident leaders
Sporting Life Group has also expanded its readiness strategy to leadership development.
Through the Leadership Bites program, store managers receive practical, bite-sized learning experiences focused on foundational leadership skills.
Managers report greater confidence in coaching, delegation and performance management, helping create stronger team alignment and more consistent store operations.
As new managers step into leadership roles, they have access to the support and resources needed to succeed.
Strengthening culture
through connection
Readiness isn’t only about knowledge and processes.
It’s also about helping employees feel connected to the organization and one another.
Golf Town’s Get Out and Play employee engagement program uses Channels to connect employees across stores, encourage participation and celebrate shared experiences.
Within Axonify, employees shared 190 activity posts, testimonials and photos, creating a vibrant community centered around wellness and participation.
Engagement continued to grow, with 92% of available free golf rounds redeemed—a 49% increase from the
previous year.
The impact extended beyond the platform itself. Employee-generated content was repurposed for the company careers site and leadership communications, amplifying the program’s reach and helping showcase the organization’s culture.
Looking ahead
For Sporting Life Group, Axonify has become more than a learning platform.
It serves as the central hub for learning, communication, engagement and execution—helping
employees stay aligned through every new initiative, technology rollout and business transformation.
As the organization continues to evolve, it has a scalable foundation for keeping employees informed, connected and confident.
By creating a readiness ecosystem that supports employees at every stage of their journey, Sporting Life Group is building a workforce that can adapt quickly, embrace change and continue delivering exceptional experiences for customers.