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Campsite vs spreadsheets: honest guide for UK student unions
Campsite · 6 June 2026
When a shared drive and rota spreadsheet still work, and when a single people operations workspace starts to pay off for SU venues and frontline teams.
Who this guide is for
Student union operations teams juggling rotas in Google Sheets, hiring in email threads, and HR files scattered across shared drives.
Quick summary
| Topic | Spreadsheets + email | Campsite |
|---|---|---|
| Rota planning | Flexible, manual | Built-in, shift-linked |
| Hiring pipeline | Inbox chaos | Structured stages + offers |
| HR records | Folder sprawl | One employee file per person |
| UK compliance | You track it yourself | Employment law monitor + RTW onboarding |
| Cost | Low upfront | Platform subscription |
When spreadsheets are still fine
- You have fewer than 15 casual staff and one site.
- Hiring is occasional and everyone knows the informal process.
- You do not need audit trails for approvals or document expiry.
When Campsite is the better fit
- Multiple venues or departments share the same pool of staff.
- You hire seasonally and need shortlisting, offers, and contracts in one place.
- Managers need self-serve rotas without breaking payroll or visa hour caps.
- You want onboarding, training, and missing-document reports without another spreadsheet tab.
What teams tell us after switching
We stopped losing candidates in personal inboxes. Hiring managers see the same pipeline we do.
Rota changes used to mean three messages and a PDF. Now the shift update and the person record stay linked.
Next steps
- Browse the Campsite homepage for product overview.
- Register your workspace to start a trial.
- Read more on the news & guides hub.