Employment Innovations

What Employment Innovations does

Employment Innovations (EI) is an Australian outsourced employment management provider founded in 1992 by Rob Thompson, headquartered in Sydney with offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. The company delivers a comprehensive suite of HR, payroll, legal, and migration services to more than 900 Australian businesses across verticals including banking and finance, hospitality, NDIS providers, retail, education, real estate, and professional services. Its service portfolio is structured in tiered offerings: HR Connect (entry-level on-demand support), HR Partner (virtual dedicated resource), HR Consulting (on-demand), and Managed Payroll (end-to-end processing with Single Touch Payroll compliance), supported by EI Legal for employment law, litigation and migration, and Work Health & Safety services.

The underlying technology stack is cloud-based and powered by sister company Employment Hero (Australia's first all-in-one HR software platform, spun off from EI in 2013) and KeyPay (payroll software for SMEs). EI maintains proprietary assets including the largest Award Interpretation Library in Australia, ISO 27001 (information security) and ISO 9001 (quality management) certifications, and integrates third-party facial recognition via NoahFace. In 2024 EI officially merged operations with Employment Hero to launch what the company describes as the world's first fully automated payroll platform.

The business model is predominantly subscription-based with annual billing for HR packages and managed payroll, usage-based billing for HR Consulting, and professional services billing for EI Legal. Distribution combines a direct enterprise sales team with a large partner program spanning hundreds of independent accountants, bookkeepers, franchisors, and industry associations (Evolve Alliance, ICB, Restaurant & Catering Association, CAFBA). EI Legal is structured as a wholly-owned subsidiary and the broader group is connected via shared origins with Employment Hero. Historical funding includes a 2015 USD $4M (AUD $5.1M) round from Partners for Growth.

Name

Employment Innovations

Legal name

Employment Innovations

Website

https://employmentinnovations.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Employment Innovations is an Australian outsourced HR, payroll, legal, and migration services provider founded in 1992, serving 900+ businesses across verticals including finance, hospitality, NDIS, retail, and education through subscription-based packages delivered via Employment Hero and KeyPay software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR & Payroll Outsourcing Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Benefits Administration & Total Rewards Outsourcing (BPACAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Benefits Administration (BPACAPAC), Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB)

Keywords

• Outsourced HR services
• Managed payroll processing
• Employment law advisory
• HR compliance consulting
• Payroll software solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. HR Services: Outsourced HR services including HR Connect (entry level), HR Partner (virtual), and HR Consulting (on-demand). Delivered as subscription-based packages with local expert consultants available on-demand.
2. Payroll Services: End-to-end payroll processing, Single Touch Payroll compliance, leave management, and integration with accounting and HR systems. Claims up to 75% payroll overhead cost savings.
3. EI Legal Services: Specialist employment law advice, litigation, and migration services accessible to clients as an add-on or standalone service.
4. HR & Payroll Software: Cloud-based HR and payroll software subscription powered by Employment Hero and KeyPay platforms, offered as part of bundled solutions or standalone.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Employment Innovations is an Australian employment solutions provider that delivers outsourced HR services (HR Connect, HR Partner, HR Consulting), end-to-end managed payroll, employment law and migration services through its EI Legal subsidiary, and cloud-based HR and payroll software powered by Employment Hero and KeyPay. The firm serves over 900 Australian businesses with bundled subscription packages combining human expertise with cloud technology to manage Modern Award compliance, Single Touch Payroll, and end-to-end workforce administration.

Product overview

Employment Innovations provides a comprehensive suite of outsourced HR and payroll services for Australian businesses. The offering combines human resources services (HR Connect, HR Partner, HR Consulting), managed payroll processing, EI Legal employment law services, and cloud-based HR/payroll software powered by KeyPay and Employment Hero. Services are delivered through a subscription model with local expert consultants across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, backed by a team of HR and legal professionals. Specialized compliance solutions are available for industries including NDIS providers, hospitality, retail, banking & finance, and professional services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Employment Hero: Australia's first all-in-one HR software and employee benefits platform, spun off from Employment Innovations in 2013
• KeyPay
• EI Legal

Products and services

• HR Connect Entry-level outsourced HR support service providing on-demand advice and support around the HR function, including navigating Modern Awards and staying ahead of legislative changes. Targeted at small to medium Australian businesses.
• HR Partner Virtual HR service offering a dedicated resource for strategic and reactive HR advice, providing ongoing support and mentorship for in-house HR teams. Delivered by local expert consultants across Australia.
• HR Consulting On-demand HR consultant service providing flexible, pay-as-you-go access to expert HR advice as needed for businesses requiring occasional strategic HR support.
• Managed Payroll End-to-end payroll solution delivered by local dedicated support teams, featuring extensive reporting, EOFY processing, TFN declaration submission, integration with cloud accounting and HR systems, online timesheets, leave management, employee portal, Single Touch Payroll readiness, and Australia's largest Award interpretation library.
• EI Legal Specialist employment law advice and representation service including litigation and migration services for Australian businesses and individuals. Wholly-owned subsidiary of Employment Innovations.
• HR Software Cloud-based HR software platform for managing HR processes and employee benefits, powered by Employment Hero technology. Offered as standalone software or bundled with EI's HR service packages.
• Payroll Software Feature-rich, simple, flexible cloud payroll software powered by KeyPay with unlimited Australian-based support, reporting, and analytics capabilities for SMEs.
• NDIS and SCHADS Award Compliance Specialized compliance services for NDIS registered providers, covering SCHADS Award interpretation, workforce management across multiple employment arrangements, and NDIS-specific regulatory requirements.
• Migration Services Australian immigration and visa solutions for businesses and individuals, delivered through partnership with The Migration Agency.
• Work, Health & Safety (WHS) WHS services focusing on obligations around employee physical and psychosocial wellbeing, including compliance and risk management for Australian employers.
• Fair Work Compliance Compliance services helping Australian employers navigate complex employment laws, Modern Awards, and Fair Work regulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 75% of payroll overhead costs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Employment HeroflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner - Employment Hero was born out of Employment Innovations in 2013 as Australia's first all-in-one HR software and employee benefits platform. The relationship involves shared intellectual property and technology development.
• KeyPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPayroll solutions powered by KeyPay, described as Australia's best and most popular payroll software for SMEs. Provides payroll processing capabilities to Employment Innovations clients.
• EI LegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist employment law advice and representation service accessible to Employment Innovations clients. Includes litigation and migration services.
• The Migration AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigns and delivers customised Australian immigration and visa solutions for businesses and everyday people. Partnership provides migration services to EI clients.
• Acacia ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides employee assistance program (EAP) for EI clients and their employees as an add-on to any services.
• Evolve AlliancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPeak body for the financial services industry. Provides exclusive HR solutions to members including free HR consultations.
• Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive national HR and payroll approved product for ICB members and their clients. Partner benefits program available.
• Restaurant & Catering Association (RCA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRCA represents over 2,000 businesses across Australia. EI provides additional HR, payroll and legal services to members.
• Australian HR Institute (AHRI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisational members of AHRI, the peak professional body for HR practitioners in Australia.
• Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers Association (CAFBA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational peak professional body of the commercial and equipment finance industry. Partner benefits program available.
• Go1minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Go1 to provide access to professional development and e-learning resources for workforce training.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Employment Hero: Australia's first all-in-one HR software platform, originally spun out of Employment Innovations in 2013 and now formally unified with EI in 2024. Both serve Australian SMBs with HR and payroll solutions, making them the closest direct peer.
• KeyPay: Australian payroll software provider whose technology powers EI's payroll offering. Competes directly in the Australian payroll SaaS market for SMBs with similar award interpretation and STP compliance capabilities.
• Ascender: Asia-Pacific HR and payroll software and services provider serving mid-market and enterprise customers with similar compliance-focused offerings and award interpretation capabilities.
• Frontier Software: Australian HR, payroll, and workforce management software provider. Competes directly in the Australian enterprise and government HR/payroll market with award interpretation capabilities for regulated industries.

Broad incumbents

• Xero: New Zealand-based cloud accounting platform with built-in payroll serving Australian SMBs. Competes in payroll processing and integrates with HR solutions, serving as a broader incumbent with overlapping functionality.
• MYOB: Major Australian accounting and payroll software incumbent serving SMBs with HR add-ons and payroll services. Larger, broader portfolio competing in overlapping payroll functionality for the same target market.
• ADP: Global HR services and payroll giant with Australian operations (ADP TotalSource, ADP Payroll). Provides bundled HR outsourcing services competing in the same space as EI, but as part of a much wider global portfolio.

Regional players

• Smartgroup: Australian-listed provider of employee benefits, salary packaging, and workforce management solutions. Comparable in serving Australian employers with managed services and benefits administration, but primarily mid-market and listed enterprise.

Emerging players

• Tanda: Australian workforce management software provider focused on rostering, time and attendance, and award interpretation for hospitality, retail, and healthcare verticals with payroll system integration.

Others

• Go1: Australian e-learning platform partner that provides professional development content to EI customers via Go1 integration. Adjacent ecosystem participant enabling L&D services rather than a direct HR/payroll competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/EmploymentInnovations
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmploymentInnovations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/employment-innovations-ei
• Xx.com/Think_EI

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Employment Innovations