What The Next Step does

The Next Step is a recruitment and search consultancy exclusively dedicated to the Human Resources sector, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia. It operates under The Next Group parent entity alongside sister brand The Safe Step (workplace health and safety recruitment) and affiliated entity The Strategic Step Advisory (HR/culture/organisational advisory). The company employs a team of approximately 35-40 staff distributed across three Australian offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Its service portfolio spans HR Recruitment (permanent and temporary placements), HR Executive Search (senior HR leadership with psychometric evaluation), HR Contracting (PAYG/ABN contractors plus interim executives), and HR Consulting (HR capability development, organisation design, succession evaluation, project delivery, leadership coaching). The firm also operates a self-serve job board and an "Available HR Contractors" portal showing 41 vetted candidates with daily rates. No proprietary technology platform is built; the stack relies on third-party tools including Astute Payroll for contractor timesheets and payroll, Employment Hero for HR administration, and an exclusive SHL-customised HR Capability Assessment tool used in executive search.

The revenue model is a mix of four streams: contingency-based permanent placement fees, PAYG contractor staffing with rate markups covering payroll/superannuation/insurance, retained executive search fees for CHRO and Head of People searches, and HR consulting/advisory engagements. Go-to-market is direct, relationship-driven enterprise field sales via dedicated consultants in each office. Customers include 25+ named Australian enterprises across healthcare, banking, insurance, utilities, energy, defense, aviation, media, postal services, and retail. Pricing is quote-based, contingent, and not publicly disclosed, with contractor daily rates observed between approximately A$90 and A$1,400+ depending on seniority.

Name

The Next Step

Legal name

The Next Group

Website

https://thenextstep.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Next Step is an Australian specialist recruitment and search consultancy dedicated exclusively to the HR sector, offering permanent placement, executive search, contracting, and consulting services to employers across Australia. Founded in 1998 with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Permanent Recruitment Placement Fees: Contingency-based recruitment fees for placing permanent HR candidates with employer clients. Fees typically structured as a percentage of candidate annual salary upon successful placement.
2. HR Contractor Staffing: Supply of HR contractors to employers. PAYG contractors are employed by The Next Step and charged to clients at agreed hourly/daily rates. The company handles payroll, superannuation, and insurance, marking up the contractor rates.
3. Executive Search Retainers: Retained executive search engagements for senior HR leadership positions including CHRO, Head of People and Culture roles. Includes comprehensive candidate evaluation, psychometric assessments, and onboarding support.
4. HR Consulting Services: Advisory and consulting services including HR Capability Development Programs, Organisation Design, HR Succession Evaluation, HR Project Delivery, and HR Leadership Coaching.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Next Step is an Australian specialist HR recruitment agency that places HR professionals into permanent, contract, and executive roles for employer clients. It also provides HR consulting and advisory services and operates an online job board plus a contractor portal. The firm combines contingency and retained search engagements with a proprietary SHL-built HR capability assessment used during executive search evaluations.

Product overview

The Next Step operates as a specialist HR recruitment agency offering a portfolio of interconnected services: HR Recruitment (permanent/temporary placements), HR Executive Search (senior leadership), HR Contracting (PAYG/ABN contractors), HR Contractors (interim solutions), and HR Consulting (advisory services). These are supported by a job board platform with search/filter capabilities, an available contractors portal, and a salary benchmarking tool. The company also maintains a sister brand (The Safe Step) for workplace health and safety recruitment. All services are delivered through consultants who are HR specialists with deep market knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Safe Step: Specialist workplace health and safety (WHS) recruitment brand operating as a sister company to The Next Step. Website: www.thesafestep.com.au
• The Strategic Step Advisory

Products and services

• HR Recruitment Permanent and temporary HR recruitment placing HR professionals across all specialisations (coordinators to executives) with Australian employers on a contingency basis.
• HR Executive Search Retained executive search for senior HR leadership roles including CHRO, Head of People and Culture, and HR Director, with comprehensive candidate evaluation including psychometric assessments.
• HR Contractors Flexible interim HR solutions providing PAYG contractors, fixed-term contractors, HR consultants, and interim HR executives with payroll, timesheet management, and onboarding handled by the firm.
• HR Consulting Specialist HR advisory services including HR Capability Development Programs, Organisation Design, HR Succession Evaluation, HR Project Delivery, HR Strategy Development, and HR Leadership Coaching.

Named customers26 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian HR Institute (AHRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Next Step supports the Australian HR Institute's vision for excellence, diversity and inclusion. AHRI is the peak professional body for HR practitioners in Australia, providing credibility and professional development resources.
• SHLcoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive HR Capability Assessment tool custom-built and benchmarked for The Next Step by SHL, a leading global HR assessment provider. Used for comprehensive candidate evaluation in executive search engagements.
• HR Global PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership network enabling access to international HR talent and market trends. Allows The Next Step to serve multinational clients with cross-border HR recruitment needs.
• Converge InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployee Assistance Program provider supporting the wellbeing of The Next Step's staff and contractors through confidential counselling and support services.
• The Safe StepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister brand specialising in workplace health and safety (WHS) recruitment. Operates as part of The Next Group. Colleagues collaborate on RAP initiatives and share expertise in adjacent professional domains.
• The Strategic Step AdvisoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated advisory firm providing strategic HR, culture, safety and organisational support services. Shares systems and resources with The Next Group as a related entity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• HOBAN Recruitment: Australian recruitment firm placing professionals across multiple disciplines including HR. Comparable in Australia-only geographic focus and contract/permanent placement model, though broader in functional coverage.
• Talent International: Australian-headquartered recruitment firm placing technology, digital, and corporate services professionals including HR. Comparable contract and permanent placement model with overlapping HR practice.
• Peoplebank: Australian IT and business recruitment firm with HR practice coverage. Comparable in Australia-focused contract and permanent placement, with overlap in HR contract roles.
• Davidson Recruitment: Australian recruitment firm with HR, technology, and accounting specialisations. Comparable in permanent and contract placement with Australia-only geographic focus similar to The Next Step.

Others

• Clicks IT Recruitment: Australian IT recruitment firm. Not a direct HR competitor but illustrates the broader Australia-based mid-sized recruitment market in which The Next Step competes for talent and employer mindshare.

Broad incumbents

• Hays Australia: Global recruitment firm with a large Australian footprint across multiple functions including HR. Comparable in the permanent and contract placement space but operates as a generalist, not a specialist HR-only recruiter.
• Robert Half Australia: Global staffing and consulting firm with Australian operations placing HR, finance, and technology professionals. Overlaps with The Next Step in HR contract and permanent placement but is not HR-exclusive.
• Michael Page Australia: Global recruitment group with strong Australian presence placing mid-to-senior professionals across functions including HR. Competes in permanent and contract HR recruitment with broader functional coverage.
• Hudson Global (APAC): Talent solutions firm operating in Australia with recruitment and talent management offerings including HR specialisations. Comparable mid-sized competitor with broader portfolio beyond HR.

Direct peers

• Tandem Partners: Australian HR advisory and search firm providing HR consulting, executive search, and capability development. Closest direct peer in HR-only specialisation with a similar dual recruitment + advisory model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-next-step
• Xx.com/thenext_gen
• Facebookfacebook.com/thenextstephumanresources

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Next Step