HR Gurus

What HR Gurus does

HR Gurus Pty Ltd is an Australian HR consulting firm headquartered at Level 14, 330 Collins Street, Melbourne, that has provided outsourced human resources services to Australian small and medium enterprises since its founding in 2010. The company delivers a portfolio of professional services — outsourced HR retainers (Virtual HR Manager model), hourly and project-based consulting, HR compliance audits, recruitment support including psychometric pre-employment testing (ERI), leadership development, HR skills training, enterprise bargaining, and workforce planning — alongside a self-serve online shop selling downloadable HR policy templates, recruitment documents, letters, forms, and employment contracts, and a Membership subscription product. Pricing is tiered by client headcount, with monthly retainers ranging from approximately A$1,000 (10–25 staff) to A$3,000 (51–100 staff), plus fractional and hourly consulting at A$200–A$400 per hour.

The company operates as a pure human-advisory practice with no proprietary software platform; its stated differentiator is a '6 Factors of HR' consulting framework and a 'no BS' straight-talking service style, supported by a 100+ article blog and downloadable lead magnets that drive organic SEO traffic. The leadership team comprises founder and Director Emily Jaksch (Head Guru & HR Strategist, 15+ years' experience), Managing Partner Jessy Warn (M.Com HRM, 15+ years, promoted from founding-era employee in 2026), and Shelley Martin (HR & Recruitment Guru, 13+ years). HR Gurus claims to have supported over 500 Australian SMEs and positions itself against larger competitors by serving businesses 'too small to warrant a full-time HR person,' with primary customer segments being Australian start-ups, SMBs, and professional services firms in the 10–100 employee range.

The business is privately held, bootstrapped, and operates with 1–10 employees, distributing services entirely through direct channels — phone (1300 959 560), email, and the company website — with services delivered remotely across Australia and in-person consultations available in Melbourne. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no patents, no partnerships, and no certifications; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

HR Gurus

Legal name

HR Gurus Pty Ltd

Website

https://hrgurus.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HR Gurus is an Australian HR consulting firm headquartered in Melbourne that provides outsourced HR services, compliance audits, recruitment support, and leadership development to over 500 small and medium enterprises across Australia via monthly retainers and hourly advisory engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Employment Services (5613), Professional Employer Organizations (561330)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive HRO (Multi-Process HR Outsourcing) (BPACAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

HR Service Delivery & Employee Contact Centers (HR Helpdesk) (BPACAKAI), Employee Lifecycle Transactions (Transfers, Promotions, Job Changes) (BPAAAIAE), HR Operations Administration (HRIS Admin, Records, Employee Data Mgmt) (BPACAKAC), HR Service Delivery, Shared Services & HR Operating Model Advisory (BPACAJAE)

Keywords

• HR consulting services
• Outsourced HR support
• HR compliance audits
• Recruitment support
• Leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Outsourced HR Retainers: Ongoing retainer arrangements providing businesses with a dedicated virtual HR manager and access to a team of specialists. Retainers are offered at different tiers based on staff headcount (10-25 staff, 26-50 staff, 51-100 staff). This is the primary recurring revenue stream, offering unlimited phone and email advice, contract template reviews, policy development, and ongoing compliance monitoring.
2. Consulting and Advisory (Hourly/Project-Based): Hourly consulting engagements for specific HR issues such as underperforming employees, misconduct investigations, terminations, redundancies, workplace disputes, and workforce planning. Also offered as fractional consulting retainers (10-30 hours per month) for businesses needing flexible expert advice on demand.
3. HR Compliance Audits: Project-based HR audit engagements reviewing contracts, policies, and HR systems to identify compliance gaps and provide a remediation roadmap. Positioned as a standalone service that can convert clients to ongoing retainer relationships.
4. Recruitment Support Services: Structured recruitment process support from role design through to onboarding, including pre-employment testing services such as the Employee Reliability Inventory (ERI) at $110 per candidate. Recruitment support is offered both as a standalone service and as part of broader outsourced HR retainers.
5. HR Templates and Products Shop: Online shop selling downloadable HR policy templates, recruitment documents, employment letters and forms, and employment contracts. Products are organized by category including Policies, Recruitment, Letters & Forms, and Contracts. Free redundancy guide also offered as a lead magnet.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HR Gurus delivers outsourced HR services for Australian SMEs that lack internal HR resources, providing a Virtual HR Manager model supported by ongoing retainer subscriptions. Offerings include HR consulting, compliance audits under the Fair Work Act, recruitment support (including ERI pre-employment testing), leadership development, HR template products, and a membership subscription. Services are human-led consulting delivered by expert practitioners rather than a software platform.

Product overview

HR Gurus is an Australian HR consulting firm offering a portfolio of professional services rather than a unified software platform. The core offering consists of outsourced HR services (Virtual HR Manager), HR consulting and advisory, compliance audits, recruitment support, and leadership development. These are complemented by a membership subscription model, an HR Stress Test assessment quiz, and an online template shop offering policies, recruitment materials, letters, forms, and employment contracts. The services are designed primarily for Australian SMEs who lack internal HR resources, providing practical compliance-focused support under the Fair Work Act framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outsourced HR Services Provides businesses without internal HR with access to an experienced Virtual HR Manager who works alongside leadership teams on employee relations, performance management, workplace investigations, contracts and policies, Fair Work compliance, and difficult staff conversations. Delivered as ongoing retainer subscriptions for SMEs with 10-100 staff.
• HR Consulting and Advisory Provides straight answers and guidance on situations including underperforming employees, misconduct investigations, termination of employment, redundancy processes, workplace disputes, and workforce planning. Delivered hourly or via fractional retainers (10-30 hours per month).
• HR Compliance Audits Reviews of contracts, policies and systems to identify compliance gaps before they become problems, providing a clear remediation roadmap. Delivered as project-based engagements that often convert to ongoing retainer relationships.
• Recruitment and Hiring Support Structured recruitment processes from role design through to onboarding to help businesses improve hiring decisions. Includes ERI pre-employment psychometric testing at $110 per candidate.
• Leadership Development Capability building for business owners and managers in performance conversations, setting clear expectations, accountability, conflict management, and giving constructive feedback.
• Enterprise Agreements Assistance with enterprise bargaining agreements and negotiations for employers dealing with unionised workforces.
• HR Templates and Products Shop Online shop selling downloadable HR policy templates, recruitment documents, employment letters and forms, and employment contracts. Products are organised by category including Policies, Recruitment, Letters & Forms, and Contracts.
• HR Membership Subscription-based access to ongoing HR support and resources for businesses needing continuous HR assistance without the full retainer commitment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 Australian SMEs supported with HR services
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Employment Hero: Australian HRIS, payroll, and employee benefits platform targeting SMEs with bundled compliance tools. Directly competes for the same Australian SME HR budget but leads with technology rather than human advisory; relevant because it represents the most credible tech-based threat to HR Gurus' retainer model.
• ELMO Software: Australia/NZ-based HR, payroll, and learning management SaaS provider serving mid-market employers. Overlaps with HR Gurus in the HR operations and compliance category but addresses it through integrated software rather than outsourced practitioners.
• Mercer (Australia): Global consulting firm (Marsh McLennan) providing HR consulting, talent, rewards, and workforce strategy across Australia. Represents the large incumbent flank against which HR Gurus positions its SME-specialist, jargon-free approach.
• Hays (Australia): Global recruitment and HR services firm with significant Australian operations covering permanent placement, temporary staffing, and HR advisory. Comparable on the recruitment support service line HR Gurus offers to SMEs.

Emerging players

• FoundU: Australian HR and payroll technology platform purpose-built for small businesses. Competes in the same SME segment by automating functions HR Gurus currently delivers via consultants; useful comparable for the technology-enabled services model evolving around HR Gurus' niche.
• Insync Surveys: Australian HR consultancy offering employee engagement, culture, and HR advisory services to mid-sized organizations. Comparable in business model (professional services firm specializing in HR advisory for non-enterprise clients) and target buyer (Australian mid-market).

Direct peers

• Tandem HR: Australian outsourced HR and people advisory firm providing virtual HR manager, compliance, and recruitment services to SMEs. Most directly comparable business model: retainer-based outsourced HR for Australian businesses too small to staff internal HR functions.
• HR Onboard: Australian HR consulting practice providing outsourced HR, employment law advice, and compliance support to small and medium businesses. Operates with a similar retainer/hourly hybrid model and the same Australian SME buyer profile as HR Gurus.
• Stride HR: Australian outsourced HR consultancy offering fractional HR, compliance, and people strategy to growing businesses. Closely mirrors HR Gurus' Virtual HR Manager retainer offering and SMB target segment.

Regional players

• Just Right People: Australian HR consultancy focused on small business HR support, recruitment, and compliance. Comparable SME-only positioning and outsourced service model, with similar reliance on practitioner expertise rather than proprietary technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thehrgurus
• Facebookfacebook.com/hrgurus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hr-gurus-pty-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 HR Gurus