What The Safe Step does

The Safe Step is an Australian specialist recruitment and search consultancy dedicated exclusively to the Health, Safety, Environment and Wellbeing (HSE) sector. Founded in 2012 and operating under The Next Group corporate umbrella alongside its sister brand The Next Step (an HR recruitment firm), the company maintains a four-office national footprint across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, with extended reach into New Zealand. Its core customer base is enterprise and mid-market employers across mining, construction, infrastructure, retail, healthcare, defense, energy, and government who require permanent hires, executive search, interim executives, and contract HSE professionals.

The company delivers its services through a combination of consultant-led direct sales and self-serve digital channels. Its underlying technology stack includes a web-based job board, candidate management portal, contractor portal, and client-facing vacancy submission forms, augmented by third-party integrations with Employment Hero (HR/payroll), SHL (exclusive custom-built HR Capability Assessment), Astute Payroll (timesheets), and Hro2 Research (market data). It holds AIHS Silver membership and offers the AIHS-accredited HSE Amplify: Future Safety Leader workshop, providing a content/training layer beyond transactional recruitment.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees: percentage-of-remuneration placement fees for permanent and contract hires (18% of annual remuneration + GST for fixed-term contractors, 25% for interim executives, with disclosed minimums of $5,000 and $7,500 respectively), executive search retainers, strategic advisory consulting engagements, and capability development training programme fees. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed for permanent and executive search mandates. Go-to-market is sales-led via specialist consultants, supplemented by content marketing, industry events, webinars, and a national newsletter distributed through the company website.

Name

The Safe Step

Legal name

The Safe Step

Website

https://thesafestep.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Safe Step is an Australian specialist recruitment and search consultancy exclusively focused on the Health, Safety, Environment and Wellbeing sector, placing permanent, contract, interim, and executive HSE talent for enterprise employers across Australia and New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Permanent HSE Recruitment: Placement fees for permanent HSE hires, including guidance on contemporary HSE practices, salary advice, role profiling, and HSE structure design.
2. HSE Contracting/Temporary Recruitment: Timesheet contractors employed by The Safe Step charged at hourly/daily rates. Fixed term contractors employed directly by clients. Includes 'pay as you go' and fixed term contracting options.
3. HSE Executive Search: Senior executive placement services including succession planning, leadership coaching, extensive onboarding and after-care support for GM of HSEQ, Head of Safety, and C-suite HSE roles.
4. HSE Consulting & Advisory: Strategic safety advisory services including executive coaching, risk management, compliance frameworks, audit programs, and organizational transformation delivered by seasoned HSE executives.
5. HSE Capability Development & Training: AIHS-accredited 'HSE Amplify: Future Safety Leader' workshop and executive coaching services for developing safety professionals and teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Safe Step is Australia's leading dedicated HSE (Health, Safety, Environment and Wellbeing) recruitment and search consultancy. It places permanent, contract and interim HSE professionals across all Australian industries, runs executive search for senior HSEQ roles, and complements placement with strategic safety advisory, AIHS-accredited capability development (including the HSE Amplify Future Safety Leader workshop), and a flexible contractor workforce for short-term HSE needs.

Product overview

The Safe Step operates as an HSE (Health, Safety, Environment and Wellbeing) recruitment and search consultancy specialising exclusively in the Australian workplace safety sector. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected services: HSE Recruitment (permanent and temporary placements), HSE Executive Search (C-suite and senior leadership searches), HSE Strategic Advisory (consulting on safety governance and transformation), HSE Capability Development (including the AIHS-accredited HSE Amplify Future Safety Leader workshop and executive coaching), and HSE Contractors (flexible workforce solutions including pay-as-you-go, fixed-term contractors, consultants, and interim executives). These services are supported by a digital job board platform and contractor portal enabling job seekers and organisations to connect across Australia's HSE sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HSE Recruitment Permanent and temporary HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) recruitment services placing work health and safety professionals across Australian organisations, with guidance on contemporary HSE practices, salary advice, role profiling and HSE structure design.
• HSE Executive Search Executive-level search consultancy for GM of HSEQ, Head of Safety and senior HSE leadership positions with C-suite placement capabilities, including succession planning, extensive onboarding and after-care support.
• HSE Strategic Advisory Strategic safety advisory services partnering with leadership teams to navigate critical safety challenges and transform safety into an organisational performance driver, including executive coaching, risk management, compliance frameworks, audit programmes and organisational transformation.
• HSE Capability Development Safety leadership development programmes including the HSE Amplify Future Safety Leader workshop and executive coaching services for developing safety professionals and teams.
• HSE Contractors Flexible HSE workforce solutions providing pay-as-you-go contractors, fixed term contractors, HSE consultants and interim HSE executives for organisations needing temporary or interim safety expertise.
• HSE Amplify Future Safety Leader Workshop AIHS-accredited one-day workshop designed to accelerate HSE careers, teaching professionals to speak the language of business leadership and align safety initiatives with organisational strategy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31 active job positions and 22 immediately available contractors demonstrate substantial market activity and talent pool

Named customers22 records

Segments3 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.

• The Next StepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within The Next Group. Australia's longest-serving specialist HR recruitment and search consultancy. Brands share national office network and collaborate on integrated people and safety appointments.
• Australian Institute of Health & Safety (AIHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver membership status. AIHS-accredited professional development programs including the HSE Amplify: Future Safety Leader workshop.
• SHLcoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive HR Capability Assessment tool custom-built and benchmarked specifically for The Safe Step's recruitment processes.
• Hro2 ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommission exclusive data from Hro2 Research to keep clients and candidates up to date with the latest HSE job market trends.
• Converge InternationalminorOthersStaff and contractors wellbeing is supported by Employee Assistance Program through Converge.
• The Strategic Step AdvisorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for strategic safety advisory services. Specializes in workforce solutions and organisational design, helping clients think through HR-Safety collaboration and psychosocial risk management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Adecco Australia: Major global staffing firm with Australian presence spanning temporary, permanent, and specialized professional recruitment. Comparable contingent and permanent placement model across enterprise customers.
• Robert Half Australia: Global staffing and recruitment firm with Australian operations covering finance, technology, and select professional roles. Comparable on the recruitment-and-search business model and enterprise customer base.
• Randstad Australia: Global staffing leader with significant Australian operations including industrial, professional, and executive recruitment. Comparable on permanent/contract placement model with broader sector breadth.
• Michael Page Australia: Established international recruitment firm operating across Australia with white-collar professional placements including HSE-adjacent risk, compliance, and environment roles. Comparable executive-search and permanent-placement capabilities.
• Hays Australia: Large multinational recruitment firm with broad Australian coverage including HSE and EHS specializations. Overlaps with The Safe Step on enterprise HSE mandates but operates as a generalist across many disciplines.
• Hudson Australia: Established Australian recruitment consultancy covering permanent, contract, and executive search across multiple professions including HSE and risk. Comparable model with broader sector coverage.

Regional players

• Allen & York: International specialist recruitment firm with HSE, sustainability, and environment practices serving Australia from APAC hubs. Comparable niche HSE recruitment focus but primarily UK/Europe headquartered.

Direct peers

• The Next Step: Sister brand within The Next Group, operating as Australia's longest-serving HR recruitment and search consultancy. Directly comparable specialist recruitment model — same parent, same office network, complementary HR focus versus The Safe Step's HSE focus.
• Safety People: Australian HSE-focused recruitment firm placing workplace health and safety professionals across permanent and contract roles. Direct competitor in the same niche HSE talent market.

Emerging players

• The Strategic Step Advisory: Australian advisory firm specializing in workforce solutions, organizational design, and HR-Safety collaboration — including psychosocial risk management. Referral partner of The Safe Step, operating in adjacent HSE consulting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheSafeStepHSE

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Safe Step