What Anova does

Anova (legal entity: ANOVA HR-Consulting GmbH) is a Vienna-based, privately held HR consulting firm founded in October 2008 by Judith and Gerhard Novak. It delivers individualized professional services across six core areas: Recruitment Consulting (executive search and active sourcing with a fixed-price model), Employer Branding & Attractiveness, Interim HR Management, Business Coaching & Career Management, Outplacement/Trennungsmanagement, and Potential Analysis. Its primary customer base is small and medium-sized enterprises (KMU) in Austria, alongside selective exposure to Central/Eastern and Southeast European markets, plus individual career-coaching clients.

The firm's technical differentiation rests on two scientifically-validated diagnostic instruments: MPA (Master Person Analysis / MPA-Metis), which produces personality profiles by contrasting self-perception with external perception to reveal leadership, sales potential, and developmental needs; and EASI, a management and development tool grounded in Costa & McCrae's Five-Factor Model. These instruments are deployed in selection processes, coaching engagements, talent management, and organizational development, and they underpin the firm's claim of providing 'Perfect Fit' candidate matching.

Commercially, Anova operates a direct, sales-led professional services model with no channel intermediaries. Recruitment mandates are billed via the ANOVA_Fixpreismodell (salary-independent fixed fees) backed by a 6-month replacement guarantee, while HCM engagements are structured as project-based or fixed-term arrangements. GTM emphasizes exclusive, non-parallel consulting assignments and long-term 'strategic partnership' positioning rather than transactional recruitment. The firm maintains GDPR-compliant data practices, holds memberships in the WKO HR Experts Group (since 2016) and the WKW consultant pool (since 2017), and was independently ranked Top 3 in Austria's Human Capital category by Industriemagazin in June 2022.

Name

Anova

Legal name

ANOVA HR-Consulting GmbH

Website

https://anova.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Anova is a Vienna-based HR consulting firm (ANOVA HR-Consulting GmbH), founded in 2008, serving Austrian and CEE-SEE SMEs with recruitment, employer branding, interim HR management, coaching, outplacement, and potential analysis using proprietary MPA and EASI diagnostic tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Executive Search Services (561312), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Human Capital & Workforce Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

People Analytics, Assessment & Psychometrics Consulting (BPAHAGAH), Recruitment Marketing & Employer Branding for RPO (BPACABAL), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• HR consulting
• Outplacement services
• Employer branding
• Career coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Recruitment Consulting: Executive search and active sourcing services for finding 'Perfect Fit' candidates. The company uses a fix-price model rather than salary-dependent fees, providing transparent and predictable costs for clients.
2. Human Capital Management: Comprehensive HR outsourcing services for SMEs, delivered as an external partner on project basis or fixed time arrangement. Services can be project-based with defined deliverables or on temporary/indefinite time basis.
3. Business Coaching & Career Management: Individual coaching, mentoring, and career management services for companies and private individuals facing professional changes or development needs.
4. Outplacement & Trennungsmanagement: Professional outplacement programs for employees being laid off, including career reorientation support, job search assistance, and coaching services.
5. Employer Branding & Attractiveness: Strategic consulting to help companies develop and strengthen their employer brand, create Employer Value Proposition (EVP), and increase attractiveness to potential candidates.
6. Potential Analysis / Eignungsdiagnostik: Scientific diagnostic tools (MPA, EASI) used in selection processes, coaching, talent management, and organizational development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Anova is an HR consulting firm providing individually designed professional services across six core areas: Recruitment Consulting (executive search and active sourcing for the 'Perfect Fit'), Business Coaching & Career Management, Human Capital Management (outsourced HR support for SMEs), Potential Analysis using scientifically validated diagnostic tools, Outplacement and separation management, and Employer Branding. Services are delivered by senior consultants on a fixed-price, exclusive-assignment basis to companies and selected private individuals.

Product overview

ANOVA is a Human Resources Consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of six core HR consulting services: Recruitment Consulting (Direct Search/Headhunting with MPA-Metis diagnostic tools), Business Coaching & Karrieremanagement (including sub-services: Business Coaching, Career Management, and Mentoring), Human Capital Management (outsourced HR department for SMEs), Potenzialanalyse (using MPA and EASI diagnostic tools), Outplacement/Trennung fair gestalten, and Employer Branding & Attractiveness. The company positions itself as a 'partnering strategist' in Human Resources Management, providing individualized professional consulting services that combine scientifically-based diagnostic tools with traditional consulting approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment Consulting Executive search and active sourcing service focused on finding the 'Perfect Fit' through Direct Search / Headhunting, combining job posting, database searches, and social media sourcing. Delivered as exclusive assignments with a minimum 6-month replacement guarantee and use of MPA-Metis diagnostics. Target buyers are companies seeking qualified candidates for sales, technology, R&D, administration, and management roles.
• Business Coaching & Karrieremanagement Coaching, mentoring and career management service offering individual and team coaching for personal and professional development, career transitions, conscious or involuntary reorientation, goal and potential identification, and authentic self-marketing. Includes sub-services: Business Coaching, Karrieremanagement, and Mentoring. Offered to both companies and private individuals.
• Human Capital Management (Interim HR Management) Comprehensive HR outsourcing services for SMEs, acting as an external partner on a project basis or fixed-time arrangement. Includes consulting, process optimization, administrative services, and interim HR management to bridge vacancies during parental leave, illness-related absences, or sudden departures.
• Potenzialanalyse (Potential Analysis) Potential analysis service using scientifically-based diagnostic tools (MPA-Metis Master Person Analysis and EASI Management and Development Tool) for reflection and development of individuals and organizations. Applied in selection processes, coaching, talent management, and organizational development to reveal personality, leadership and sales potential, strengths, and development steps.
• Outplacement & Trennungsmanagement Outplacement programs providing professional support for career reorientation, including separation management designed to handle layoffs responsibly for executives, specialists, and skilled workers. Includes career reorientation, job search assistance, and coaching services.
• Employer Branding & Attractiveness Strategic consulting to help companies analyze, develop, and strengthen their employer brand identity, create an Employer Value Proposition (EVP), and increase attractiveness to potential candidates as part of the 'War for Talents' talent competition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Candidates presented within 4-10 weeks for recruitment projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• WKW Unternehmensberatung BeraterpoolminorOthers · 1 January 2017Consultant pool of the Vienna Economic Chamber (WKW) business consulting section. Gerhard Novak has been a member since 2017, providing access to broader consulting opportunities and official recognition.
• HR Experts Group (WKO Wien)minorOthers · 1 January 2016Professional membership group within the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO Wien). Membership provides networking opportunities and credibility within the Austrian HR consulting industry. Gerhard Novak has been a member since 2016.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hays: Global recruitment and workforce solutions firm with strong DACH and CEE presence. Overlaps with ANOVA on recruitment consulting and talent acquisition for SMEs and mid-market.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, talent management, and HR advisory. Comparable on potential analysis and HR consulting dimensions, but with vastly broader scale and proprietary assessment IP.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Overlaps with ANOVA on senior-level executive search and leadership potential assessment, but operates at much larger global scale.
• Robert Half: Global staffing and consulting firm providing placement and HR solutions. Overlaps with ANOVA on recruitment consulting and HR outsourcing for SMEs and mid-sized enterprises.
• Michael Page: Global specialist recruitment firm operating across DACH and CEE. Comparable on direct search and SME/mid-market recruitment consulting, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Iventa: Austrian HR consulting firm offering executive search, recruiting, and HR services to SMEs and enterprises across CEE. Closest geographic and service-line competitor to ANOVA in the Austrian market.
• Pedersen & Partners: Executive search firm focused on Central & Eastern Europe with offices across CEE-SEE. Directly comparable on geographic focus and on executive search/direct search positioning.
• Kienbaum: European HR and management consulting firm with Austrian presence providing executive search, HR transformation, and leadership advisory. Comparable in human capital consulting scope and senior-level clientele.
• LHH (Lee Hecht Harrison): Global outplacement, career transition, and talent development firm. Directly comparable to ANOVA's outplacement, coaching, and career management service lines at much larger global scale.

Emerging players

• Cobalt Recruitment: International recruitment firm with European presence focused on real estate, construction, and professional services. Comparable boutique-style direct search model, though serving different verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/anovahrconsulting

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Anova