Realise HR
Realise HR is a privately held UK-based HR, Recruitment and Training consultancy serving SMEs via subscription retainers and large organisations via project consultancy, operating across the UK, France and Spain with a team of approximately 10-15.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCarlisle, England, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Realise HR does
Realise HR is a privately held, multi-award-winning HR, Recruitment and Training consultancy headquartered in Carlisle, Cumbria, United Kingdom, founded in 2016 by Claire McLean. The company operates across the UK, France and Spain, serving both SMEs and large organisations. Its core offerings are organised into four service lines: HR Consultancy for large organisations (change and transformation, D&I strategy, HR function reviews, HR analytics, employment disputes), HR managed services for small businesses (outsourced retainer packages from £89+vat/month with Breathe HR cloud HR software add-ons), boutique executive and management-level recruitment across corporate functions and operations (HR, Finance, IT/Digital, Health & Safety, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Hospitality), and Training Services including ILM-approved People Management courses, leadership development, team workshops and Insights Discovery personality profiling delivered by licensed practitioners. The technology stack is partner-led rather than proprietary: Realise HR is a Platinum/Gold partner of Breathe HR (a UK SME-focused HRIS) and licenses Insights Discovery (a four-colour personality model), using both as delivery tools rather than developing them in-house.
The commercial model blends low-ACV recurring SME revenue with episodic higher-value enterprise projects. SME clients buy Package 1 (£89+vat/month) or Package 2 (£289+vat/month) retainer contracts on 2-year terms, typically adding Breathe HR software for £219-£499+vat/month depending on headcount. Enterprise clients are engaged through dedicated consultants and partners on project-based consultancy, executive search and training programmes. Distribution is sales-led: a free 15-minute consultation (by phone or email) anchors inbound conversion, supported by content marketing (blog, free Document Portal), organic social media, networking events, and PR/awards activity. Named enterprise clients include AO, Morgan Sindall Construction, Lloyds Pharmacy Clinical Homecare, Cundall, COMS Engineering, James Cropper, Blue Triangle and Nichols PLC, spanning construction, healthcare, engineering, retail, beverage, nuclear-regulated and social care sectors.
In March 2026, Realise HR joined Stephenson Capital, the business group led by entrepreneur Neil Stephenson, to fund expansion across the North of England and Scotland. The founder-led operating model is preserved, with Claire McLean remaining as CEO and the team expanding through 2026 hires in consultancy, business support and a newly created Customer Success Partner function. The team is small (~10-15 employees) but carries over 150 years of combined HR, Recruitment and Training experience, and has won HR Consultancy of the Year at the British HR Awards in 2024 and 2025, with the founder ranked No.11 on HR Magazine's HR Most Influential List 2026.
Realise HR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Realise HR
- Legal name
- Realise HR
- Website
- https://realisehr.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Realise HR is a privately held UK-based HR, Recruitment and Training consultancy serving SMEs via subscription retainers and large organisations via project consultancy, operating across the UK, France and Spain with a team of approximately 10-15.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Realise HR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- HR Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), 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, Shared Services & HR Operating Model Advisory (BPACAJAE), HR Strategy & Operating Model Design (BPACAJAA)
Keywords
Where Realise HR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carlisle, England
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Realise HR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- HR Retainer & Managed Services: Monthly retainer contracts for ongoing HR support. Package 1 is priced from £89+vat/month for small businesses (includes HR audit, contract templates, 5 policy templates, 12 hours of HR advice). Package 2 is from £289+vat/month (includes 36 hours of advice, bespoke contracts, 10 bespoke policies, 4 lunch & learns per year, 6 check-ins per year). Both packages can include Breathe HR software at additional cost. Retainer contracts are typically 2 years with notice at 1 year.
- HR Consultancy Projects: Project-based consultancy for large organisations covering change & transformation, D&I strategy, HR function reviews, analytics dashboards, employment disputes, and executive recruitment. Billed as one-off engagements or additional hours beyond retainer allocations.
- HR Software Resale: Resale and implementation of Breathe HR software to SME clients. Breathe HR is offered as an add-on to retainer packages: free for organisations up to 4 people, £219+vat/month for 5–20 employees (Package 1), and £499+vat/month for up to 50 employees (Package 2).
- Executive & Permanent Recruitment: Boutique recruitment service placing candidates from management to executive levels within Corporate Functions and Operations (HR, Finance, IT/Digital, Health & Safety, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Hospitality). A 7-step process from strategy session to feedback, including headhunting and market intelligence.
- Training & Development Programmes: Bespoke leadership and management training programmes, ILM 5 approved People Management courses, team development workshops, individual coaching, and soft skills training. Both online and face-to-face delivery, with public courses and calendar-based cohorts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Package 1 - from £89+vat/month (without software) or £219+vat/month (with Breathe HR, 5-20 employees) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Package 2 - from £289+vat/month (without software) or £499+vat/month (with Breathe HR, up to 50 employees) |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-as-you-go HR advice |
| Subscription | Monthly | Breathe HR Software standalone |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Realise HR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Realise HR provides outsourced HR consultancy, recruitment and training services to businesses across the UK, France and Spain. Offerings span strategic HR advisory for larger organisations, retainer-based HR packages for small businesses, executive and permanent recruitment, and tailored training programmes, supplemented by Breathe HR software resale as a Platinum/Gold partner.
Product overview
Realise HR is a multi-award-winning HR, Recruitment and Training Consultancy offering a portfolio of interconnected services. Its core offerings comprise HR Consultancy Services (for large organisations), HR for Small Businesses (retainer packages and pay-as-you-go), Recruitment Services (boutique agency for management to executive roles), and Training Services (leadership development, team building, and Insights Discovery profiling). The portfolio is supplemented by Breathe HR Software resold as a Platinum/Gold Partner (an add-on for managing HR administration), a free Document Portal of downloadable HR guides, and the Realise Forest sustainability initiative. The Small Business HR offering is structured around two priced packages (Package 1 at £89+vat/month and Package 2 at £289+vat/month), each optionally bundled with Breathe HR software at additional cost.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Accelerated time-to-hire and reduced vacancy backlog for enterprise recruitment clients
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Realise HR
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Realise HR technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Realise HR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Breathe HRcoreRealise HR is a Platinum/Gold Partner of Breathe HR, a UK-based cloud HR system provider. Realise HR provides Breathe HR software to SME clients from demo through full implementation and training. The system is designed for SMEs up to 250 employees and covers holiday requests, document storage, appraisals, sickness tracking, expenses, HR reporting, vacancy creation, payroll data export, and shift/timesheet management.
- Insights DiscoverycoreRealise HR is a licensed team of Insights Discovery practitioners with over 15 years of experience using this personality profiling tool. The tool uses a four-colour model to help people understand their communication style and strengths, improving team dynamics and leadership effectiveness. Realise HR delivers Insights Discovery programmes as part of their team development and leadership development services.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Realise HR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The HR Dept: The HR Dept is a UK franchise network of HR consultants providing outsourced HR services to SMEs — directly comparable to Realise HR's SME retainer business. Both compete on local/regional presence, retainer pricing, and HR software bundling for the small business segment.
- Cobalt Recruitment: Cobalt is a UK-based boutique recruitment agency placing mid-to-senior talent across corporate functions — closely comparable to Realise HR's boutique executive and management-level recruitment service. Both focus on corporate function and operations roles for enterprise clients.
- Peninsula Group: Peninsula is the largest UK provider of outsourced HR, employment law and health & safety services to SMEs, with retainer-based pricing — directly comparable to Realise HR's SME Package 1/2 model. Both act as the external HR department for small businesses across the UK.
- Croner (Croner-i): Croner provides HR consultancy, employment law advice, and HR software to UK SMEs and larger employers — closely mirroring Realise HR's outsourced HR retainer and advisory offerings. Overlapping client segments and delivery models (retainer + project + software bundle).
Broad incumbents
- Mercer: Mercer is a global HR consulting powerhouse offering HR strategy, transformation, M&A advisory, and benefits consulting — overlapping with Realise HR's enterprise consultancy work but at vastly larger scale and with broader portfolio offerings.
- Aon (Human Capital): Aon's Human Capital practice offers strategic HR consulting, organisational transformation, and workforce analytics — overlapping with Realise HR's enterprise advisory and HR analytics offerings but with global delivery scale and a much wider service portfolio.
- Robert Half (UK): Robert Half's UK operation provides HR recruitment and consulting services — comparable to Realise HR's recruitment division for corporate functions, but operating with broader geographic reach and deeper specialisation in finance/accounting/tech.
- Hays (UK HR): Hays is a global recruitment firm with significant UK HR recruitment capability — comparable to Realise HR's boutique recruitment service in target functions (HR, Finance, etc.) but operating at much larger scale across all career levels.
Others
- Breathe HR: Breathe is the cloud HR software platform that Realise HR resells and implements as a Platinum/Gold Partner. The relationship is symbiotic — Breathe provides the software layer for Realise HR's SME clients, while Realise HR provides implementation and ongoing HR advisory on top.
- Insights Discovery: Insights Discovery is the global personality profiling tool and methodology that Realise HR delivers as licensed practitioners with 15+ years of experience. The relationship is supplier/partner — Realise HR purchases Insights licences and certifications to power its training services.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Realise HR social profiles
Digital presenceRealise HR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Realise HR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Realise HR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Realise HR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Realise HR
What does Realise HR do?
Realise HR provides outsourced HR consultancy, recruitment and training services to businesses across the UK, France and Spain. Offerings span strategic HR advisory for larger organisations, retainer-based HR packages for small businesses, executive and permanent recruitment, and tailored training programmes, supplemented by Breathe HR software resale as a Platinum/Gold partner.
Is Realise HR a public or private company?
Realise HR is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Realise HR founded?
Realise HR was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Realise HR based?
Realise HR is headquartered in Carlisle, England, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Realise HR make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. HR Retainer & Managed Services are the primary driver. The others are HR Consultancy Projects, HR Software Resale, executive & Permanent Recruitment and training & Development Programmes.
Who are Realise HR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The HR Dept, Cobalt Recruitment, Peninsula Group and Croner (Croner-i). Broad incumbents are Mercer, Aon (Human Capital), Robert Half (UK) and Hays (UK HR). Others are Breathe HR and Insights Discovery.
Does Realise HR have an API?
No public API is recorded for Realise HR.
What industry is Realise HR in?
Realise HR's product category is HR Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAKAA, Comprehensive HRO (Multi-Process HR Outsourcing), with a secondary code of BPACAJAE, HR Service Delivery, Shared Services & HR Operating Model Advisory. Its NAICS code is 541612 and its SIC code is 8742.