The People Project

What The People Project does

The People Project is a New Zealand-based outsourced HR and People & Culture consulting firm headquartered in Ponsonby, Auckland. Founded in 2018 by Jaime Gallocher as Eighty Six HR and rebranded to The People Project in 2019, the firm operates as a boutique consultancy serving predominantly New Zealand SMEs along with select enterprise clients across Manufacturing, FMCG, Technology, Financial Services, Legal, Not for Profit, and Public Sector industries. Named clients include InZone Industries, Mayne Wetherell, Apex (formerly MMC), SOPHIE, and PLAN B Technology, though these appear more as featured community references than disclosed enterprise contracts.

The company delivers six interconnected service pillars: Outsourced HR (embedded partner model), Employment Relations Advice, HR Compliance, Change and Restructures, People & Culture, and Learning & Development. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is people-based via a mix of in-person and virtual consulting. The team comprises approximately 9-11 senior consultants and specialists, including dedicated functional leads for People Advisory, Learning & Development, and Employment Law (delivered via a strategic partnership with De Novo Legal). Wellington-region coverage is provided through a partnership with Hive Consulting.

The revenue model blends a recurring subscription/embedded engagement model (ongoing HR partner relationships) with project-based professional services for training, change management, restructures, and compliance work. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging LinkedIn and content marketing for top-of-funnel awareness and direct contact for conversion. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding, no parent company, and operates exclusively in the New Zealand market.

Name

The People Project

Legal name

The People Project Limited

Website

https://thepeopleproject.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The People Project is a New Zealand boutique consultancy that provides outsourced HR, employment relations, compliance, change management, People & Culture, and learning and development services primarily to SMEs across multiple industries, leveraging embedded recurring engagement and a senior consultant-led delivery model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Outplacement Platforms & Virtual Career Transition (BPACAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

HR Service Delivery & Employee Contact Centers (HR Helpdesk) (BPACAKAI)

Keywords

• Outsourced HR services
• HR consulting
• Employment relations advice
• People and culture consulting
• Change management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Outsourced HR Services: Ongoing HR consulting services where the company acts as an embedded partner supporting the full employee experience. Services are delivered through regular onsite presence or on-call remote support, with the ability to flex up or down based on client needs.
2. Learning and Development Training: Practical and engaging skills training delivered in-person, online, or hybrid formats. Training services include leadership skills workshops, coaching, and team building sessions, offered as one-off sessions or longer-term development programmes.
3. Change Management and Restructuring Consulting: Support services for businesses undergoing restructures, redundancies, and organizational change processes. Includes outplacement and career transition support.
4. HR Compliance Services: Policy and process review services, gap analysis, and implementation support for employment legislation compliance. Services include creating tailored employment agreements, policies, and HR documentation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The People Project is a New Zealand outsourced HR and People & Culture consulting firm that acts as an embedded HR partner for businesses. It delivers six service pillars: Outsourced HR (full employee lifecycle support), Employment Relations Advice, HR Compliance, Change and Restructures, People and Culture advisory, and Learning and Development. Services are delivered through a combination of virtual and in-person support to New Zealand SMEs and select enterprise clients.

Product overview

The People Project is an outsourced HR consulting firm providing comprehensive People & Culture consulting services to New Zealand businesses. The company operates as a services-based consultancy rather than a software platform, offering six interconnected service pillars: Outsource d HR (acting as an internal HR partner), Employment Relations Advice, HR Compliance, Change and Restructures, People and Culture, and Learning and Development. Services are delivered through a combination of virtual and in-person support, with both regular onsite presence and on-call remote advisory options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outsourced HR Acts as an internal HR partner for New Zealand businesses, providing comprehensive HR support including day-to-day advice, people strategy development, HR process infrastructure, employment relations, employee support, leadership development coaching, recruitment support, remuneration guidance, and team workshops. Delivered virtually or in-person with flexible engagement models.
• Employment Relations Advice Resolves employment issues quickly and fairly for all parties, including performance-related matters, misconduct and disciplinary matters, conflict resolution, and amicable separations. Designed for New Zealand businesses needing expert employment relations support.
• HR Compliance Reviews existing policies and procedures, conducts gap analyses, and ensures compliance with current New Zealand employment legislation and HR best practice through tailored documentation including employment agreements, policies, and HR documentation.
• Change and Restructures Supports businesses through restructures, redundancies, and change processes including organizational design, strategy and culture transformation, and outplacement services. Tailored for New Zealand businesses undergoing organizational change.
• People and Culture Provides culture health checks, leadership coaching, strategic guidance, talent management, engagement initiatives, and diversity and inclusion advisory services for New Zealand businesses looking to develop their people strategy and workplace culture.
• Learning and Development Elevates team capability and confidence through practical skills training, leadership workshops, coaching, and team building sessions delivered in-person, online, or hybrid formats. Offered as one-off sessions or longer-term development programmes.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• De Novo LegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe People Project partners with Emily Moore from De Novo Legal for employment and commercial law advice. Emily is a strategic legal adviser with over 15 years of experience working with New Zealand and Australian businesses. She provides clear, accessible, and practical legal advice to help clients navigate employment and commercial law matters.
• Hive ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Wellington-based HR consultancy partnership led by Ainsley Benefield. Hive provides cross-regional project support and on-the-ground assistance in Wellington for TPP clients. Ainsley founded Hive with a passion for achieving positive working relationships and brings a legal background paired with HR experience.
• Global Elite SportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partnership announced in January 2024 to support the sports industry with people and culture needs. The collaboration allows TPP to extend their HR expertise to sports organizations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Deel: Global HR and compliance platform for international employment, payroll and contractor management. Overlaps with TPP's employment relations and compliance advisory, particularly for clients with cross-border workforce needs.
• Rippling: US HR/IT/finance platform automating HR, payroll, compliance and people operations for SMBs globally. Represents the technology-enabled competitive threat to traditional HR consultancies like TPP.

Broad incumbents

• TriNet: US-based PEO providing HR outsourcing, employment compliance and people advisory primarily to SMBs. Comparable outsourced-HR business model with much larger scale and broader tech stack.
• Insperity: Large US PEO/HR-outsourcing provider offering bundled HR, compliance, benefits and people solutions. Represents the scaled global version of the same outsourced-HR thesis TPP pursues at boutique level.

Direct peers

• Strategic Pay: NZ HR and remuneration advisory firm offering HR consulting, compensation benchmarking, and people advisory to NZ employers. Directly comparable in market, customer base and service mix.
• LEADR: NZ leadership and coaching firm with overlapping People & Culture and L&D service offerings for SME/mid-market NZ businesses. Competes most directly on leadership development and culture work.
• Tandem HR: Auckland-based HR outsourcing and consulting firm serving NZ SMEs and mid-market clients with similar outsourced HR, employment relations, and people & culture services. Direct competitor in the same geography and customer segment.
• Employsure (NZ): NZ/AU employment relations and workplace compliance specialist providing outsourced HR advice and documentation. Highly comparable on employment relations and HR compliance pillars, with much larger scale.
• Inspire HQ: NZ HR consultancy providing outsourced HR, employment relations, and people strategy to SME clients. Closely comparable boutique offering and customer profile.
• HR Connect: NZ HR outsourcing and advisory provider offering virtual and onsite HR services to SMEs. Comparable service model and target segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thepeopleprojectnz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 People Project