We are here to help.

For businesses and HR professionals

We understand SME and HR professionals – because that’s who we are.

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HR Partner for your business

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Employee Relations & HR Compliance

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DISC assessments & Workshops

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HR Review

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HR Mentoring for HR Professionals

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Leadership mentoring and development

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HR policy and procedure development

End-to-end HR support icon

Recruitment and onboarding support

Practical HR solutions that
strengthen businesses and build capability

  • HR professional working at a Sydney office

At The HR Impact, we deliver practical HR, leadership and people solutions for Australian businesses and HR professionals.

Whether you need ongoing HR support, help navigating complex employee relations issues or structured development for leaders and HR teams, we bring clarity, structure and confidence to your people strategy.

We do not offer generic advice. We tailor our support to your business, your challenges and your goals.

Let’s chat and see how we can help you make an impact.

We work across a wide range of industries. However, we don’t pretend to know your business better than you do. What we bring is deep HR and employee relations expertise alongside the commercial judgement to apply it in your specific context. We take time at the start of every engagement to properly understand how your business operates, what your team looks like, and what actually matters to you. Clients regularly tell us that the practical, grounded advice they get from us is different from what they’ve experienced elsewhere because it’s based on their reality, not a textbook.

If you engage people, you have HR considerations, whether you’re managing them actively or not. Employment law in Australia carries real obligations regardless of business size, and the cost of getting it wrong can be significant. Beyond compliance, the way you manage your people has a direct impact on performance, retention and how your business grows. Many of our clients come to us precisely because they don’t have the size to justify a full-time HR hire, but they do have enough complexity to need proper support. That’s exactly the gap we are designed to fill.

It depends on what you need and how often you need it. Some clients engage us for a specific project with a fixed scope and fee. Others work with us on an hourly rate or ongoing retainer basis where we are available as their HR function whenever issues arise. We work with businesses at different stages and with different budgets, so the starting point is always understanding what’s actually required. Once we have a clear picture of your situation, we’ll put together a proposal that reflects the real scope of the work, not a generic package.

That’s probably the most common thing I hear, and it’s completely understandable. Most businesses don’t come to me with a neatly defined HR problem. They come with a situation that feels uncomfortable, a risk they can’t quite name, or a sense that their people processes aren’t keeping pace with the business. The best starting point is a conversation. We’ll talk through what’s happening in your business, what’s working and what isn’t, and I’ll give you an honest view of where support would make the most difference. There’s no obligation to proceed, and no need to have it all figured out before you reach out.

You’ll work directly with me, Nicole Howe, in every engagement, supported by another HR Consultant when deemed necessary. The HR Impact is a founder-led practice, which means there’s no handoff to a junior consultant or a different team member once you’ve signed on. The person you speak to in your first conversation is the person who will be across your business, your people and your situation throughout. That’s a deliberate choice, not a limitation — it’s what allows me to give you genuinely consistent, commercially grounded support.

No. We work with clients in different ways depending on what suits them best. Some engagements are project-based with a clear start and end point. Others are ongoing, but structured around genuine need rather than a rigid minimum term. The goal is to give you the right level of support for where your business is right now, with the flexibility to scale up or step back as things change. I’d rather build a relationship that earns your continued engagement than lock you into something that doesn’t serve you.

Why work with us?

We combine strong employee relations expertise,
commercial understanding and leadership capability development.

We are:

Relationship driven – we genuinely care about the success of you and your team. This shows up in every interaction we have.

Calm in complex situations – we show up when you need us with clarity, expert advice and resources to support. Think of us as a trusted pair of hands you know you can rely on.

Experienced HR professionals – we have years of experience working in house HR and in a consulting capacity. We know you rely on our advice and we ensure to back it up with evidence and best practice. We have a significant focus on professional development and are always expanding our knowledge, resources and HR insight.

Accountable, transparent and outcome orientated – we have clear delivery plans and report on our progress. You receive a detailed report of all activity each month, showing exactly what has been delivered within the allocated timeframe.

Our goal is simple. Help you make confident people decisions and build stronger teams.

OUR IMPACT

The HR Impact has been an incredible support, and Nicole in particular has been outstanding. Her in-depth recruitment knowledge, fast turnaround, and thoughtful approach make her a true asset to their team. We’re genuinely grateful for the expertise and assistance The HR Impact has provided.

– Sarah Johnstone