Our story

WATTSNEXT GROUP FOUNDER

Sel Watts, has always been a future thinker.

From inception in 2007, Sel Watts had a very specific idea for wattsnext Group. She wanted to see human resources evolve from being the “personnel department”, largely focusing on policies, procedures, rules and boundaries into something strategic and capable of adapting with technologies and new ways of working.

Over the years Sel, with the support of Ben Watts, has taken wattsnext Group from a homegrown family business to an internationally recognised human resources consultancy.

Together they head their talented team of expert human resource consultants across two continents.

While the core of their business remains offering human resource services to SMEs, Sel has become a specialist in mentoring CEOs and founders to increase engagement and performance in their business.

At wattsnext Group, we invite you to become part of something special and unique. We invite you to join a human resources movement that will not only change the way that you do business, but may also influence the working world.

Our team is here to support you

Everyone at wattsnext Group believes that while start-ups and SME’s don’t need an internal HR person, as a leader your employees do need HR expertise to truly succeed. That is where we come in.

Every one of our clients receives the full breadth and depth of our teams combined expertise. Whether it be our Strategists, HR Consultants, Employment Relations Advisors or Recruitment Experts, every member of our team make your business experience seamless and serviced to take you to the next level.

Our team all work for an SME too so we understand your specific needs, your dreams and your challenges. We have been through every people-related issue that you are going through. We want to share our expertise but also our personal experience on how to build an engaged team that delivers for your business, and trust that some of the wattsnext magic dust will rub off.

The wattsnext Group team pride themselves on redefining contemporary workplaces by collaborating with your business for the long haul.

Our mission

The heart of our business approach is explained best in the wattsnext Group mission. What is that, you ask? Simple. To create great workplaces, because we believe:

people are happier and contribute more to their families, communities and cities if they operate within great workplaces
workplaces differ in their forms of being great – so defining that is an ongoing process
in the positive ripple effect that people employed in great workplaces can have on the world
the more great workplaces we can create through our business experiences, the bigger impact we can have
in every business having the power to shape the world into a smarter, more joyful, more inclusive, and more diverse place for everyone to thrive

Ultimately, wattsnext Group works with clients committed to leaving the world better than when we all arrived! Who isn’t excited about that?

What we've learned about business

wattsnext Group has worked with hundreds of organizations over the past 15 years supporting them to unlock growth and performance of their teams and design great workplaces.

Over this time our Founder Sel (Sue-Ellen) Watts has heard consistently from Leaders and employees that they want:

'As a Leader I want my company to':

have the right people engaged in our journey and we are all heading is the same direction
be structured for achieving client results and growth
have a team of high performing people who are clear on what to do and how to do it

'As an employee I want to work for a company':

that knows where it is going and I understand the vision and choose to be on that journey
that makes sense structurally and allows me to achieve career goals that are unique to my skills and contribution
where I know when I have done a good job
that values and leverages differences in background, experience and thinking

The consistency of this feedback has driven our continued commitment to our field because we want Leaders to create and employees to work, for companies that provide the best people experience.

Meet our
extended family

Sel (Sue-Ellen) Watts

Founder and Global CEO

Ben Watts

CEO, AUSTRALIA

Sarah Shephard

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Tana Thorpe

HR CONSULTANT

Anita Dazzi

HR CONSULTANT

Julio Bray-Formas

HR CONSULTANT

Because managing people requires trust

“Ben Watts is the trusted outsourced HR advisor to Aspen Group, an ASX listed company. He understands my organisation from top to bottom and provides insightful, accurate and timely advice to me and over 100 colleagues. His competitive advantage is a combination of intuition and straight-talk, Ben is essential to the success of our operating model and broader business.”

Joel Cann | CEO @ Aspen Group

“Ben and his team at Watts Next have become our dearly trusted advisers in this space, helping us with HR but much more, being a partner to the partners with support, understanding, strategy, experience and guidance that has made a tangible difference to our leadership and given us greater confidence in key decisions around people and processes. It has been a fruitful and delightful journey so far and one I see lasting indefinitely.””

Scott Oxford | Director @ New Word Order

“Marsh & Partners have been working with wattsnext for 5 years now for ourselves and by referring them to our clients who need HR Services. The team are down to earth and understand the big picture rather than just an issue at a time. They show us how to bring the firm and our team into the current workplace environment. To have a HR team behind you to support you whenever needed.”

Bronwyn Condon | Partner @ Marsh and Partners

“If you are experiencing rapid growth or have an entrepreneurial flare, I suggest contacting the team at wattsnext. Being a small business themselves, they will understand you and their business acumen is second to none.””

Simon Cuff | Managing Director @ MacGear

The most powerful business assets are people

We're here to help you get the most out your human resources.

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Our story