Last updated: 09th Dec 2025
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Job hunting is no one’s idea of a good time. That’s why, when you’re ready to change jobs, it might seem smart to reach out to recruitment agencies and executive search firms.
In reality? They:
- Will ignore your emails until you fit a role they’ve got on their books.
- May be squirrelly on details about the pay and job conditions.
- Shall insist you submit your resume in Word format.
The ball’s always in their court.
So why bother signing up with recruitment firms?
- It’s free – and having more irons in the fire can’t hurt.
- Some roles are only available through specific recruiters.
- Their insights can improve your negotiating power.
It’s worth improving your understanding of how recruiters work and which are the best Australian recruitment agencies to approach.
What Jobseekers Need To Know About Recruitment Agencies.
The #1 thing you must know about recruitment agencies is-
They don’t all work the same way.
Recruitment agencies usually focus on either contingency recruiting or retained executive search.
Some of Australia’s largest firms will have arms for both.
- Contingency hiring focuses on roles at all levels. The recruiter only gets paid a fee/commission if they secure the person an employer goes on to hire.
- Executive search agencies are paid a retainer/consulting fee up front. They map the market, head-hunt, then assess and engage potential candidates for senior roles.
Your typical recruitment agency takes on a large number of searches at once and prioritises speed and efficiency — because they only get paid for their wins.
And often they’re competing with other firms the employer has also engaged.
But as the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants points out, executive search consultants may only take on a few, exclusive searches a year and-
That brings us to the #2 thing you need to acknowledge about recruiters to stay sane during your job search.
Reaching out to them is usually a waste of your time.
That’s not to say recruiters are rude and unfeeling.
Most recruiters get a thrill out of placing great people into positions that help them grow their careers.
But you are not their customer.
- Executive search recruiters help employers target hard-to-get people, who aren’t necessarily browsing job boards. Their efforts centre on vetting and persuading top talent they’ve identified, who are often happily employed.
- Generalist recruiters do want to hear from active jobseekers, because they’re keen to build a large talent pool to draw from in future. But they don’t have time to individually nurture everyone that signs up to their database.
If you happen to attract the undivided attention of a recruiter, do what you can to make it count: be quick to respond and be prepared to sell yourself.
But don’t invest significant time chasing down recruiters. It shouldn’t be a core pillar of your job search strategy.
6 Best Generalist Recruitment Firms In Australia.
The quality of an agency is hard to gauge.
Your experience will almost entirely hinge on the dedication and interest shown by the particular recruitment consultant you engage with.
Working with recruiters is basically only worthwhile because they have reach that you don’t.
This is why some of the best recruitment agencies in Australia have significant market share – by virtue of the fact they’re placing more roles across more locations.
For ‘regular’ professional and management roles, consider contacting one of the top six firms we’ve identified below.
1. Hays
Website: https://www.hays.com.au/
Hays is a global firm that’s seen as a market leader for both skilled trades and professional roles that run the full spectrum of experience levels.
In Australia, their footprint is impressive.
They’ve got offices in all the capital cities, and a strong presence across regional Queensland, NSW and Victoria as well.
That makes them a highly accessible recruiter with robust employer networks.
Hays places hundreds of thousands of people into permanent and temporary roles yearly.
Did You Know?
While it doesn’t speak to the individual care you’ll receive, the firm also offers valuable resources for jobseekers, including a salary checker, salary benchmarking guide, free online learning, and career and industry advice.
2. Michael Page
Website: https://www.michaelpage.com.au/
Michael Page started in London in the 1970s before expanding globally across 36 countries.
It launched an office in Australia in 1996, and has a strong reputation among employers for recruiting roles from mid-management through to C-suite executives.
Its consultants tend to have good levels of prior industry experience (and networks).
If you’re vying for high-level finance roles, it’s comforting to be working with a former finance professional.
Important!
Industry depth is another reason Michael Page stands out – it has recruitment experience across almost every professional, technical, industrial, manual and consumer-focused industry.
3. Robert Half
Website: https://www.roberthalf.com/au/en
Another global firm known for its professional approach to recruitment, Robert Half has offices in Australia’s major capital cities.
Founded in New York way back in 1948, Robert Half is now a massive corporation that’s been widely lauded for its innovation and being a great employer.
It helps Australian employers hire from entry-level to the C-suite across contract and permanent roles, but it’s squarely focused on professional fields.
Expert Tip.
If you’re looking for leadership roles in the accounting, finance or technology sectors, Robert Half is considered one of the most knowledgable and well-connected recruitment agencies.
4. Chandler Macleod
Website: https://www.chandlermacleod.com/
Founded in Australia in the 1950s, Chandler Macleod is one of Australasia’s largest recruiters.
It’s represented in Australia’s major city centres, but also has multiple regional office locations across New South Wales and Victoria.
Expert Tip.
The firm draws heavily on psychometric and skills-based assessments to find best-fit candidates, and primarily recruits across these sectors: accounting and finance, energy and renewables, all levels of government, and mining and resources.
5. Manpower
Website: https://www.manpower.com.au/
A global powerhouse, Manpower has offices around the world and boasts that it puts over one million people into jobs every year.
Within Australia, its national presence and well-resourced team means it’s got deep market insights and employer relationships across multiple industries.
Important!
Manpower offers both staffing solutions and recruitment. Its key sectors include accounting, finance, corporate services, industrial and technical, sales and marketing, and health, safety and environment.
6. Programmed
Website: https://www.jobs.programmed.com.au/
Australian-based Programmed provides both recruitment and labour hire services, largely into industrial, transport, trades, mining, energy, farming, government and engineering industries.
The company has been shortlisted in the category of ‘Large Recruitment Agency of the Year’ at the SEEK Annual Recruitment Awards (SARA) for the past four events (and it won the award in 2023).
Did You Know?
Programmed fills over 30,000 jobs annually. It’s a longstanding company that’s been around since the 1950s.
Which Smaller Recruitment Agencies Are Worth Using?
There are thousands of generalist recruiters beyond the big names that may be worth your time. Agencies including Haylo People, u&u, people2people, and WorkPac get an honourable mention.
Smaller firms can also be great, especially if they focus on your specific part of the country or your niche industry/profession.
For instance:
- For creatives, marketers and digital design jobs, some popular agencies include Become and Aquent.
- For IT, coding and tech professionals some good options include Paxus, Talenza and Clicks IT Recruitment.
- For HR, training and work health and safety pros, some recognised agencies include The Next Step, Civitas Talent, and Sundstrom Recruitment.
5 Best Retained Executive Search Firms In Australia.
You can expect a more personalised experience if you’re tapped on the shoulder by a head hunting firm. But the bar to impress executive search consultants is also higher.
If you’re a senior executive, it’s worth understanding the key players in the executive search market.
There are five market leaders, collectively referred to as SHREK firms: Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Egon Zehnder, Korn Ferry, and Russell Reynolds.
1. Spencer Stuart
Website: https://www.spencerstuart.com/
Spencer Stuart has over 60 locations in more than 30 countries.
Its Australian presence includes Sydney and Melbourne branches.
The firm has a range of proprietary techniques and tools it uses to build a comprehensive picture of candidates for high-level roles in industries including tech, finance, consumer, education, healthcare, industrial and more.
The local consulting team is led by Samantha Marks, who’s an expert in CEO succession and leadership development, with a background in financial services and professional services.
2. Heidrick & Struggles
Website: https://www.heidrick.com/en
A global executive search and leadership consulting firm, Heidrick’s Australian operations includes offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Some core industries they recruit in include healthcare, technology, consumer markets, industrial and financial services.
As you might expect, its Perth chapter has a particular emphasis on recruiting for the energy, natural resources, mining and infrastructure sectors.
3. Egon Zehnder
Website: https://www.egonzehnder.com/
Egon Zehnder has bases in Melbourne and Sydney alongside its impressive global consulting operations, which are headquartered in the US.
Melbourne-based country lead, Fiona McGauchie, is a former lawyer with infrastructure and logistics industry experience.
The firm takes a special interest in connecting companies with talent in situations like the creation of new positions, replacing incumbent leaders and people needed to drive large-scale transformational changes.
4. Korn Ferry
Website: https://www.kornferry.com/au
Korn Ferry takes pride in its proprietary IP designed to collect and analyse data about potential candidates for assessment purposes.
It also actively encourages candidates to register for its ‘candidate community’, which it uses to help identify executive search talent.
The Australian operation of this global firm includes offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Graeme Bricknell heads up the Australian and NZ executive search function, and specialises in placing C-suite roles in the financial services industry as well as key governance roles.
5. Russell Reynolds
Website: https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/
Founded in New York in the late 1960s, Russell Reynolds now spans the globe and claims to take a data-driven approach to executive search.
The firm is particularly focused on helping employers fill roles like CFOs, COOs as well as compliance, HR, growth and sustainability leaders — across industries such as professional services, finance, education, tech, and industrial.
Russell Reynolds’ Australian-based offices can be found in Melbourne and Sydney.
Its country manager is Alistair Macrae, who handles search assignments across all sectors, and was CFO at Fairfax Media earlier in his career.
4. Boutique Executive Search Firms To Be Aware Of.
There are a number of executive search boutique firms in Australia.
They’re usually a great option because many were started by SHREK alumni, but there’s less competition.
That means you’ll have better odds when reaching out to them.
Some firms to consider, include:
- Johnson Partners, an Australian firm founded by Jason Johnson in 2005: https://johnsonpartners.co/
- Future Leadership, which claims a reach of 20% of Australia’s exec talent: https://futureleadership.com.au/
- Cordiner King, an Australian firm founded by Sean Davies, formerly of Egon Zehnder: https://cordinerking.com.au/
- W&Co Search, whose Director Ashley Wilkes won Sourcr’s exec search recruiter of the year: https://wcosearch.com/
Frequently Asked Questions About Working With A Recruiter.
Getting a recruiter’s attention, and keeping it, can feel like a mysterious dark art.
But when you know a bit more about how the industry works, you can direct your efforts where they’ll have the most impact.
Why Do Recruiters Ghost Me After Reaching Out?
While finding the ‘best fit’ for a role definitely guides a recruiter’s work, they’re also in a race to find them. And they cast their nets wide.
Maybe you got a friendly message from a recruiter via LinkedIn asking about a role? Chances are, they sent the same email to 20-30 other people with similar qualifications and experience.
If 10 people responded before you, the recruiter may have enough to keep them busy.
Dealing with a generalist recruiter often feels transactional in nature. Don’t get your hopes up and decide whether to engage while knowing to expect:
- A few annoying hoops to jump through.
- A lack of responsiveness.
- A lack of personalised attention.
- A lack of useful or detailed feedback.
How Do You Get Your Resume Noticed By Recruiters?
Time-poor recruiters need to be able to quickly understand the value you can bring to their clients when they view your resume. That means getting noticed requires:
- A simple, well-structured resume with a modern design that’s easy to skim.
- Strong, specific and substantiated examples of your skills and attributes.
For more help to craft an excellent resume, we have a number of guides to explore:
How To Build Relationships With Executive Search Firms?
Former Chairman of executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, Tom Friel, said that building a good relationship with an executive search firm starts with not wasting the recruiter’s time.
Be specific and clear about what you want, be honest about your track record, and speak up if you have reservations about your suitability for a role. Good faith interactions are essential to avoid hard feelings.
He said search consultants may approach senior leaders for recommendations, which is why building a strong network and staying in touch with mentors can be so valuable.
Friel suggested you might even ask a former boss if they know anyone in the search firm world they might be willing to introduce you to.
Do Recruiters Ever Actually Hire From Their Talent Pools?
Yes, recruiters do contact candidates that join their databases. Building a strong pool of talent is valuable to recruitment firms because it gives them a starting point for their search.
For jobseekers, it’s important to manage your expectations. You might submit your resume to multiple recruiters via their online forms, and never hear back — that’s a reality.
But what if you do? Only you can decide if it’s worth your time.
Do Recruiters Take a Cut Of Your Salary?
A recruiter’s fee is generally calculated as a percentage of the hire’s salary — not subtracted from your salary. So, if you’re hired as a team’s new CMO on $200k a year, the fee the recruiter will charge to the client might be 15%, which comes out to $30k.
Even if you enter a contract via a labour hire firm, your agreed hourly rate should be safe from fees. Payroll processing fees would typically be charged back to the client as part of the overall service fee.
Jody
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