The 5 Best Recruitment Agencies in Canberra to Fill Talent Pools Fast!
Finding the right job or the right person for the job isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Navigating the job market can be tough, especially if you aren’t sure how to start or where to look.
Hiring the right people takes serious time and effort, and it takes a good employment agency to do the job right. But don’t worry, because we looked for the best recruitment agencies in Canberra to fill open roles! Read on!
How much does recruitment cost in Canberra?
Recruitment agencies in Canberra typically charge between 15% and 25% of a permanent candidate’s first-year salary package, while some offer fixed fees of $5,000 to $6,000 per hire.
| Hiring Type | Typical Cost Structure | Market Estimates |
| Permanent Placement (Contingency) | 15% to 25% of total remuneration package | $15,000 to $25,000 for a $100,000 professional role |
| Executive Search (Retained) | 25% to 35% of total package | $45,000+ for senior leadership roles |
| Flat-Fee Recruitment | One-off fixed fee | $5,000 to $6,000 per hire |
| Temporary / Labour Hire | On-costs plus hourly markup margin | $52 to $117+ per hour |
1. Face2Face Recruitment
Website: https://www.f2frecruitment.com.au/
Address: Unit 10, 3-5 Phipps Close, Deakin
Contact: 02 6199 5750 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
If you need a government-focused specialist, Face2Face Recruitment is worth a try. They specialise in placing candidates across Australian Public Service (APS) levels from APS2 to Executive Level 2.
They have deep experience working with over 100 government departments, giving them a strong understanding of the requirements needed in the public sector
I love that candidates never have to pay for consultations or interview coaching here. On top of that, they stay in touch for up to four months after a permanent placement.
They even handle bulk intake programs for large assessment centres and offer free resume assistance to make things easier for job seekers.
However, their strong focus on the public sector is a clear drawback if you need private industry placements. Employers seeking non-government talent might find their core positioning irrelevant.
Unwavering support through life’s challenges
Face2face have been my employer for my labour hire position for the last 15 months ! During that time I have been through many challenges both personally & professionally , I cannot praise or thank f2f enough for the support & understanding they have given me. In particular Loretta has been my rock ! I work with others that have different recruitment agency’s & never receive support or up to date information regarding our roles , those of us with f2f are always the first to know .. I would recommend f2f to anyone needing employment & hope to continue with them for as long as necessary . Thank you
- Sue Thomas, Google Review
Proactive and genuine support every step of the way
I’ve had a great experience with face2face Recruitment, particularly working with Urvish. He has been proactive, responsive, and genuinely supportive throughout my placement — from the initial process through to my recent contract extension. I’d highly recommend them to anyone looking for government or public sector opportunities.
- Vineeth Damodaran, Google Review
2. Hudson
Website: https://au.hudson.com/
Address: Suite 2.05, Level 2/17 Moore St
Contact: 02 8233 2222
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Hudson builds their reputation around strong government and technology coverage in Canberra. They manage to cover specialised tech roles, like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
They provide contract, permanent, and executive recruitment solutions, giving hiring managers excellent options beyond standard full-time placements.
It’s also incredible that they handle volume hiring for organisations needing to fill multiple vacancies at once. They specifically recruit APS-aligned professionals for temporary roles in regulated environments.
To boot, their huge network means they can fill roles across Australia and New Zealand, which is an impressive reach.
But their services are heavily concentrated on professional and specialist roles. You won’t find a broad blue-collar or general labour offering here, which is a disadvantage for some companies.
A friendly, professional step-up for my career
Working with Hudson has been the best experience I have had with a recruitment agency.
Kiara was my consultant and found a role for me that fit my skill-set and was a step-up for my career. During the process she was responsive to my emails and calls, provided advice and regularly kept me updated on its progress. In all of these interactions I found her to be friendly, genuine and professional.
In summary, highly recommended!
- Bryant Evans, Google Review
Phenomenal service and super fast placement
Absolutely phenomenal service. Within days I had an interview and within almost 2 weeks I had a job, and a good one too, which I’m absolutely loving. About 7 weeks in now and so grateful for this service. They also really care which means a lot, not just about finding the right fit but also by way of preparing you for the interview and checking up with you after you’ve started. Amazing service. Extremely efficient. Very highly recommend. (Sara helped me from start to finish and is absolutely spectacular)
- Alec Thomson, Google Review
3. Clicks IT Recruitment
Website: https://clicks.com.au/
Address: Level 9, 224 Bunda Street
Contact: 02 6202 7700 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Clicks IT Recruitment is a sourcing team exclusively trained in all tech areas across Australia. They supply security professionals with the proper clearances for sensitive federal government environments.
Here, candidates and hiring managers enter a dedicated post-placement program run by their Contractor Care team. You can even contact them for contract or permanent positions.
What’s worth highlighting is their diverse recruitment focus, where they assist women, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and indigenous communities to find roles that align with their values.
While we appreciate their expertise in IT recruitment, employers looking for non-tech occupations will find their service scope unsuitable. You’ll need a different agency to hire accounting or administrative staff.
Fantastic communication and attention to detail
Richa and the Clicks team have been fantastic to work with. As a repeat client, I really appreciate their clear, responsive communication. Richa is highly professional with a strong eye for detail, and she consistently provides prompt updates and support throughout the process. She also helped me refine my resume and navigate the documentation requirements smoothly. I highly recommend Richa and Clicks IT.
- An Nguyen, Google Review
A painless process and ultimate professionalism
Working with one of Clicks IT Senior Account Managers – Richa, on a new role which was presented to me by Richa, I have been completely satisfied with both Richa’s & Clicks IT professionalism & efficiency. I am extremely pleased with how proactive they have been & as an IT professional, their online forms and document process has been extremely painless, trouble free and very efficient with consideration to my time constraints. Thank you Richa & Clicks IT, I thoroughly recommend you. Rgds. Anthony.
- Anfony GH, Google Review
4. HOBAN Recruitment
Website: https://www.hoban.com.au/
Address: Level 9, 224 Bunda Street
Contact: 02 6108 3800 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
If you need to scale your workforce quickly, HOBAN Recruitment is worth a look. They have over 60 years of experience working with Australian government organisations, federal and local.
Their Canberra office handles a huge variety of job categories, including allied health and manufacturing. And with 14 offices across Australia, they have an impressively vast reach for city-to-city recruitment.
They even offer fully outsourced recruitment projects and on-site staff management. You can easily choose between permanent or volume hiring models.
The downside is that their broad industry coverage means they lack a narrow professional niche. They aren’t ideal for employers seeking a hyper-specialised boutique agency.
Genuine care and long-term dedication
I’ve had a great experience with Hoban Recruitment, thanks to Amanda, who has been incredibly supportive throughout my job search. From the beginning, she took the time to understand my skills and career goals, providing valuable guidance and encouragement along the way. Her professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine care made the process smooth and stress-free.
Even after securing a role, Amanda continues to check in and offer assistance, showing her dedication to candidates’ long-term success. I truly appreciate her efforts and highly recommend Hoban Recruitment to anyone looking for a reliable and supportive recruitment agency!
- Karmed Beauty, Google Review
A stress-free journey to my dream role
I can’t thank Amanda from Hoban Recruitment enough for her incredible support in helping me secure a position in a corporate Commonwealth entity I have been wanting to work for. From the very beginning, Amanda made the process easy and stress-free.
Amanda not only helped me land a role that I’m proud to be part of, but she also continues to manage all my shifts efficiently, communicate clearly, and is always available if I need assistance. It’s such a relief knowing I can rely on Amanda for ongoing support — it really makes a difference when you’re juggling work and life.
- Louise Eden, Google Review
5. HorizonOne
Website: https://horizonone.com.au/
Address: 29 Torrens Street, Braddon
Contact: 02 6108 4878 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
HorizonOne stands out with a strong focus on Canberra and Australian Government placements. Their expertise covers policy and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
They maintain a community of pre-vetted candidates who might not be actively looking for work, an approach that quickly connects you with hidden talent. They even fill full-time permanent positions and manage temporary labour contracts.
Plus, their Contractor Community Hub provides ongoing resources for people working inside government structures.
However, their specialised focus doesn’t suit general labour hiring needs. They centre their efforts on technical roles rather than entry-level blue-collar positions, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you want to hire warehouse workers.
A perfect match built on heart and soul
What a magnificent experience I have recently had with HorizonOne, specifically Sarah Tamasi, the consultant I dealt with in securing the role I was successful in obtaining.
Sarah’s professional yet approachable and friendly manner put me completely at ease from the word go.
Her thoroughness was always evident along with her obvious endeavour to ensure both client and candidate were perfectly matched.
Nothing was too much trouble for Sarah and she put her heart and soul into the recruitment process the whole way through.
I cannot recommend HorizonOne more strongly to anyone seeking either a staff member or new position.
- Sue, Google Review
Impeccable, lightning-fast recruitment
Liz Strachan from HorizonOne did an incredible job in completing the entire interview to job confirmation within a week. She has vast knowledge of the market and she understands the job requirements and the candidates profile and career aspirations. Liz
was prompt and caring and ensured that the candidate was informed at every stage of the process. HorizonOne should be proud of Liz and I am highly impressed with HorizonOne’s impeccable recruitment process. Thanks Liz and the team.
- Azizul Haque, Google Review