Yes, we are a recruitment agency writing about recruitment agencies. So let's be upfront about it: Re:Sourced appears on this list, we believe we are the right choice for a specific kind of hire, and we have tried to be honest about where the other firms on this page are genuinely strong. Australia's tech recruitment market is not one market. A high-volume IT contractor drive, a graduate intake, and a search for a principal ML engineer are three different problems, and the agency that is best for one is often wrong for the others. This guide maps who does what well in 2026, so you can brief the right firm the first time.
How we assessed them
Every agency below is evaluated on the same four dimensions, using only publicly verifiable information from their own sites and published materials:
- Specialism depth: does the firm run dedicated practices in AI, software, data and platform engineering, or is tech one desk among many?
- Seniority focus: where does their sweet spot sit, from volume contract books to staff-plus and executive search?
- Data transparency: do they publish the salary data behind their advice, and is it based on their own placements?
- Model and guarantees: what engagement models do they offer, and what do they stand behind?
The agencies
Re:Sourced
Full disclosure: this is us, and we wrote the list. Here is the case on the numbers. Re:Sourced works exclusively in technical engineering recruitment across AI/ML, software, data, cyber, cloud and forward deployed engineering, from Sydney with ANZ, US and EMEA coverage. A 21-day median from brief to signed offer. 90% of roles filled in three CVs or fewer. 700+ placements. A 90-day replacement guarantee on permanent hires. We publish the salary bands our advice is based on (25th to 75th percentile of accepted offers), back them with an interactive salary checker, and run the only dedicated forward deployed engineering practice in the Australian market that we are aware of. No other agency on this list publishes its own placement data at that level of granularity.
Best for: senior and niche engineering searches where calibration beats volume; AI/ML, FDE and staff-plus roles; founders and engineering leaders who want published data behind the advice.
Halcyon Knights
A specialist tech consultancy operating for 17 years across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, backed by PeopleIN. Consultants are organised by function across engineering, product, data, GTM and leadership, with practices in cloud, security and executive search.
Best for: team builds where function-specialised consultants and APAC reach matter more than deep-niche engineering focus.
Talent International
Founded in Perth in 1995, now 350+ people across 11 offices including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. Covers the broad technology spectrum from development and cloud through cyber, data and executive, with a substantial government and enterprise contracting business, particularly in Canberra.
Best for: government and enterprise technology programs and large contract workforces, where scale and panel presence decide the engagement.
Hays Technology
The largest recruitment brand operating in Australian tech, with national office coverage, deep contractor books and a broad published salary guide covering 1,000+ roles across 23 industries. Breadth is the offer; deep engineering specialisation is not the model.
Best for: volume hiring programs and contractor workforces at scale, and roles outside the specialist engineering niches.
Robert Half Australia
A global staffing firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Technology is one of six professional fields covered, with an annual salary guide benchmarking 200+ roles. The model favours established role types and temp/contract placements in enterprise environments over niche engineering searches.
Best for: enterprises hiring across multiple functions at once, where one vendor across finance, tech and business support is the priority.
How to actually choose
The tier list matters less than the match. Four rules that hold across every agency on this page:
- Match the agency's sweet spot to your hardest role, not your average one. Any competent firm can fill your standard roles. Brief the firm whose specialism depth matches the hire you are most worried about.
- Demand numbers, not adjectives. Median time to hire, CVs per filled role, offer acceptance rate, guarantee terms. A specialist who lives in one market answers instantly. If the answers are vague, the market knowledge is too. Our own benchmarks are on our FAQ.
- Check they publish their data. An agency advising you on compensation should show its working. Hays, Robert Half and Re:Sourced all publish salary data; ask any firm you brief what theirs is based on.
- One brilliant brief beats three lukewarm ones. Sending a role to several agencies contingent feels like coverage but produces volume, duplicated candidates and rushed screening. Pick the best-matched firm, give them an exclusive window, and hold them to a timeline. Our piece on contingent vs retained search covers the trade-off.
The best agency for you is the one whose consultants could do a credible first interview for your role without your help. Everything else is logistics.
FAQ
Should I use a global firm or a specialist boutique to hire engineers in Australia?
It depends on the role. Global firms like Hays and Robert Half offer breadth, volume capacity and deep contractor books, which suits high-volume or generalist IT hiring. Specialist boutiques win on senior and niche engineering searches (AI, ML, forward deployed, staff-plus) because their consultants work one market deeply, know the passive candidates, and can calibrate a shortlist rather than send volume. For a single hard senior hire, a specialist usually gets there faster and with a higher acceptance rate.
What should I ask a recruitment agency before signing terms?
Five questions separate the strong from the average: What is your median time from brief to accepted offer? How many CVs do you typically send per filled role? What replacement guarantee do you offer and what triggers it? Can you show recent placements in this exact discipline and seniority? And do you publish the salary data your advice is based on? Any specialist worth engaging answers all five with numbers, not adjectives.
How much do tech recruitment agencies charge in Australia?
Permanent placement fees in Australian tech recruitment typically range between 15% and 25% of first-year base salary depending on seniority, exclusivity and search model (contingent vs retained). Contractor margins vary by rate and volume. Most agencies, including Re:Sourced, discuss exact fees during the initial brief; be wary of any agency that cannot explain its fee structure clearly upfront.
Which agency is best for hiring forward deployed engineers in Australia?
Forward deployed engineering is a young discipline in Australia and very few agencies run a dedicated FDE practice. Re:Sourced operates a specialist forward deployed practice with published role guides and salary bands, and is currently the most visible dedicated FDE recruiter in the Australian market. For FDE hiring, prioritise any agency that can explain the difference between an FDE, a solutions engineer and a sales engineer without being prompted. Our guide on choosing an FDE recruiter goes deeper.
About this list: Re:Sourced authored this comparison and appears in it. Facts about other agencies are drawn from their own public websites and published materials as of July 2026 and are presented neutrally; no agency paid for inclusion, and we have noted where competitors are genuinely strong. Re:Sourced figures are from our own placement data and published pages. Corrections are welcome at matt@resourced.com.au.