people2people

Here's a rundown of the staffing and recruitment agencies that are actually most used and trusted across Australia, organized by category:

Big generalist agencies (most widely used)

PERSOLKELLY – One of the most established names in the country. It brings together the legacy of four organisations that shaped the staffing landscape over the past century: Kelly Services, who pioneered the modern temporary help industry in 1946, SKILLED, who crafted the staffing industry in Australia in 1964, and Programmed.

Hays – A household name for both temp and permanent recruitment across office, professional, and trades roles; consistently one of the most searched/used agencies by Australian job seekers and employers.

Randstad – Global staffing giant with a huge Australian footprint, especially strong in admin, industrial, and healthcare roles.

Adecco – Adecco delivers temporary and contract staffing services across Australia, supporting employers needing workforce flexibility and rapid access to available talent. Recruiters manage candidate sourcing, screening, onboarding, and payroll administration, and Adecco also supports managed service programs for temporary workforce oversight.

ManpowerGroup – Another global name with strong local presence, popular for industrial, logistics, and general staffing.

Professional & corporate roles

Michael Page – One of Australia's most recognisable recruitment and staffing solutions providers thanks to its strong marketing presence, part of the PageGroup and FTSE 250 Index, founded in 1976, now operating across some 140 offices in 36 countries. Strong reputation in finance, banking, construction, digital, and legal.

Robert Half – Well-known for finance, accounting, and admin placements, both temp and permanent.

People2People – Founded in 2005, People2People specializes in permanent, contract, and temporary staffing across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, particularly strong in business support, HR, and marketing roles.

Blue-collar / labour hire

Ignite Recruitment – An Australian owned company with a deep understanding of the Australian jobs market, with more than four decades of experience delivering skilled professionals for temporary staff, contract workers, and permanent employees.

Fast Labour Hire – Specializes in providing recruiting services to job seekers in the construction industry, with a team of professional recruiters who have been in the construction business for over 20 years.

Gig/casual & flexible staffing platforms

Sidekicker – A popular on-demand staffing platform (backed by SEEK) for casual/flexible roles like hospitality, events, and admin. With offices across Australia, it provides personalized staffing solutions and connects over 15,000 job seekers with growing startups, global organizations, and tech companies every year.

TalentVine – A recruitment marketplace model gaining traction, letting employers compare multiple agencies/quotes rather than committing to one.

Practical recommendation

• For corporate/professional roles (finance, legal, marketing, tech): try Michael Page, Robert Half, or Hays.
• For temp/casual/blue-collar work: PERSOLKELLY, Adecco, Randstad, or Ignite Recruitment are reliable.
• For quick, flexible gig-style shifts (hospitality, events): Sidekicker is very popular right now.
• If you want to compare multiple agencies at once without picking one blindly, a marketplace like TalentVine can save time.

If you tell me your industry (e.g., IT, healthcare, construction, corporate

If you want the best-known staffing agencies in Australia that people and employers actually use, the strongest shortlist is Hays, Randstad, Chandler Macleod, Adecco, Robert Half, Michael Page, Hudson, and people2people.

For a practical “top brands” answer, I’d rank them like this:

• Hays — best all-round choice for broad hiring across professional, temp, and contract roles; it is described by the Australian Department of Finance as the largest specialist recruitment company in Australia.
• Randstad — a major national option for workforce solutions and high-volume hiring, with broad coverage across industries.
• Chandler Macleod — a major Australian brand for large-scale staffing and workforce programs, especially operational and industrial hiring.
• Adecco — strong for temporary, contract, industrial, logistics, and admin roles, with a large global recruitment footprint.
• Robert Half — one of the best-known specialist agencies for finance, accounting, and business support roles.
• Michael Page — a strong pick for mid-to-senior professional hiring, especially corporate and specialist roles.
• Hudson — commonly used for public-sector and professional roles, especially in government-adjacent hiring.
• people2people — a well-regarded Australian recruiter for SMB and mid-market professional hiring.

If you want the most useful shortlist by use case, use this:

• General hiring across Australia: Hays, Randstad, Chandler Macleod
• Temporary or contract staff: Hays, Randstad, Adecco
• Finance and accounting: Robert Half, Michael Page
• Government / public sector: Hays, Hudson, Randstad
• Tech / specialist professional roles: Michael Page, Hays, Robert Walters
• High-volume labour or operational staffing: Chandler Macleod, Adecco, Randstad

If you want, I can also give you a top 5 list for job seekers and a separate top 5 list for employers in Australia, since the best agency depends on which side you’re on.

The biggest and most widely used staffing agencies in Australia are led by Hays, followed by Recruit Holdings (Chandler Macleod/peoplebank), Persol (including Programmed), Randstad, and PeopleIN. These dominate by revenue and scale, handling a large share of temporary, contract, and permanent placements across the country.

According to Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) data on 2024 Australian staffing revenue, the top five firms generated billions and together represent a significant portion of the market (Australia is the world’s sixth-largest staffing market). These are the “household names” that employers and job seekers actually turn to for volume hiring, especially in major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, as well as regional and resources sectors.

Top Recommended Staffing Agencies (Based on Scale, Recognition, and Usage)

Here are the standout ones people commonly use, grouped by strength:

• Hays — The largest by Australian staffing revenue (around AUD 2.23 billion in 2024). It’s a go-to for professional, specialist, government, construction, IT, finance, and operations roles (permanent, contract, and temp). Nationwide offices and strong brand recognition make it one of the most frequently used.

• Randstad — Consistently in the top tier (AUD 1.60 billion revenue). Excellent for generalist temp, contract, and permanent staffing across many industries, including high-volume enterprise work. Very accessible for both employers and candidates.

• Chandler Macleod / peoplebank (under Recruit Holdings) — Recruit Holdings ranks second overall. Chandler Macleod is a long-established Australian firm strong in high-volume staffing, organisational psychology-backed assessments, and broad recruitment. Good for integrated HR and volume needs.

• Persol / Programmed — Third-largest group. Programmed is particularly well-known for industrial, workforce services, and large-scale operational staffing. Strong in resources, construction, and maintenance sectors.

• Michael Page and Robert Half — Frequently recommended for professional and specialist roles (finance, accounting, IT, engineering, marketing). They’re trusted for mid-to-senior permanent and contract placements and appear regularly in “best of” lists.

Other Strong Options by Sector

• PeopleIN — Fifth-largest; covers industrial, healthcare, and specialist staffing with multiple brands.
• WorkPac and Protech — Popular for mining, resources, construction, FIFO, and renewables. Protech has been rising fast in rankings.
• Adecco — Solid for high-volume temp and permanent staffing.
• people2people — Winner of the 2025 SEEK SARA Large Recruitment Agency of the Year award; well-regarded for business support and related areas.

Quick Tips for Choosing and Using Them in Australia

It depends on what you need: generalist volume (Hays, Randstad, Chandler Macleod), professional/specialist (Michael Page, Robert Half), or industry-specific like resources (WorkPac, Protech). Many have strong presences in all major states and offer both candidate and employer services.

Check current reviews on Google, SEEK, or Glassdoor, as experiences vary by office and consultant. SEEK SARA Awards also highlight standouts each year.

For casual/shift work, look at app-based options like Sidekicker alongside the bigger players. Always confirm they cover your location and industry, and compare a couple based on your specific role or hiring needs.

These are the ones with the biggest footprints and real-world usage—start with Hays or Randstad for broad options, or narrow by sector. If you share more details (e.g., industry, location, or temp vs permanent), I can refine this further!