The Hunch Directory
Issue No. 1
Updated weekly
Curated by Stu Holmes
Editor's note
These are the recruitment agencies I have had direct experience with. Each one is here because it triggered a hunch — good, bad, or somewhere in between. The aim is to give everyone a free voice to talk about good, bad and indifferent experiences with recruiters. Under a spotlight, agencies are accountable — and they should be.
I have started with agencies I can vouch for personally. Where I have a connection — such as SMAART, where I was previously a director — I have declared it openly. The list will grow as more experiences come in.
The Hunch Standouts
5 agencies that pass the hunch test.
Glenferrie Road, Malvern, VIC
A family-feel labour hire team that treats clients and contractors with equal care. Above-board pay, on-time wages, a money-back guarantee if the first hour is late, and a genuine willingness to give people a second chance when suitable.
Read the full profileMonday Morning with Hulk story ↗Sydney, NSW
Greg runs a boutique Sydney agency so specialised in ServiceNow that unless you live in that ecosystem, you may never meet him. Those who do benefit from a rare, savant-level memory for faces and candidates.
Read the full profileMelbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide
A national ICT and telecommunications professional services firm whose consultants are so kind that even a ‘no’ feels like good news. They look after their team and contractors with unusual consideration.
Read the full profileHampton / Brighton area, VIC
A mum-and-dad operation in the Hampton/Brighton area that looks after steel fixers, welders, and construction trades like family. Temps are welcomed into the fold, not treated as disposable labour.
Read the full profileAustralia-wide
A full-service recruitment agency where process, technology, people and pace are treated as one discipline. I have to declare a bias: I was a former director here. But that also means I know the floor, not just the pitch. James in particular is as good as they come — shrewd, funny, across every moving part of the job, and still standing after two decades.
Read the full profileFull Directory
Glenferrie Road, Malvern, VIC
Labour hire & industrial staffing
Visit website↗They offer something special.
A family-feel labour hire team that treats clients and contractors with equal care. Above-board pay, on-time wages, a money-back guarantee if the first hour is late, and a genuine willingness to give people a second chance when suitable.
Field review · Melbourne
Monday, 14 September 2026
Four site stops before lunch. Two urgent roles filled while we were driving. PPE delivered to new starters. Tim knew the workers, the foremen and the site managers.
“Anyone can tell you they care about service. I got in the passenger seat with Tim Cockerell on a normal Monday morning and watched it happen. No staged tour, no presentation. The phone kept ringing, sites needed people, replacements had to be found, and Tim kept moving between workers and the people running the jobs. That morning did more to explain Hulk than a brochure ever could.”
What Stu saw
Sydney, NSW
ServiceNow recruitment
Visit website↗They offer something special.
Greg runs a boutique Sydney agency so specialised in ServiceNow that unless you live in that ecosystem, you may never meet him. Those who do benefit from a rare, savant-level memory for faces and candidates.
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide
IT & telecommunications recruitment and professional services
Visit website↗They offer something special.
A national ICT and telecommunications professional services firm whose consultants are so kind that even a ‘no’ feels like good news. They look after their team and contractors with unusual consideration.
Hampton / Brighton area, VIC
Steel fixers, welders & construction trades
Visit website↗They offer something special.
A mum-and-dad operation in the Hampton/Brighton area that looks after steel fixers, welders, and construction trades like family. Temps are welcomed into the fold, not treated as disposable labour.
Australia-wide
Full-service recruitment across multiple sectors
Visit website↗They offer something special.
A full-service recruitment agency where process, technology, people and pace are treated as one discipline. I have to declare a bias: I was a former director here. But that also means I know the floor, not just the pitch. James in particular is as good as they come — shrewd, funny, across every moving part of the job, and still standing after two decades.
The Hunch is a living review. If you've worked with a recruiter that stands out, or one that left a bad taste, send it in and I'll consider it for the next update.