The Hunch Directory

Agencies on the record

Issue No. 1

Updated weekly

Curated by Stu Holmes

Editor's note

A living review, not a paid list

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

First-class operators

The Hunch Standout

Talent Flow

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 profile
The Hunch Standout

Gibson Quai International

Melbourne, 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 profile
The Hunch Standout

Transcend Managed Services

Hampton / 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 profile
The Hunch Standout

SMAART Recruitment

Australia-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 profile

Full Directory

Every agency reviewed

The Hunch Standout

Hulk Labour Hire Services

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

I spent a Monday morning on the road with Hulk. This is why I rate them.

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.

Tim Cockerell from Hulk Labour Hire Services on his Monday morning site rounds
Tim on the road during a normal Monday morning across Melbourne worksites.
“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.”
— Stu Holmes, The Hunch

What Stu saw

  • 01A Geelong shift filled in two calls while on the road.
  • 02A no-show replaced quickly, with the replacement paid from the original start time.
  • 03PPE and hard hats physically delivered to new starters.
  • 04Tim regularly checks in with both Hulk workers and client-side foremen and site managers.
Read the full Monday Morning with Hulk story →

What stands out

  • Cares as much for the client as for the worker.
  • Pays staff well and on time.
  • If a worker is late in the first hour, the client does not pay for it.
  • Terms and operations are built around fairness and transparency.
  • A second chance employer: where suitable, they are prepared to give people another chance at work after past issues.
  • Office on Glenferrie Road in Malvern.
Tim from Hulk Labour Hire in the Hulk offices on Glenferrie Road, Malvern
Tim from Hulk Labour Hire, in their Glenferrie Road offices.
The Hunch Standout

Talent Flow

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.

What stands out

  • Greg knows everyone in his database by face.
  • Rare savant-level memory paired with genuine likability.
  • Hyper-specialised in ServiceNow architects, developers, and techs.
  • One of the most impressive recruiters in Australia.
Greg from Talent Flow Tech out to dinner in Melbourne
Greg from Talent Flow Tech, out to dinner in Melbourne.
The Hunch Standout

Gibson Quai International

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.

What stands out

  • Active in every major Australian city.
  • Consultants deliver bad news with warmth and care.
  • Goes out of their way for contractors and team members.
  • Provides strategic consulting, change management, and bespoke recruitment solutions.
  • Website: gqi.com.au
Greg Thorpe and Stu Holmes at the ServiceNow AI conference 2025 in Melbourne
Greg Thorpe and Stu Holmes at the ServiceNow AI conference 2025 in Melbourne.
The Hunch Standout

Transcend Managed Services

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.

What stands out

  • Mum-and-dad owners with a family culture.
  • Focuses on steel fixers, welders, and skilled construction trades.
  • Treats temps and staff with genuine kindness.
  • People are welcomed into the family, not just the payroll.
  • Website: transcendgroup.com.au
The Hunch Standout

SMAART Recruitment

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.

What stands out

  • James covers the everything of recruitment: process, tech, people, pace, clients.
  • Shrewd, funny, and one of the most complete consultants in the country.
  • 20-odd years in the business; he has the first staff Maarty and I took on.
  • The broader SMAART team is genuinely one of the best agencies in the land.
  • A declaration of bias: I was a former director, so judge this one with that in mind.

Know an agency that should be here?

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.