Hiring in Hobart has its own pressures. The talent pool is small, government is a major employer competing for the same people, and sectors such as health, construction and aged care often recruit from interstate or overseas to fill roles.
The recruitment agencies in Hobart on this list all have offices in Greater Hobart, mostly in the Macquarie, Elizabeth and Murray Street blocks of the CBD, with one labour hire branch in Moonah. Between them they cover permanent hiring, temporary and contract staff, labour hire, nursing and senior appointments.
A good agency should know local salary levels, understand Tasmanian public sector recruitment rules and be able to tap candidates who are not actively looking.
Before you sign terms, compare fees, replacement guarantees, how candidates are screened and whether the consultant handling your role is based in Hobart. If you are hiring for a new venture, our guide to ABN registration covers the setup you need first.
Recruitment Agencies In Hobart At A Glance
Company
Based In
Best For
Known For
Searson Buck
Hobart CBD
Broad Tasmanian hiring
37+ years in Tasmania, Nurseline
Horner Recruitment
Hobart CBD
Office, management and council roles
Local government recruitment
Hays
Hobart CBD
Specialist professional roles
Wide specialism coverage
Hoban Recruitment
Hobart CBD
Volume and government hiring
Operating since 1965
Southern Workforce Solutions
Hobart
SMEs and NDIS providers
50% off first permanent placement
Randstad
Hobart CBD
Trades, labour and industrial roles
Hobart trades and labour team
Programmed
Moonah
Labour hire across Greater Hobart
Vetted and trained workforce
Best Recruitment Agencies In Hobart
1. Searson Buck — Macquarie Street Tasmanian Recruitment Specialist With Over 37 Years Of Experience
Searson Buck is a Tasmanian recruitment specialist with its Hobart office on Level 6 at 85 Macquarie Street and further offices in Launceston and Burnie. It says it has more than 37 years of experience and holds ISO 9001 quality certification. Services include permanent, temporary and contract recruitment, labour hire, payroll, HR consulting and workplace inductions, across health care, engineering, accounting and finance, construction and trades, and business and administration.
Searson Buck suits employers who want one agency that covers the whole state and most role types. It runs Nurseline, a nursing and healthcare recruitment arm that places nurses in hospitals, aged care, allied health and community care, and supports international nurses with visa sponsorship and relocation. It also delivers Tasmanian Government programs such as Career Connector and the Rapid Response Skills Initiative and manages fixed-term registers for state agencies. Glenorchy City Council provides a testimonial on its site.
2. Horner Recruitment — Macquarie Street Agency Specialising In Office Support And Local Government Roles
Horner Recruitment’s Hobart branch is on Level 6 at 85 Macquarie Street. The branch says it specialises in office support, management appointments and local government jobs, and the wider business covers temporary and permanent recruitment, executive search, payroll, HR services, WHS consulting and outplacement.
Horner suits councils, government bodies and businesses hiring administration, finance, HR or management staff. Its sectors span accounting and finance, business support, community services, customer service, engineering, events, government, healthcare, labour hire, manufacturing, not-for-profit, sales and marketing, and warehousing. Offering HR and WHS consulting alongside recruitment helps smaller employers without an HR team, and its outplacement service supports organisations going through restructures. Contact the branch on its 1300 number or the Hobart email listed on its site to discuss fees.
3. Hays — Elizabeth Street Office Covering 30 Specialisms From Technology To Trades
Hays has its Hobart office in NAB House on Level 8 at 27 Elizabeth Street. It recruits for permanent, temporary and contract roles in the CBD and surrounding areas, including Derwent and Brighton. Specialisms listed for Hobart include accountancy and finance, construction, education, engineering, healthcare, human resources, legal, policy and strategy, procurement, property, technology, and trades and labour.
Hays suits employers recruiting for specialist or senior professional roles where a national candidate database and salary data help. Its technology recruitment team also has a dedicated Hobart page, useful for organisations competing for scarce IT talent. Hays manages recruitment from sourcing and screening through to interviews and aftercare. The office also warns jobseekers about scammers impersonating recruiters, which is worth noting for employers too. Fees are quoted on enquiry.
4. Hoban Recruitment — Macquarie Street Office Of A Recruiter Founded In 1965
Hoban Recruitment has a Hobart office on Level 3 at 85 Macquarie Street. Founded in Melbourne in 1965, it provides temporary and permanent staffing, volume recruitment, recruitment process outsourcing, managed services, graduate recruitment, outplacement and HR services, across sectors including accounting, administration, contact centres, construction, logistics, education, health and community, and federal, state and local government.
Hoban suits employers with large or repeat hiring needs, such as government departments filling multiple administration roles or businesses ramping up for a project. The company reports more than 20,000 placements a year and a database of over 900,000 candidates. It has been a Disability Confident Recruiter, with all employees trained since 2019, and says it has won awards for diversity, innovation and training. It also offers 24/7 resourcing for urgent temp needs.
Southern Workforce Solutions is a Hobart recruitment agency offering permanent recruitment, temporary staffing, contract recruitment and workforce planning. It covers administration, accounting and finance, HR, customer service, IT, disability support, warehousing, trades and maintenance, management, hospitality and tourism, and industrial labour hire, and serves Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie and regional Tasmania.
The agency suits small and mid-sized employers and NDIS providers, as it has a specific focus on staffing for the disability sector. It is a Local Buy pre-qualified supplier, so eligible councils and public sector bodies can engage it through that procurement arrangement. It currently advertises 50% off the recruitment fee for a new client’s first successful permanent placement, which lowers the risk of trying a new agency. It handles candidate sourcing, screening and reference checks, and its office hours are 8:30am to 5pm on weekdays.
6. Randstad — Murray Street Trades And Labour Team For Construction And Industrial Hiring
Randstad’s Hobart trades and labour office is on Level 1 at 45 Murray Street. The team fills temporary and permanent roles in construction, industrial and manufacturing, property and trades, and the wider Tasmanian team works across government, business support, industrial, engineering, construction and commercial sectors.
Randstad suits builders, civil contractors, manufacturers and logistics operators who need tradespeople, labourers, forklift operators, truck drivers or process workers quickly. Its Hobart consultants are named on its Tasmania page, so employers can speak directly with the person handling industrial and trades roles. The Hobart office opens 8:30am to 5:30pm on weekdays. Having a trades-focused team in the CBD is useful for contractors who need to scale crews up and down as projects start and finish.
7. Programmed — Moonah Labour Hire Branch Supplying Temporary And Permanent Staff
Programmed’s Hobart branch is at 17 Main Road, Moonah, in Greater Hobart’s northern suburbs. It provides labour hire and recruitment, with temporary, contract and permanent placements, and says it vets and trains its workforce before placing them with clients across Greater Hobart.
Programmed suits employers in manufacturing, warehousing, maintenance and industrial work who need reliable labour hire with the option to convert workers to permanent staff. The company describes itself as one of Australia’s largest employers, works across Australia and New Zealand, and says it has permanent recruitment specialists in every state. Its Moonah location is convenient for businesses in Glenorchy, Derwent Park and the northern industrial areas. Contact the branch directly for rates and availability.
How To Choose A Recruitment Agency In Hobart
What Fees Should I Expect?
Permanent placement fees are usually a percentage of the first year’s salary, while temporary and labour hire staff are charged at an hourly rate that includes wages, super, insurance and the agency margin. Ask for fees in writing, check what the hourly rate covers, and look out for introductory offers, such as discounts on a first placement.
Is There A Replacement Guarantee?
Most agencies offer a free replacement or partial refund if a permanent hire leaves within an agreed period. Ask how long the guarantee lasts, whether it covers resignations as well as dismissals, and what conditions apply.
Does The Agency Know Tasmanian Public Sector Hiring?
Government is a major employer in Hobart, and state agencies and councils follow specific recruitment and procurement processes. If you are a public body, check whether the agency is on relevant panels or pre-qualified supplier arrangements. If you are a private employer, a consultant who understands public sector salaries will help you compete for the same candidates.
How Do They Find Candidates In A Small Market?
Ask whether the agency relies on job ads or actively headhunts, how big its local candidate pool is, and whether it recruits from interstate or overseas. For hard to fill roles in health, construction or technology, interstate and international sourcing, including visa support, can make the difference.
Is Labour Hire Compliance Handled?
For temp and labour hire workers, the agency is usually the employer. Confirm that it handles award pay rates, super, workers compensation and safety inductions, and ask how it manages WHS obligations on your site.
Conclusion
For Hobart recruitment, Searson Buck offers the broadest Tasmanian coverage, Horner and Hays suit office and professional roles, Hoban handles volume and government hiring, and Randstad and Programmed are strong for trades and labour. Southern Workforce Solutions is a good option for small employers and NDIS providers.
Pick an agency that specialises in the type of role you are filling, agree fees and guarantees in writing, and make sure your consultant is based in Hobart. If you are building a new business and hiring your first staff, our guide on how to start a business in Australia covers the basics.
