How much does sales recruitment cost in Australia?

Traditional contingency fees range from 15 to 25% of base salary. For a $120K base role, that's $18,000 to $30,000 paid upfront. Retained search runs higher (25 to 35%) but includes a deeper process. Pay-on-performance models like Pointer's charge 1.5% monthly, typically 30 to 50% less over the hire's first year. See our full [recruitment fees breakdown](/blog/sales-recruitment-fees) for details.

Should I use a specialist or generalist recruiter for sales roles?

Specialist recruiters consistently outperform generalists for sales hiring. Sales is a performance discipline. You need recruiters who can evaluate quota attainment, methodology fit, and pipeline management, not just match keywords on a CV. Generalists are fine for volume hiring across many functions. Specialists win when the hire needs to perform.

What's the average time to fill a sales role in Australia?

Industry average is 6 to 8 weeks for mid-level sales roles (AE, BDR). Senior and leadership roles (VP Sales, CRO) typically take 8 to 12 weeks. Specialist agencies with active candidate networks can often place in 3 to 6 weeks.

How do I know if a sales candidate is actually good?

Go beyond the CV. Ask for pipeline metrics (not just quota attainment, but average deal size, win rate, and sales cycle length). Run a live role-play or mock discovery call. Back-channel reference check with peers, not just managers. Good recruiters do this as standard process. For more on this, read our [hiring Account Executives guide](/blog/hiring-account-executives-australia).

What's the difference between contingency and retained recruitment?

Contingency means you only pay on successful placement, so agencies race to fill the role. Retained means you pay a portion upfront (typically one third), and the agency conducts an exclusive, deeper search. Retained tends to produce higher-quality candidates for senior roles but requires upfront capital commitment. ---

The best sales recruiter for your business depends on three things: 1. **What you're hiring for.** A single [SDR hire](/blog/bdr-hiring-guide-australia) is different from building an enterprise sales team. 2. **Your risk tolerance.** Upfront fees vs monthly performance-based payments. 3. **What happens after placement.** Training, coaching, and onboarding support can be the difference between a hire that ramps in 3 months and one that churns in 6. No single agency is right for every company. Use this comparison to shortlist agencies that match your hiring model, then run a proper evaluation before engaging. --- *This guide is maintained by [Pointer Strategy](/recruitment/sales), a specialist GTM recruitment firm based in Australia. We've included ourselves in this comparison alongside our competitors because we believe informed buyers make better decisions, and we're confident in how we stack up. Last updated: March 2026.*

Best Sales Recruitment Agencies in Australia 2026: Compared

Hiring salespeople in Australia? This guide breaks down how the major recruitment agencies actually work: fee structures, specialisations, guarantees, and what sets each one apart.

Most "best recruiters" lists are sponsored rankings or agency self-promotion. This one takes a different approach. We're comparing agencies on the things that actually matter when you're trying to build a sales team that performs.

For a full breakdown of Australian recruitment fee structures, we've published a separate deep-dive.

How to Evaluate a Sales Recruitment Agency

Before comparing agencies, know what to look for. Four factors predict recruitment success:

Specialisation depth. Do they recruit specifically for sales and GTM roles, or is sales one of 30 categories?

Fee structure. Upfront percentage vs retained vs pay-on-performance. This shapes their incentives.

Guarantee and risk. What happens when a hire doesn't work out? A replacement search is not the same as a refund.

Post-placement support. Training, onboarding support, ongoing development. Most agencies stop at placement.

Australia's Top Sales Recruitment Agencies (2026)

Hays

Type: Generalist recruitment (sales is one vertical among many)

Fee model: Contingency, 15 to 20% of base salary

Guarantee: 3-month replacement

Specialisation: Broad. Covers sales alongside IT, accounting, construction, HR, and dozens of other sectors.

Best for: Companies wanting a large candidate database and brand recognition.

Consideration: Sales is not their core focus. Recruiters may not have carried quota themselves. For a detailed comparison, see Pointer vs Hays.

Hudson

Type: Specialist divisions within a broad recruitment group

Fee model: Flat 17% of annual salary (permanent), retained options available

Guarantee: 3-month replacement (permanent), 6-month for executive search

Specialisation: 14 specialist areas including sales, marketing, technology, and finance. Strong psychometric assessment capability.

Best for: Mid-market to enterprise companies, especially in professional services and government.

Consideration: The Morgan & Banks heritage gives them deep roots in Australian recruitment, but sales-specific methodology varies by consultant. For a detailed comparison, see Pointer vs Hudson.

Robert Half

Type: Generalist (finance, technology, sales)

Fee model: Contingency, 15 to 25%

Guarantee: 3-month replacement

Specialisation: Originally finance and accounting, now covers sales and technology.

Best for: Companies wanting a global brand with local offices across Australia.

Consideration: Sales recruitment is a secondary specialisation. Their deep expertise is in finance roles.

Michael Page / Page Group

Type: Large generalist recruiter

Fee model: Contingency, 15 to 22%

Guarantee: 3-month replacement

Specialisation: Broad. Sales and marketing is one of many divisions.

Best for: Volume hiring across multiple functions.

Consideration: Massive scale means variable consultant quality. Some excellent people, some generalists filling KPIs.

Charterhouse Partnership

Type: Boutique specialist (sales, marketing, digital)

Fee model: Contingency and retained, 18 to 25%

Guarantee: 3 to 6 month replacement

Specialisation: Sales, marketing, and digital roles specifically.

Best for: Mid-market companies in B2B tech and media.

Consideration: More specialised than the large generalists, but still operates a traditional contingency model.

Pointer Strategy

Type: Specialist GTM recruitment (sales, marketing, CS, partnerships, enablement)

Fee model: Pay-on-performance: 1.5% of salary monthly while the hire performs

Guarantee: Billing stops immediately if the hire leaves. Not a replacement guarantee. You keep your capital.

Specialisation: Exclusively B2B SaaS and technology go-to-market teams. Founded by operators who've carried quota.

Best for: B2B SaaS companies that want practitioner-vetted hires with post-placement training included.

Differentiator: Every placement includes 12 months of sales training and enablement. No upfront fees.

Consideration: Specialist only. If you need hiring outside GTM (engineering, finance), you'll need a different agency.

Fee Model Comparison

Agency	Model	Typical Fee	When You Pay	What If Hire Leaves?
Hays	Contingency	15 to 20%	On placement	3-month replacement search
Hudson	Flat rate / Retained	17% (or in thirds)	On placement or instalments	3 to 6 month replacement
Robert Half	Contingency	15 to 25%	On placement	3-month replacement
Michael Page	Contingency	15 to 22%	On placement	3-month replacement
Charterhouse	Contingency/Retained	18 to 25%	On placement	3 to 6 month replacement
Pointer Strategy	Pay-on-performance	1.5%/month	Monthly while hire performs	Billing stops immediately

Example: [Hiring a $150,000 OTE Account Executive](/blog/hiring-account-executives-australia)

Traditional agency at 20%: $30,000 upfront, paid before the AE has closed a single deal

Pointer at 1.5%/month: $2,250/month. If the AE leaves in month 3, total cost is $6,750

The real cost difference isn't just the percentage. It's what happens when things go wrong. With a traditional agency, a bad hire costs you the placement fee plus the cost of the failed employee. With pay-on-performance, your financial exposure is capped to the months they actually worked.

What to Look For in a Sales Recruiter

They should understand sales methodology

Ask your recruiter: "How do you assess whether a candidate can run MEDDIC?" or "What's the difference between a transactional AE and a consultative one?" If the answer is vague, they're keyword-matching CVs, not evaluating salespeople.

Fee structure shapes behaviour

Contingency agencies are incentivised to fill roles fast because they only get paid on placement. That creates a speed bias. Retained agencies invest more deeply but require upfront commitment. Pay-on-performance models align the agency's revenue with the hire's actual performance.

Guarantees aren't equal

A "3-month guarantee" almost always means a replacement search, not a refund. You're stuck with the same agency, running the same process, hoping for a different result. Ask specifically: "If the hire doesn't work out, do I get my money back, or do you restart the search?"

Post-placement support matters

The first 6 months after placement are where hires succeed or fail. Most agencies walk away at placement. Ask what happens after the offer letter is signed: onboarding support, training, check-ins, performance coaching. If the answer is "we'll check in after 3 months," that's a guarantee policy, not a support program.

Best Sales Recruitment Agencies in Australia 2026: Compared