HOBAN Recruitment

What HOBAN Recruitment does

HOBAN Recruitment, founded in 1965 in Melbourne and operating as HOBAN Recruitment Australia Pty Ltd, is a privately held Australian recruitment and staffing firm that provides temporary, permanent, contract, RPO, MSP, volume and outplacement services to employers across government, commercial and industrial sectors. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based OUTSOURCING Inc., a global staffing conglomerate operating 80+ brands across 17 countries; within Australia, the group that includes HOBAN, Staff Solutions Bilingual, RED Appointments and Kinetic Recruitment New Zealand generates nearly AUD $700M in annual turnover. HOBAN itself operates 14 branches covering every Australian state and territory, places more than 20,000 candidates per annum and draws on a database of over 900,000 candidates.

The firm operates a technology-augmented recruitment stack spanning online assessments, video assessments, virtual assessment centres, capability-based assessment frameworks designed by in-house organisational psychologists, and a contactless volume recruitment methodology. Distinctive capabilities include its Distribution Development Centres (DDCs) — physical facilities in Seven Hills (NSW, opened 2021, expanded 2024) and Dandenong (VIC, opened 2025) — that deliver hands-on forklift and warehouse training, cleanroom upskilling and Priority Personnel Pathways programs to pre-qualify candidates for hard-to-fill industrial roles. The company holds Preferred Supplier Agreements with federal, state and local government agencies, is accredited as a Disability Confident Recruiter by the Australian Network on Disability, and serves named enterprises and agencies across logistics, healthcare, call centres and the public sector.

HOBAN monetises through six primary streams: permanent placement fees (commission on annual salary), temp/contract staffing margins (on-hire employees billed to clients), volume recruitment project fees, MSP and RPO managed service fees, outplacement service fees, and government grant/scheme revenue tied to employment pathway programs. Distribution is via direct enterprise and government field sales backed by 14 owned branches; the firm invests in content-led demand generation through an annual Workforce Trends Report, a Salary Insights Guide, HR seminars, webinars, and multi-channel social media. Recognition includes 2025 Blacktown Business of the Year, TIARA and SEEK SARA awards, and SAP SARA awards for diversity and innovation.

Name

HOBAN Recruitment

Legal name

HOBAN Recruitment Australia Pty Ltd

Website

https://hoban.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HOBAN Recruitment is an Australian recruitment and staffing firm founded in 1965, operating 14 branches nationally with a 900,000-candidate database and 20,000+ annual placements. A subsidiary of Tokyo-based OUTSOURCING Inc., it delivers temporary, permanent, RPO, MSP, volume and outplacement services across government, logistics, healthcare, and commercial sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing and Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

RPO Technology, ATS Administration & Recruitment Operations (BPACABAN), Government & Public Sector Direct Hire (BPACAFAK), Sales, Marketing & Customer Success Direct Hire (BPACAFAD), Recruitment Marketing & Employer Branding for RPO (BPACABAL)

Keywords

• Staffing agency
• Permanent recruitment
• Temporary staffing
• Government recruitment
• Recruitment process outsourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement Fees: Fees charged to employers for successful placement of candidates in permanent positions. Commission-based model typically calculated as a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary.
2. Temporary/Contract Staffing: Margin-based revenue from providing temporary workers to employers. HOBAN on-hire employees are employed by HOBAN and contracted to client organisations, with HOBAN earning the difference between bill rates and employee wages.
3. Volume Recruitment Projects: Project-based fees for large-scale recruitment campaigns, including high-volume contactless recruitment solutions for government and corporate clients.
4. Managed Services Provision (MSP): Outsourced management of entire recruitment processes or contingent workforce programs for organisations.
5. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Full or partial outsourcing of recruitment functions to HOBAN, including hiring strategy, candidate sourcing, and onboarding support.
6. Outplacement Services: Career transition services provided to organisations for departing employees, including resume writing, job search assistance, and coaching.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

HOBAN Recruitment is an Australian full-service staffing and recruitment agency providing temporary, contract, and permanent workforce solutions across government, healthcare, logistics, accounting, construction, customer service, and executive roles. It also delivers specialised services including Managed Service Provision (MSP), Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Volume Recruitment, Graduate Programs, Outplacement, the Priority Personnel Pathways Program, and the Distribution Development Centre (DDC) warehouse and cleanroom upskilling facility.

Product overview

HOBAN Recruitment is a recruitment and staffing agency providing comprehensive workforce solutions across Australia. The core offering consists of recruitment services spanning multiple sectors (accounting, construction, customer service, logistics, healthcare, government, and executive search). Key specialized products include the Distribution Development Centre (DDC) for warehouse/logistics training, Staff Solutions Bilingual (SSB) for multilingual recruitment, Managed Services Provision (MSP), Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Volume Recruitment campaigns, and the Priority Personnel Pathways Program for disadvantaged job seekers. The company also publishes the annual HOBAN Salary Insights Guide and Workforce Trends Report as research products. The group includes RED Appointments (trade/mining/defence) and Kinetic Recruitment New Zealand. On-hire employee services include a dedicated payroll portal for timesheet management and workplace safety reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Staff Solutions Bilingual (SSB): HOBAN's bilingual recruitment experts providing services for the thriving bilingual marketplace
• Distribution Development Centre (DDC)
• RED Appointments
• Kinetic Recruitment New Zealand

Products and services

• Permanent Recruitment

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ placements per annum with database of over 900,000 candidates
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Staff Solutions Bilingual (SSB)coreOthersHOBAN's bilingual recruitment experts operating from Sydney and Melbourne offices. Specialises in bilingual and multilingual candidate placement for businesses requiring language skills.
• RED AppointmentsstrategicOthersPart of HOBAN Recruitment Group. Trade, mining, renewables, and defence recruitment specialists. Featured in HOBAN's Salary Insights Guide.
• Kinetic Recruitment New ZealandstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand recruitment partner included in HOBAN's expanded Salary Insights Guide covering Australia and New Zealand markets.
• Registered Training OrganisationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with RTOs to facilitate licensing and training for candidates, particularly for forklift licensing and warehouse skills development at Distribution Development Centres.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hays Australia: Global recruitment group with a substantial Australian footprint offering temporary, permanent, and contract staffing across white-collar and government sectors. Directly comparable as a full-service multi-vertical recruitment agency with strong government panel presence.
• Chandler Macleod: Australian recruitment and workforce solutions provider covering temporary, permanent, volume recruitment, RPO, and MSP across commercial and government clients. Closely aligned service mix to HOBAN, including volume and managed services offerings.
• Randstad Australia: Global staffing leader operating in Australia with staffing, RPO, MSP, and outplacement services across all major sectors. Direct competitor for enterprise and government workforce solutions.
• Adecco Australia: Global staffing giant with significant Australian presence across temporary staffing, permanent placement, and workforce solutions. Competes head-to-head with HOBAN in commercial, industrial, and government segments.
• ManpowerGroup Australia: Global workforce solutions provider operating in Australia with staffing, RPO, and talent assessment offerings across sectors. Direct competitor in volume recruitment and managed services.
• Robert Half Australia: Specialist recruitment firm focused on finance, accounting, and professional roles in Australia. Overlaps with HOBAN's accounting and finance and executive recruitment segments.
• Michael Page Australia: Global recruitment firm with strong Australian presence in permanent placement across white-collar professional, executive, and sales roles. Comparable to HOBAN's executive search and permanent placement offerings.
• Programmed (Persolkelly): Australian workforce solutions provider owned by Persol Holdings (Japan), focused on staffing, maintenance, and managed services for industrial and government clients. Comparable in scale and Japanese-parent ownership structure.
• Hudson Australia: Recruitment firm operating in Australia across permanent, temporary, and talent management services for professional and commercial roles. Overlaps with HOBAN's white-collar commercial recruitment offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry Australia: Global organisational consulting firm with executive search, RPO, and talent consulting capabilities in Australia. Comparable on the executive search and RPO end of HOBAN's service spectrum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hobanrecruitment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoban-recruitment
• Instagraminstagram.com/hobanrecruitment
• Xx.com/hobanrecruit

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HOBAN Recruitment