In the rapidly evolving landscape of Brisbane’s technology sector, the way companies hire is changing. While many firms lean towards exclusive partnerships, a shift is occurring towards a more meritocratic, competitive model that rewards transparency, relationship-building, and high-quality results.
At BLACKROC Recruitment, we have seen first-hand how different recruitment frameworks impact a company's ability to scale. Whether it is a lean startup or a massive Government-Owned Corporation (GOC), the strategy behind the "fish pond" matters.
Scaling from 20 to 90: The Power of Targeted Partnerships
Over the last 18 months, one Brisbane-based company achieved a remarkable feat by scaling their technology team from 20 to approximately 90 people. This rapid growth was achieved by working exclusively with just two recruiters.
Working with a tightly-knit, exclusive pair of partners allows for:
- Deep Business Understanding: Recruiters become an extension of the brand and understand the underlying reasons for every role.
- Quality Over Quantity: The focus remains on sorting the wheat from the chaff to find the ideal candidate beyond just the CV.
- Surgical Precision: Scaling by 350 per cent in under two years requires a recruitment partner who can navigate the market with total focus.
The Ladder System: How Competition Drives Excellence
While exclusivity has its place, there is a brilliant and highly transparent model used by larger Government-Owned Corporations in Brisbane that sets the gold standard for high-volume hiring.
This model utilises a panel of 7 to 10 recruitment agencies who compete in real-time. Here is how the Recruitment Ladder works:
- The Level Playing Field: Roles are released to all recruiters at the exact same time. There are no head starts or hidden advantages, ensuring a fair start for every firm on the panel.
- Strict Submission Limits: To prevent a flood of irrelevant resumes, agencies are limited to a maximum of 2 or 3 candidate submissions per role. Any double-up submissions are cancelled out, which forces recruiters to be highly selective.
- Radical Transparency: All communications are transparent. This meritocratic approach ensures that the best-performing agency, the one that consistently delivers the right talent, rises to the top.
- The Annual Ladder: At the end of each year, the client releases a Ladder showing rankings. While the full list is private, each agency is shown exactly where they stand. In 2025, BLACKROC was proud to tie for equal first on a major GOC account.
Exclusive vs. Competitive: Which Model Wins?
For businesses deciding how to structure their hiring, here is a breakdown of the two most effective models in the Brisbane market:
The Exclusive Partnership Model (1–2 Agencies)
- This model is best suited for high-growth startups and companies with highly niche technology requirements.
- The primary goal is deep cultural alignment and long-term loyalty between the recruiter and the hiring manager.
- The advantage is high focus and reduced noise for the internal talent acquisition team.
The Competitive Ladder Model (5+ Agencies)
- This model is best suited for large corporations, GOCs, and organisations with consistent, high-volume project demands.
- The primary goal is meritocracy, ensuring the best man wins based on actual placement success.
- The advantage is exceptional speed to market and a diverse range of candidates sourced from multiple networks simultaneously.
Why BLACKROC Thrives: The Importance of Ego Drive
You might hear some recruiters talk about having zero ego, but in a high-performance market, we believe ego drive is a recruiter's greatest asset. This is not about arrogance; it is about the internal hunger to be the best for our clients.
- The Will to Win: We love the competition. That ego drive ensures we work exceptionally hard to triumph over other recruiters and find the perfect candidate first.
- Market Intelligence: We do not just look at resumes. We decipher the market to find candidates whose goals and skills actually match the client's needs.
- Building Relationships: We use our drive to build deep, authentic connections with candidates to ensure we understand their soft skills as well as their technical experience.
Ready to level up your recruitment strategy?
Whether you need an exclusive partner to scale your tech team or want to see how a high-performance agency performs on your panel, BLACKROC Recruitment is ready to dive in.
Jason Roulston Founder, BLACKROC Specialist in Brisbane Technology & Digital recruitment.
From the Author: I'm Jason Roulston, the Managing Director at BLACKROC Recruitment. We're a boutique Technology & Digital recruitment firm in Australia, with 8 years of operation and a small team of specialists, combining over 100 years of recruitment experience. I look after permanent & executive level technology & digital recruitment for the group. We also have specialists in IT & Digital contracting recruitment, known for the best contractor care program in the market; have a look at our ~580 five-star Google Reviews (new reviews weekly).
