Best Robert Half Alternatives in Australia (2026)

Robert Half is one of the largest specialised recruitment firms in the world, listed on the NYSE and operating in Australia across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. It places finance, accounting, technology, administrative and financial services talent on permanent, contract and temporary terms, and runs a retained executive search division for C-suite and board appointments.

For a lot of Australian businesses, that model works. For a lot of others, it turns out to be slower and more expensive than the problem calls for. If you need a finance leader for two days a week, or a technology leader to get you through a nine month build, a permanent placement fee calculated on first-year salary is a strange way to buy it.

Here are the ten strongest Robert Half alternatives for Australian businesses in 2026, what each one is actually good at, and how to work out which fits your situation.

Why businesses look for Robert Half alternatives

Placement fees are calculated on salary you may never pay

Permanent recruitment fees in Australia are commonly reported in the range of 15 to 25 per cent of first-year salary, with retained executive search sitting higher again at 25 to 33 per cent. On a $250,000 finance leadership role, that is a fee somewhere between $37,500 and $82,500 before the person has done a day of work.

The fee assumes you want the role filled permanently and full-time. If what you actually need is three days a week for six months, you are paying a permanent-hire price for a temporary problem. Our guide to fractional executive rates by role sets out what the flexible equivalent costs.

Timelines rarely match the urgency

Contingent professional recruitment typically runs two to eight weeks. Retained executive search runs three to five months, sometimes longer for board-level appointments. That is fine when you are planning a succession twelve months out. It is a serious problem when your CFO has resigned and the audit is in six weeks.

The specialisations are narrower than they look

Robert Half is deepest in finance, accounting, financial services, technology and administration. If you are hiring a marketing leader, an operations leader or a revenue leader, you are working with a firm whose centre of gravity sits elsewhere.

There is no easy way to test the fit first

Traditional recruitment asks you to commit permanently on the strength of interviews, references and assessment. When a senior hire goes wrong, the cost lands on you as notice periods, severance, lost momentum and a repeated search. Fractional and interim engagements let you see the work before anyone signs a permanent contract. The structural differences are covered in full in our comparison of a fractional executive platform versus a recruitment agency.

Volume models suit volume problems

Scale is genuinely useful when you are hiring six accountants. It is less useful when you are hiring one person whose judgement will shape the next three years of the business.

Quick comparison of the top Robert Half alternatives

→ Fractionus: Fractional, interim and project leadership across Australia, the US and the UK. Best for speed and flexibility. No placement fee on annual salary.

→ Odgers Berndtson Australia: Global retained search with an established interim practice. Best for board and public sector appointments.

→ Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting alongside search. Best for enterprise transformation and succession work.

→ Michael Page: Broad professional recruitment across most disciplines and every capital city. Best for permanent mid-to-senior hiring at volume.

→ Hudson: Recruitment plus talent management and RPO. Best when you want an embedded hiring capability rather than a single placement.

→ u&u Recruitment Partners: Australian-owned, strong across the eastern seaboard. Best for businesses that want a local firm over a global brand.

→ Watermark Search International: Australian board and executive search. Best for considered, relationship-led senior appointments.

→ Blenheim Partners: Boutique board and C-suite search. Best for listed and large private company leadership roles.

→ Slade Group: Long-established Melbourne search and recruitment firm. Best for mid-market Victorian businesses wanting continuity of relationship.

→ Six Degrees Executive: Sector-specialist executive recruitment. Best for consumer goods, industrial and technology hiring.

The 10 best Robert Half alternatives in Australia

1. Fractionus (best overall alternative)

Fractionus is a vetted marketplace for fractional executives, operating across Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Businesses are matched with senior leaders who work on a fractional, interim or project basis, with the option to move to a permanent arrangement if the fit proves itself.

What makes it different is the shape of the engagement. Instead of paying a percentage of first-year salary to fill a permanent seat, you engage the level of leadership you need for the days you need it. A business that needs a CFO one day a week engages a CFO one day a week.

Best for: Businesses between roughly $2m and $50m in revenue that need genuine C-suite judgement without a full-time salary, companies covering a departure or a parental leave, and founders who want senior help scoping a problem before they commit to hiring for it.

Coverage: CFO, CMO, COO, CTO, CRO, CHRO, CISO, CDO and chief of staff, across Australia, the US and the UK.

Pricing: No placement fee calculated on annual salary. Engagements are retainer-based and scoped to the days you need, with contracts, payments and onboarding managed by Fractionus. Australian retainers typically sit between $7,000 and $18,000 per month depending on the role, with a fractional CFO in the $7,000 to $15,000 range.

Time to match: A ranked shortlist of vetted executives within 48 hours of your brief.

Network: Over 5,000 fractional leaders, with an acceptance rate under 3% of applicants.

Ideal if: you know what problem you need solved, you want someone senior enough to solve it, and you would rather see the work before you commit to a permanent contract.

For how Fractionus compares against other fractional platforms operating locally, see our guide to the best fractional executive platforms in Australia.

2. Odgers Berndtson Australia

Odgers Berndtson is a global executive search firm headquartered in London with offices across Australia. It is well established in board appointments and the public and not-for-profit sectors, and runs a dedicated interim practice for leadership gaps.

Best for: Board and non-executive director appointments, government and public sector roles, and organisations that want international reach behind an Australian search.

Consider: Retained search pricing and timelines, and a process built around permanent appointment rather than flexible engagement.

3. Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is one of the largest organisational consulting firms in the world, offering executive search alongside leadership development, assessment, succession planning and remuneration benchmarking. It has a substantial Australian presence.

Best for: Large enterprises wanting search bundled with organisational consulting, succession planning programmes, and businesses going through structural change.

Consider: Premium pricing and a scope that can extend well past the hire you came in for.

4. Michael Page

Part of the listed PageGroup, Michael Page recruits across finance, technology, marketing, sales, legal, property, human resources and engineering, with offices in every mainland capital. It is the closest direct competitor to Robert Half on breadth.

Best for: Permanent professional hiring across a wide range of disciplines, and businesses hiring several roles at once.

Consider: A largely contingent model, which means the same percentage-of-salary structure you may be trying to move away from.

5. Hudson

Hudson is a long-standing name in Australian recruitment, offering permanent and contract placement alongside recruitment process outsourcing and talent management services.

Best for: Organisations that want to build an internal hiring capability, high-volume recruitment programmes, and contract workforce management.

Consider: The RPO strength suits sustained hiring. For a single senior appointment it can be more machinery than the task requires.

6. u&u Recruitment Partners

u&u is an Australian-owned recruitment firm with a strong presence across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, covering accounting and finance, technology, government, legal, human resources and executive appointments.

Best for: Australian businesses that would rather work with a local firm, and hiring across Brisbane and the eastern seaboard.

Consider: Limited reach if you are hiring internationally.

7. Watermark Search International

Watermark is an Australian executive search firm focused on board and senior leadership appointments, with a research-led process and a strong reputation in governance appointments.

Best for: Board and non-executive searches, and senior appointments where cultural fit and governance experience carry real weight.

Consider: Retained search timelines, and a focus that sits at the top of the org chart rather than across it.

8. Blenheim Partners

Blenheim Partners is a boutique Australian firm specialising in board, chief executive and C-suite appointments for listed and large private companies.

Best for: Chief executive succession, chair and non-executive director appointments, and businesses wanting a small senior team on the search rather than a large account structure.

Consider: Deliberately narrow focus. This is the wrong firm for a financial controller.

9. Slade Group

Slade Group is one of the longest-established recruitment and executive search firms in Australia, based in Melbourne and working across commercial, government and not-for-profit sectors.

Best for: Victorian mid-market businesses, and organisations that value a long-running relationship with a single firm.

Consider: Smaller footprint outside Victoria than the global brands.

10. Six Degrees Executive

Six Degrees Executive is a Melbourne-founded specialist recruiter concentrated in consumer goods, industrial, technology, supply chain and sales and marketing appointments.

Best for: Sector-specific hiring where category knowledge matters, particularly FMCG, manufacturing and supply chain.

Consider: Sector specialisation cuts both ways. Outside those categories the depth drops away.

How to choose the right Robert Half alternative

By speed

→ Leadership needed within days: Fractionus, or an interim practice such as Odgers.

→ Two to eight weeks: Michael Page, Hudson, u&u, Six Degrees Executive.

→ Three months or more: Korn Ferry, Watermark, Blenheim Partners, Odgers Berndtson.

By budget

→ Paying for scope rather than salary percentage: Fractionus.

→ Mid-range contingent fees: Michael Page, u&u, Slade Group, Six Degrees Executive.

→ Premium retained search: Korn Ferry, Odgers Berndtson, Blenheim Partners, Watermark.

By engagement type

→ Fractional, meaning ongoing part-time leadership: Fractionus.

→ Interim, meaning full-time and temporary: Fractionus, Odgers Berndtson, Hudson.

→ Permanent: any of the traditional search and recruitment firms above.

→ Contract and temporary staffing at volume: Hudson, Michael Page.

By company stage

→ Startup and early growth: Fractionus.

→ Mid-market: Fractionus, u&u, Slade Group, Six Degrees Executive, Michael Page.

→ Large enterprise and listed: Korn Ferry, Odgers Berndtson, Blenheim Partners, Watermark.

Fractionus vs Robert Half, side by side

→ Engagement types. Robert Half covers permanent, contract and temporary placement plus retained executive search. Fractionus covers fractional, interim and project engagements, with a path to permanent where it makes sense.

→ Fee structure. Robert Half charges a placement fee calculated on first-year salary. Fractionus prices on the scope of the engagement.

→ Time to leadership. Robert Half runs two to eight weeks for professional placement and three to five months for retained search. Fractionus returns a ranked shortlist within 48 hours.

→ Function coverage. Robert Half is deepest in finance, accounting, financial services, technology and administration. Fractionus covers the full C-suite including marketing, operations, revenue, people and security.

→ Testing fit. Robert Half asks you to commit permanently on the strength of the process. Fractionus lets you see the work first.

→ Geography. Robert Half operates globally with major Australian offices. Fractionus operates across Australia, the US and the UK.

Robert Half remains a sound choice for permanent finance and technology hiring at volume, and for businesses that genuinely want a full-time person in a full-time seat. Where the requirement is senior judgement on flexible terms, Fractionus is the better structure.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Robert Half in Australia?

For businesses that need senior leadership without a permanent full-time commitment, Fractionus is the strongest alternative. For board-level and enterprise appointments, Odgers Berndtson Australia and Korn Ferry are better suited. For permanent professional hiring across a broad range of disciplines, Michael Page is the closest direct substitute.

How much does Robert Half charge in Australia?

Robert Half does not publish its fees. Permanent recruitment fees in the Australian market are commonly reported in the range of 15 to 25 per cent of first-year salary, with retained executive search assignments typically higher at 25 to 33 per cent. Contract and temporary placements are usually charged on an hourly margin. Confirm current terms directly with the firm.

Does Robert Half place fractional executives?

Robert Half places contract and interim professionals, and runs a retained executive search division for permanent C-suite appointments. Ongoing fractional arrangements, where a senior leader works a set number of days per week across an extended period, sit outside its core model. That is the specific gap platforms like Fractionus were built to fill.

How long does executive recruitment take in Australia?

Contingent professional recruitment generally runs two to eight weeks. Retained executive search runs three to five months, extending further for chief executive and board appointments. Fractional and interim matching is measured in days rather than months, because the candidates are already available and the engagement carries less permanent risk.

What happens if the fractional executive is the wrong fit?

The engagement ends or changes. There is no notice period on an employment contract, no severance, and no repeat search fee. That is the practical argument for testing a senior relationship on flexible terms before making it permanent.

Is a fractional executive cheaper than a permanent hire?

Usually, though the comparison depends on the days involved. A fractional CFO working one day a week costs a fraction of a full-time CFO salary, and you avoid superannuation, leave entitlements, payroll tax and the placement fee. The saving narrows as the days increase. Past roughly three days a week on an ongoing basis, a permanent hire often becomes the better economics. Our Australian cost guide breaks the numbers down by role.

The bottom line

Robert Half built its position on scale, and scale solves real problems. If you are hiring permanent finance and technology professionals across multiple offices, it is a reasonable place to start.

The question worth asking first is whether you need a permanent person at all. A great many businesses run a full search, pay a full fee and hire a full-time executive for a problem that needed two days a week of someone genuinely senior. Working out which situation you are in is worth more than choosing between recruiters.

If the honest answer is that you need the judgement without the headcount, Fractionus was built for exactly that.

Find a vetted fractional executive for your business. Get matched with Fractionus.