Recruitment consultants working for a recruitment agency may work in some or all of the following areas:

• interviewing candidates to determine their job requirements and suitability for particular jobs, and placing them in jobs
• assisting employers to find suitable staff
• undertaking pre-employment screening, such as reference checks and background checks
• finding new clients and maintaining client relationships.

Recruitment consultants are generally award free. Whether an award covers a particular recruitment consultant depends on:

• the skills, duties and qualifications of the employee.
• whether their employer is in the labour market assistance industry.

Employer in the labour market assistance industry

Employers in the labour market assistance industry provide work placement and job searching support in the welfare sector. They have a contract with the government to provide these services to assist people seeking employment.

Recruitment consultants working for an employer in the labour market assistance industry are covered by the Labour Market Assistance Award.

They’ll be classified according to their duties and responsibilities.

Employer not in the labour market assistance industry

Recruitment consultants working for an employer that’s not in the labour market assistance industry may be:

• covered by the Clerks Award,
• covered by the Miscellaneous Award, or
• award free.

Clerks Award

The Clerks Award may cover recruitment consultants if they’re employed primarily to perform clerical or administrative tasks.

An employee won’t be covered by the Clerks Award just because they perform some administrative tasks.

The employee's classification depends on their skills and responsibilities.

Miscellaneous Award

The Miscellaneous Award can cover recruitment consultants if:

• they're not a clerical employee covered by the Clerks Award
• they're not a professional employee.

They may be considered a professional employee if their role requires a degree qualification, for example, a bachelor’s degree in human resources, or requires relevant industry experience.

Award free

Generally, recruitment consultants working for a recruitment agency aren’t covered by an award. They’re entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards.