Rec2Rec Sydney — Australia's Specialist Recruiter-to-Recruiter Agency
Transforming Recruitment Relationships with Equal and Lateral Thinking.
Equilateral is a specialist Rec2Rec agency based in Sydney and the Central Coast, connecting recruitment consultants, billing managers and agency leaders with Australia's best recruitment businesses. We exist to make recruitment careers — and recruitment agencies — better.
Founded by Paul Stewart, a recruitment leader with 20+ years' experience including 14 years as General Manager and Operations Director of a global recruitment firm, Equilateral works across every major sector and seniority level in the Australian recruitment industry.
We place recruiters from Consultant through to Managing Director, and we do it the way recruitment should be done — fairly, transparently, and with every stakeholder treated as an equal.
Rec2Rec — short for recruitment-to-recruitment — is a specialist recruitment service that places recruitment professionals into roles within recruitment agencies. Instead of recruiting accountants for accounting firms or engineers for engineering companies, a Rec2Rec consultant recruits recruiters.
What is Rec2Rec?.
A good Rec2Rec agency understands the recruitment industry from the inside — billing models, desk economics, commission structures, leadership pathways, agency culture, and the difference between a contingent desk and a retained search team. That deep industry knowledge is what allows a Rec2Rec consultant to match a recruiter to an agency where they will genuinely thrive, not just where there happens to be a vacancy.
At Equilateral, we work exclusively in Rec2Rec. Every consultant we place, every agency we partner with, and every conversation we have happens inside the Australian recruitment industry.
How We Work.
Our vision has always been about improving the interaction between recruiters, clients, and candidates. At Equilateral, we believe in creating equal partnerships between all stakeholders, ensuring better recruitment outcomes for everyone involved. Our name reflects our core values and the way we work.
Equi From the Latin word "aequus," meaning equal, fair, or just.
Lateral Representing out-of-the-box thinking and creative problem-solving.
We bring these principles together to deliver tailored Rec2Rec solutions that create mutual success to the recruitment industry
Recruitment Sectors We Cover.
Equilateral places recruiters into agencies across every major industry sector in Australia.
Whether you're a tech recruiter in Sydney, a civil construction recruiter on the Central Coast, or a healthcare recruiter looking at a national move, we work with agencies hiring in your space.
Our sector coverage includes technology and IT recruitment, engineering recruitment,
construction and civil recruitment, healthcare and medical recruitment, accounting and
finance recruitment, sales recruitment, marketing and digital recruitment, legal recruitment,
education recruitment, executive search, supply chain and logistics recruitment, and business support recruitment. We also work with industrial and labour hire desks, contractor and temp desks, and specialist desks like data, AI and renewables.
If you're a recruiter in a sector that isn't listed, contact us — we likely already work with agencies in your space.
Technology
Healthcare
& Medical
Accounting
& Finance
Engineering
Construction
Sales
Marketing
Legal
Education
Executive Search
Supply Chain & Logistics
Business
Support
We recruit across every level of the Australian recruitment industry, from new consultants taking their first agency role through to founders selling their business and stepping into advisory. The roles we work on most often include:
Who We Place.
Recruitment Consultants
consultants with 1-3 years' experience looking to step up in billings, sector specialism, or agency culture.
Senior Recruitment Consultants
billers with a strong track record looking for better commission, better leadership, or a step into a 360 desk.
Principal Consultants
experienced billers who want to remain in delivery without moving
into people management.
Team Leaders and Billing Managers
consultants ready to manage and bill, or existing managers seeking better infrastructure.
Branch and State Managers
operational leaders moving between agencies or geographies.
Directors, GMs and Managing Directors
senior leaders making strategic moves, often
confidentially.
Executive Search Consultants
retained search specialists at every level.
We also place researchers, resourcers, sourcers, and recruitment operations professionals — the supporting talent that makes recruitment desks run.
Why Recruiters Choose Equilateral?
Built by a recruiter, for recruiters
Paul Stewart spent 14 years inside a global recruitment business — as a consultant, manager, General Manager and Operations Director — before founding Equilateral. That
means we understand recruitment desks the way recruiters understand them: KPIs, billings pressure, commission structures, ramp periods, and what actually makes a desk work.
Genuinely confidential
Career conversations with Equilateral are confidential by default. We don't send your CV anywhere without your permission, we don't reference-check without your consent, and we don't tell your current employer you're looking. Confidentiality is the foundation of trust in Rec2Rec, and we treat it accordingly.
Long-term career partner, not transactional
Most recruiters we place stay in our network for years. We help with the move, then we stay involved — career check-ins, market intelligence, advice when the next opportunity comes around. We'd rather place a recruiter into the right role in two years than the wrong role today.
Honest market intelligence
We tell you what we actually see in the Australian recruitment market — which agencies are growing, which are struggling, where commission structures are competitive, where culture is genuinely good, and where it isn't. Recruiters need real intelligence to make good career decisions.
How Our Rec2Rec Process Works.
Connecting You with Your Next Career
1
Career Discovery
We start with a confidential conversation — usually 30-45 minutes, by phone or in person if you're in Sydney or on the Central Coast. We dig into what's actually driving you: billings, commission, leadership, culture, sector, geography, flexibility. We're listening for what you want to change, not just what's wrong with your current desk.
2
Targeted agency matching
We map your priorities against agencies we know well. We don't send you a job list. We talk you through 2-4 agencies that genuinely fit, including the things you won't find on their website — leadership style, desk economics, real commission take-home, growth trajectory, and culture as it actually is on the floor.
3
Interview preparation and representation
We prep you for every stage — first call, panel, billings deep-dive, commercial conversation. We brief you on the people interviewing you, the questions they're likely to ask, and the answers that resonate. We represent you commercially through to offer, including base, commission structure and start date.
4
Onboarding and long-term partnership
We stay involved after you start — through ramp, through your first quarter, through the inevitable wobbles in any new role. And when you're ready for your next move in three or five years, we'll still be here.
FAQs
Got questions about how we can help you shape the career you want for the future you deserve?
What is a Rec2Rec agency?
A Rec2Rec agency — short for recruitment-to-recruitment — places recruitment
professionals into recruitment agencies. Instead of recruiting for clients in tech, finance or healthcare, a Rec2Rec consultant recruits recruiters themselves.
The value of working with a specialist Rec2Rec is that they understand the recruitment industry from the inside: billing models, commission structures, desk economics, leadership pathways, and what actually makes agencies work or fail.
What does Equilateral do?
Equilateral is a specialist Rec2Rec agency based in Sydney and on the Central Coast in
New South Wales, Australia.
We place recruitment consultants, billing managers, branch managers and senior leaders into recruitment agencies across the Australian market. We also offer training programs and advisory services for recruitment founders and leaders, but our core service is Rec2Rec placement.
Where is Equilateral based?
Equilateral is based in Sydney and the Central Coast region of New South Wales. We work primarily across the Sydney recruitment market, but place recruiters nationally across Australia — including Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and regional markets.
Founder Paul Stewart is contactable directly at paul.stewart@equilateral.com.au or +61 414 906 563.
How much does it cost a recruiter to use Equilateral?
Nothing. Like all Rec2Rec agencies, our fees are paid by the agencies that hire you, never
by candidates. There is no cost to register with Equilateral, have a career conversation, be represented for roles, or accept a placement through us. Our service to recruiters is free, confidential, and ongoing.
Is my conversation with Equilateral confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is the foundation of Rec2Rec. We don't send your CV or details to any agency without your explicit permission, we don't approach references without your consent, and we don't disclose your interest to your current employer. Many of the recruiters we work with are quietly exploring the market while still in role, and we treat that as the default.
What sectors does Equilateral cover?
We cover every major recruitment sector in Australia, including technology, engineering,
construction, civil, healthcare, medical, accounting and finance, sales, marketing, legal, education, executive search, supply chain, logistics, business support, industrial, and labour hire.
We also work across temp, contract, and permanent desks. If you recruit in a sector that isn't listed, contact us — we likely work with agencies hiring in your space.
What seniority levels does Equilateral place?
Equilateral places recruiters at every level: Recruitment Consultants, Senior Consultants, Principal Consultants, Team Leaders, Billing Managers, Branch Managers, State Managers, Directors, GMs, and Managing Directors. We also place researchers, resourcers, sourcers, and recruitment operations professionals. Around half of our placements are at Senior Consultant to Billing Manager level — the engine room of most agencies.
How long does it take to find a new role through a Rec2Rec?
It varies. Some recruiters move within 4-6 weeks of their first conversation; others take 4-6 months because they're being selective. The Rec2Rec process is generally faster than
recruiting in other industries because both sides understand the process — but the right
move always takes priority over the fast move. We'd rather place you well in three months than badly in three weeks.
Do you only work with recruiters in Sydney?
No. While we are based in Sydney and on the Central Coast and have our deepest network
in NSW, we place recruiters across Australia — including Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth,
Adelaide and regional locations. Many recruitment agencies hire nationally, and remote and hybrid recruiter roles are increasingly common, so geography is rarely\ a barrier.
What makes Equilateral different from other Rec2Rec agencies?
Three things. First, our founder Paul Stewart spent 14 years inside a global recruitment
business as a senior leader, so we understand desks from the operator's perspective.
Second, we treat Rec2Rec as a long-term career partnership, not a transactional placement — most recruiters we place stay in our network for years. Third, our name reflects our philosophy: equal — fair to recruiters, agencies and clients alike — and lateral, meaning we think creatively about career paths rather than just matching CVs to job descriptions.
I'm an agency owner — do you help with hiring as well?
Yes. About 90% of our work is helping recruitment agencies in Australia hire recruiters, billing managers and leaders. We work on contingent and retained briefs, including confidential leadership searches. We also offer training and advisory services for agency founders through our 'Board in a Box' quarterly program.
Contact
paul.stewart@equilateral.com.au to discuss a hiring requirement.
How do I get started with Equilateral?
Email paul.stewart@equilateral.com.au or call +61 414 906 563 to book a confidential career
conversation.
There's no commitment, no CV required upfront, and no pressure.
The first conversation is about understanding what you want from your career — we work out whether and how we can help from there.
About the founder.
Equilateral was founded by Paul Stewart, a recruitment leader with more than 20 years' experience in the industry. Paul spent 14 years at a global recruitment firm, where he progressed from Consultant through to General Manager and Operations Director, leading large teams across multiple sectors and geographies.
He founded Equilateral to build the kind of Rec2Rec agency he wished had existed when he was making his own career moves — fair, transparent, advisory-led, and genuinely focused on long-term outcomes for recruiters and agencies alike.
Paul is based on the Central Coast of New South Wales and works across Sydney and nationally. He is contactable at
paul.stewart@equilateral.com.au or
+61 414 906 563.
Still have questions?
I'll be happy to answer them.
