News for 18 August 2026 includes a big fine for Hudson, a big consulting firm moves into search with a former Davidson leader, Robert Walters results, AI disrupts Federal government recruitment, and which sleepy city is on top of LinkedIn's Cities on the Rise rankings? Question of the Week is, "Does being tall pay more? in which Adele and Ross discuss the research about "the beauty premium".

Episode 174 Does being tall pay more? 

Episode 173 has news for 11 August 2026, including RCSA past-president Sinead Hourigan exiting Robert Walters after two decades, the global staffing market growing for the first time since 2022, TalentVine's acquisition reopens the debate on why job-marketplace platforms keep failing, and NZ's unemployment hitting a decade-high ahead of November's election. Plus — a Queensland court just gutted a non-compete clause, the ATO was forced to scrap an entire recruitment round after AI screened candidates without required human sign-off,  Robert Walters' half-year results show revenue up but margins down, KordaMentha lands a new exec search partner amid an ICAC corruption inquiry, one Silicon Valley startup's "get inked, get hired" afterparty backfires spectacularly, and LinkedIn's first-ever Cities on the Rise list crowns an unexpected Australian winner. Question of the Week is "How do you avoid a Fair Work investigation into your on-hire workforce?"*

Episode 173  "How do you avoid a Fair Work investigation into your on-hire workforce?"*

RNA episode 172 has news for 4 August 2026 covering  job mobility dropping to a near-record low as Australians sit tight in their roles, major NSW Industrial Court ruling that leaves labour hire firms rethinking how they view the transition of workers. SustainRecruit alumni launching a new boutique agency, Liminal Recruitment, alongside a deep dive into fresh ATO income data revealing which jobs have booming earnings and which are on the slide.  Question of the Week is, "What is job hugging?"

Episode 172 - What is job hugging?

RNA episode 171 has news for 28 July 2026, including the labour market update for June, PageGroup reverts to Michael Page, Randstad's global profits climb, Queensland rolls out big apprentice incentives, a Harvard study exposes a wild hiring bias toward fast repliers, SEEK ad volumes keep sliding as job competition hits a record. Question of the Week is "Who is HiTech and why did they buy Hudson?"

Episode 171 - Who is HiTech and why did they buy Hudson?

Job market holds steady, PageGroup goes back to being Michael Page, Randstadt's global profits climb, Queensland rolls out big apprentice incentives, a Harvard study exposes a wild hiring bias toward fast repliers, Seek ad volumes keep sliding as competition hits a record for job applications.

Episode 171 - Who are Hi-Tech and why did they buy Hudson?

Episode 170 includes news for 21 July 2026, including the Victorian Labour Hire Authority's scathing assessment of former Hudson directors Mark Steyn and Kendall Ryan, why the ATO killed the original rescue plan, and what HiTech's bid could mean for Hudson's future. We also discuss a groundbreaking Harvard study revealing how weight-loss drugs are changing employment outcomes for women, analyse the latest financial results from PageGroup, Robert Walters and ManpowerGroup, and look at Victoria Police's innovative strategy of rehiring retired officers to tackle critical workforce shortages. Question of the week is "What characterises the most AI-proof jobs in the world?"

Episode 170 What characterises the most AI-proof jobs in the world?

RNA episode 169 has news for 14 July 2026, including the dramatic collapse of Hudson’s original rescue plan as ATO legal action and the Victorian Labour Hire Authority force a complete rethink, with HiTech now emerging as the preferred bidder. We pay tribute to recruitment pioneer Bill Pollock, the visionary founder of Drake International, examine the final days of the ICAC hearings into recruitment corruption at the University of Wollongong, discuss the remarkable global career of former Randstad Enterprise CEO Michael Smith, and analyse Hays’ latest results as Australia's recruitment market continues to face a challenging and uneven recovery.

Episode 169 - Should the recruitment industry have a baseline standard for applicant closure?

RNA episode 168 has news for 7 July 2026: Ephram Stephenson springs back to life, the ICAC inquiry about recruitment and promotion at the University of Wollongong claims a huge scalp, Korn Ferry acquires AMS , Momentum Consulting moves from voluntary administration to a DOCA, and the latest research on discrimination and harassment in Australian workplaces. In Question of the Week , Adele and Ross debate the EC directive on mandatory communication about salary early in the recruitment process and unpack the implications for the recruitment sector.

Episode 168 - Should salary ranges be mandatory in job ads?

RNA episode 167 has news for 30 June 2026 featuring the latest update on the Hudson administration, the latest labor market results, an Adelaide recruitment agency becomes collateral damage in Tasmanian politics, and more recruitment corruption in the NFP/government sector, with a fresh ICAC inquiry scrutinizing recruitment at the University of Wollongong. 

Question of the Week is, "What makes a recruitment business attractive and to whom?"

Episode 167 - What makes a recruitment business attractive and to whom?

RNA episode 166 has news for 23 June 2026, with the Hudson creditors meeting again tomorrow, a new leadership hire at Davidson in Melbourne, Hays sells its operations in six European markets, legal right to work from home legislation is tabled in the Victorian state parliament, and the latest SEEK job ad data for May. Question of the Week is "Are large recruitment firms adopting a shrink-to-grow strategy?"

Episode 166 - Are large recruitment firms adopting a shrink to grow strategy?

This weekly podcast, featuring recruitment industry experts Ross Clennett and Adele Last, covers relevant news and tackles a topical question each week. 

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Recruitment News Australia