Frequently Asked Questions

A recruitment agency acts as a strategic hiring partner to businesses, bridging the gap between employers and job seekers by sourcing, assessing and placing the right talent in short-term, long-term or permanent roles.

Hiring the right kind of people for your business along with creating an excellent candidate experience to ensure your brand is represented well in the market can be a full time job, so organisations outsource to agencies when they don’t have capacity to run a thorough search themselves or when they want to lean on the extensive networks and ongoing support of a recruitment agency. 

We take full control of the recruitment process on your behalf, which includes sourcing candidates through our well-established networks, screening resumes, conducting interviews to create a short list, coordinating interviews between yourself and the candidate, managing candidate expectations and communications, and providing valuable insights and advice throughout the hiring process and after candidates have been successfully placed in the role.

By working with a specialist recruitment agency like Lotus People, you gain access to expert guidance, an extensive talent pool and a streamlined hiring process that saves time, reduces risk and ensures the right people join your business.

Partnering with us at Lotus People offers many unique benefits. We are very passionate about the exceptional experience we provide for our clients and candidates and are led by our genuine values every day. Unlike many agencies, we have intensive ongoing internal training meaning that no matter which consultant you are working with, you should expect the same high-level experience. We are constantly upskilling and educating ourselves on current market trends to ensure that we remain innovative, knowledgeable, and the best at what we do. We have consultants whose sole role is to source, identify and build strong candidate relationships, meaning we have exceptional resources in place to offer you high-quality recruitment support.

We have access to an extensive, current network of skilled candidates and we have won numerous awards to recognise our excellent service and genuine human-first approach to recruitment. We have strong processes in place and utilise both AI and analytics to ensure that we work efficiently and innovatively at all times., We also work hard to understand and authentically convey your company’s employee value proposition resulting in us representing your brand extremely well in a competitive market. We work closely with you to get the best result, every time.

We also have expertise in matching candidates with specific skill sets across a range of roles and industries, increasing the likelihood of finding the right fit. Additionally, we provide all our clients with valuable market intelligence, salary benchmarking, and consultation in streamlining their hiring process.

We always start with a thorough job brief meeting conducted in person or virtually. Lotus People fill 4 out of every 5 roles listed, so we are committed to gaining a good understanding from you about every position, even if we know you really well!

We collaborate closely with you to understand your organisation, hiring needs, job requirements, and company culture and consult with you about market insights to ensure you get the best outcome.

After the briefing, we will then use our extensive resources to source candidates, pre-screen them, conduct an in-depth interview with them and present you with a shortlist of suitable individuals, for permanent and contract roles, or experienced, immediately available temps for temporary roles.

We can guide you through the most effective interview process, sharing insights such as top candidate motivators in the current market to help inform the best process. Once you conduct interviews and choose your preferred candidate, Lotus People manage the offer, the candidate negotiations and support with a smooth onboarding experience.

We have three divisions across Sydney and Brisbane with scope to recruit nationally. Our team recruits roles across business support comprising a vast range of roles from customer service to high-level executive support to mid-level management, both on a temporary and permanent basis. Our HR & Talent division recruits roles from generalist junior to senior level HR and talent acquisition roles, senior head of and director level roles, and all specialist roles including L&D, IR, Rem & Ben, and more.

Our unique setup means that every consultant at Lotus People specialises in a different industry, possessing expert-level knowledge of your sector and strong candidate networks within it. These include, but are not limited to; tech, education, non-profit, financial services, fintech, healthcare, FMCG, retail, manufacturing, property, construction, and engineering.

Given our in-depth industry knowledge, we are able to confidently support with a range of niche roles that would fall outside of the classic “business support” category - run your position past us and if we have networks/ expertise in that area, we’ll let you know! 

Please reach out to info@lotuspeople.com.au for more information

We have a rigorous screening and selection process to ensure the quality of the candidates we present to you. Our team receives thorough, ongoing training and everyone approaches their candidate sourcing with the same consistent methodologies. We rank in SEEK’s top 5% of ads posted on the entire platform, have unlimited access to the highest level of LinkedIn, use automation to consistently engage with inactive candidates on the database, as well as leverage our reputation for exceptional candidate experience for a high number of referrals and having access to passive candidates.

Our highly trained recruiters conduct thorough interviews, understand the motivations and preferences of candidates, and assess their skills, experience, and personality traits to ensure the best match for every role. We also are committed to remaining in contact with both you and the placed candidate through a formalised check in program, to ensure that all parties are happy.

By the time you receive the details of our candidates, they have been interviewed by us, vetted for this particular role and we are confident that they are a suitable candidate for the position. We recommend that organisations meet with all candidates that we put forward in order to allow them the opportunity to understand the value that the candidate can bring to the role. For temporary roles, due to the urgency of turnaround often required, we recommend not always conducting an interview and relying on our guarantee offer. (More on this below).

We understand that every organisation has unique requirements and preferences, hence why we insist on a thorough job brief for every new position listed with Lotus People.

Our team will work closely with you to understand your specific needs, such as technical skills, experience level, cultural fit, and any other specific requirements you may have. We tailor our candidate search and screening process to align with your preferences and your EVP, ensuring we find the most suitable candidates for your organisation

A great question, and one that we often get asked!

Organisations engage temporary staff through us for a number of reasons, some of which include; annual leave or sick cover, additional project support, a short-term solution when hiring a permanent person, when they don’t have approval for additional headcount, when they are unsure of how long they may need someone in the role, when they want the flexibility of a resource without having to process them through their own payroll, when they need someone for an immediate (same day or next day or yesterday start!) - and many more reasons! Temporary staff complete timesheets and operate on hours worked/ hours paid basis and the recruitment process is a lot faster. We have temps that work for one day, or we have temps that have been working for over 1 - 2 years in some businesses!

A temp-to-perm option is a great option if there is an immediate need to have coverage in a team, change or uncertainty around business or budgets, or no current headcount. Temp to perm processes means that the role is, or may in the future be, available on a permanent basis. Usually, this recruitment process is as quick as sourcing for a temp, and many clients like the option of seeing a candidate operate in a role before committing to them on a permanent basis. This model includes the cost of a temp for the hours they worked, plus a permanent fee once you convert them to your own payroll.

Organisations usually engage candidates on a fixed-term contract when they know there is a set time when they know they need the role filled. Most commonly, we see fixed-term contracts for parental leave, to cover secondments or in some organisations where they only have funding for a set period of time and can’t commit to hiring on a permanent basis. We do a minimum of 6-month contracts and the placement fee is pro-rated based on the length of the contract. Unlike temp, this process usually involves shortlisting multiple candidates and conducting one or two interviews with your organisation.

Permanent recruitment processes occur when there is a formal vacancy in a team. The process is clear and set out and once we have taken a job brief, we will explain our process, and the timelines and will work with you to pencil in the first (and second, if relevant) interview(s) to ensure a streamlined, effective and efficient process.

Depending on the nature of your requirement, your open vacancy could sit with either the temporary or permanent division and we will work with you to establish which approach is best for you!

The duration of the recruitment process can vary depending on various factors, including the specific role, industry, and market conditions. We aim to streamline the process as much as possible while ensuring thorough candidate evaluation. Our team will provide you with a timeline based on your specific requirements and keep you informed at every stage of the process.

Given we invest a large amount of time pre-screening and interviewing temporary candidates and many of our available candidates have worked for us before, the vast majority of our temporary roles are filled within a matter of hours. This can increase to a day or two, depending on the role or length.

For our permanent recruitment, again, this would vary based on the above factors and we always want to ensure we’ve thoroughly mapped the market and selected the best people but most of our permanent positions are filled within 1 - 2 weeks. How responsive and engaged you are in the process will hugely impact the speed of delivery for these roles.

We are well versed in volume recruitment and have proven ourselves to deliver a large amount of temporary and permanent roles in bulk within similar timeframes too.

We take pride in delivering a high-quality, ethical and people-focused recruitment experience in every search we take on. Whether engaging us on a retained or contingent basis, our commitment to excellence, care and service remains unwavering. However, the level of strategic input, depth of market research, and certainty of outcome vary between these two models.

Retained recruitment is a premium, consultative service that guarantees a fully committed and structured search. This model involves a three-stage payment process for you as the client - at the job briefing stage, shortlist stage, and placement stage - allowing us to dedicate extensive time to market mapping, proactive headhunting and tailored candidate engagements.

By engaging Lotus People on a retained basis, your role becomes our top priority. We provide detailed insights into the market, consult on your hiring strategy, and offer transparent feedback on candidate sentiment and availability. With 100% of our retained roles successfully placed, this approach guarantees a committed partnership and the best possible hiring outcome.

Contingent recruitment operates on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning our time spent sourcing, consulting and shortlisting candidates is not compensated unless a placement is made. While we always bring our full expertise and care to every search, contingent recruitment does mean there is a degree of shared risk - clients may choose to withdraw a role or fill it internally, making it difficult for us to dedicate the same level of market mapping, search strategy and candidate feedback as in a retained model.

That said, we take on contingent roles exclusively, meaning we are the only agency working on the search. This ensures a streamlined and high-quality candidate experience and allows us to dedicate meaningful time and effort to your hire. In this model, we successfully fill 80% of roles we take on, demonstrating our commitment to delivering results even in a success-based structure.

For contingent recruitment, full payment is invoiced in one amount on the candidate’s start date, with payment terms in accordance with our agreed terms of business.

Why we do not work on a non-exclusive, multi-agency basis

At Lotus People, we believe in delivering a high-touch, ethical and candidate-focused recruitment experience. When multiple agencies compete to fill the same role, the focus shifts from quality to speed, which can compromise candidate experience, dilute the employer brand, and lead to rushed hiring decisions.

For this reason, we very rarely take on non-exclusive contingent roles. In these instances, we may share a CV from our existing network if we already have a highly suitable candidate, but we do not invest time in active sourcing, market mapping or headhunting for non-exclusive searches.

Would you like to discuss which approach is best suited for your next hire? Get in touch, we’d love to support you!

As a recruitment agency ranked Best Agency for Candidate Experience five years in a row, we place significant importance on maintaining a seamless and ethical hiring process for candidates and clients.

The cost structure varies depending on the services and level of support you require. We offer flexible pricing options and can provide detailed information on our fees during our initial consultation. We strive to provide cost-effective solutions while delivering exceptional value and results.

Temporary recruitment is costed on hours worked, hours paid basis, invoiced weekly after our candidate submits their weekly timesheet.

Permanent and fixed-term contract recruitment is based on a percentage of the salary package and you will be invoiced either on candidate's start date or in three phases, depending on if you opt for the exclusive or retained option.

Request a copy of our terms of business here.

Yes, our guarantees are rarely used but our clients appreciate that it’s a safety net to have in place.

Temporary staff are covered by a one-day guarantee period where you will not be charged if the candidate isn’t the right fit on the first day. This is usually in lieu of an interview and clients have very rarely taken us up on it.

Permanent and fixed-term contract staff are covered by a 12-week guarantee period in case the candidate doesn’t work out due to performance. Terms and conditions apply to this and we’ll refer you to our terms of business during our first meeting. If a fixed term contract has been pro ratad, the guarantee period will be pro ratad accordingly.

Candidates who have temped and then converted to permanency on your payroll are not covered by a guarantee given they have been successfully working within your business as a temp.

When you work with Lotus People, you can be guaranteed a quality process and result. We will commit to doing our best work for you and in return we ask that you:

• Sign our terms of business before we commence the search
• Give us an accurate and thorough brief and job description and let us know of any changes ASAP, as this could affect how we approach search
• Return our calls/ emails as quickly as possible so as not to delay the process or lose out on candidates - allow us to provide the exceptional service that our candidates expect of us
• Give us detailed feedback on each candidate so we can support them in their job search
• Discuss candidate salaries with us early on, rather than offering lower than expected at offer stage, which can negatively impact a candidates’ experience
• Complete the Recruiter Insider survey and Google review request that gets sent after placements - feedback is incredibly important to us at Lotus and ensures we are continuing to live and breathe our values

Please note that the above information is a general guide, and we are more than happy to address any specific questions or concerns you may have.

We will be very happy to hear from you and look forward to learning if we are the right agency to support you. 

1. Contact us by phone at 02 8274 4601 or by email at info@lotuspeople.com.au and you should expect to hear back from us very quickly.

2. Book in a meeting in person or virtually

3. Consult on the best options for you, talk you through our terms of business and decide on timelines for the process

4. Provide you with a clear understanding of next steps and our approach to sourcing with plenty of updates along the way

5. Book in a follow up meeting for us to report back on the search/ talk through suitable candidate

Please note that the above information is a general guide, and we are more than happy to address any specific questions or concerns you may have.