Looking for a hospitality recruitment agency in Melbourne? Among the hospitality recruitment agencies Melbourne venues compare, CrossNation is a hospitality recruitment agency registered in Mildura, Victoria (VIC 3500) that serves hotels, pubs, restaurants, cafes and function venues across Greater Melbourne and Victoria. We recruit chefs, cooks, kitchen and front of house staff and venue supervisors from candidates who already live in Australia and from overseas, and we record the licences and certificates each candidate tells us they hold. Our fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement.
Updated . See our terms
12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive.
Fees are charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST. Charged only when a placement succeeds. No placement, no fee.
Christmas offer: sign our agreement by 11:59pm AEDT, Friday 27 November 2026 and pay 12% on every role. See offer terms.
90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement
See our terms.
Greater Melbourne had 4,917,750 residents at the 2021 Census, and cafes and restaurants were the second-largest employing industry, at 2.6% of employed residents against 2.2% across Australia. Only hospitals employed more. In Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide the same Census table does not put cafes and restaurants second, which is why Melbourne venues compete for cooks and floor staff in a deep but busy market. A Census figure counts residents who work in an industry, not venues or vacancies, so read it as the size of the labour market. Hospitality recruitment in Victoria also stretches beyond Melbourne: venues in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo can ask for those locations in the same brief.
In Victoria, anyone who supplies alcohol in a licensed venue needs a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate from a course the regulator has approved. The Victorian Government says the worker gives a copy to the employer, who must keep it on site in case liquor inspectors or Victoria Police ask to see it, and who can be fined if they do not. The certificate stays current with a free refresher every three years, and a worker who trained in another state can complete the bridging course. Separately, food service businesses in the first two categories must appoint a certified food safety supervisor before handling unpackaged, high-risk, ready-to-eat food, with a certificate obtained in the past five years. Ask each candidate which certificates they hold, and say in the brief which ones the role needs.
Two national awards set most hospitality minimums: the Hospitality Industry (General) Award for hotels, resorts and caterers, and the Restaurant Industry Award for restaurants and cafes. Which one applies depends on the venue, and registered clubs sit under other awards. Our hospitality award pay rates guide prints the minimums and penalty percentages with their clauses. Victorian venues also trade through days other states do not observe. The 2026 list includes Labour Day on Monday 9 March, the Friday before the AFL Grand Final on 25 September and Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November, so say in the brief which holidays the role covers and how they are paid.
Searches for a hospitality recruitment agency in Melbourne return job boards, shift suppliers and permanent recruiters. CrossNation recruits permanent and contract roles for your own payroll against a brief: you send the venue type, the role, the roster and the start date, we search and shortlist, you interview, and we coordinate the offer. We do not run casual shift rosters, so a gap for tomorrow night is a question for the enquiry form. Chef recruitment in Melbourne usually starts with the level, from commis to head chef, and the cuisine or service style. Venues that want overseas chefs or cooks can brief us for sponsorship-ready overseas candidates; the employer holds or obtains its own approval, and CrossNation cannot promise a visa, an approval or a job. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
To supply alcohol in a Victorian licensed venue or location you need an RSA Certificate of Completion from an approved course. The employer must keep a copy on site. The free RSA Refresher course must be done every 3 years.
Source: Victorian Government: Responsible Service of Alcohol training (retrieved 14 October 2026)
Category one and two food businesses must appoint a certified food safety supervisor before engaging in a prescribed activity, with a certificate obtained within the past 5 years, and ensure the supervisor is reasonably available to advise and supervise each food handler.
Source: Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Food safety supervisor (retrieved 14 October 2026)
Labour Day is Monday 9 March, the Friday before the AFL Grand Final is Friday 25 September and Melbourne Cup Day is Tuesday 3 November. Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday across all of Victoria unless a non-metropolitan council arranges an alternative.
Source: Business Victoria: Victorian public holidays 2026 (retrieved 6 October 2026)
The Hospitality Industry (General) Award covers hotels, motels, resorts, caterers, casinos and function areas (clause 4.2). The Restaurant Industry Award covers restaurants, reception centres, night clubs, cafes and roadhouses. Registered and licensed clubs sit under other awards, and an enterprise agreement can apply instead.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009] (retrieved 6 October 2026)
Cafes and restaurants employed 63,119 people, 2.6% of employed residents, against 2.2% across Australia.
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Melbourne (retrieved 6 October 2026)
Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs, Southbank, St Kilda, Richmond, Footscray, Box Hill, Frankston, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo.
Greater Melbourne had 4,917,750 residents at the 2021 Census and a median age of 37, compared with 38 in Victoria and 38 in Australia.
The industries employing the most people in Greater Melbourne included Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals), Cafes and Restaurants, Computer System Design and Related Services.
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) employed 105,851 people (4.3% of employed residents), compared with 4.6% in Victoria and 4.5% in Australia.
These are ABS 2021 Census figures. They describe the area, not CrossNation's own placements.
Median weekly household income in Greater Melbourne was $1,901 at the 2021 Census, above the Victoria figure of $1,759 and above the Australian figure of $1,746.
The most common occupation groups among employed residents were professionals (26.8%), managers (13.8%), clerical and administrative workers (12.9%).
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) was the industry employing the most residents of Melbourne, at 4.3% of employed residents.
Wages for a role follow the award or enterprise agreement that covers it, not the Census medians. The screening checks for care and disability roles in Victoria are on our recruitment agency Victoria page. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
| 2021 Census | Greater Melbourne | Victoria | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age (years) | 37 | 38 | 38 |
| Median weekly household income | $1,901 | $1,759 | $1,746 |
| Median weekly family income | $2,243 | $2,136 | $2,120 |
| Median weekly personal income | $841 | $803 | $805 |
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Melbourne (retrieved 6 October 2026). Counts with the share of residents or employed residents in brackets, exactly as the ABS prints them.
| 2021 Census | Greater Melbourne | Victoria | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) | 105,851 (4.3%) | 146,890 (4.6%) | 545,158 (4.5%) |
| Cafes and Restaurants | 63,119 (2.6%) | 77,070 (2.4%) | 268,005 (2.2%) |
| Computer System Design and Related Services | 62,856 (2.6%) | 67,561 (2.1%) | 221,712 (1.8%) |
| Supermarket and Grocery Stores | 55,125 (2.3%) | 75,275 (2.4%) | 299,810 (2.5%) |
| Other Social Assistance Services | 47,200 (1.9%) | 68,023 (2.2%) | 278,221 (2.3%) |
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Melbourne (retrieved 6 October 2026). Counts with the share of residents or employed residents in brackets, exactly as the ABS prints them.
| 2021 Census | Greater Melbourne | Victoria | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professionals | 656,333 (26.8%) | 790,960 (25.0%) | 2,886,921 (24.0%) |
| Managers | 337,829 (13.8%) | 442,109 (14.0%) | 1,645,769 (13.7%) |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 314,570 (12.9%) | 392,444 (12.4%) | 1,525,311 (12.7%) |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 296,021 (12.1%) | 399,460 (12.6%) | 1,554,313 (12.9%) |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 256,199 (10.5%) | 347,570 (11.0%) | 1,382,205 (11.5%) |
| Sales Workers | 202,049 (8.3%) | 263,317 (8.3%) | 986,433 (8.2%) |
| Labourers | 191,239 (7.8%) | 277,292 (8.8%) | 1,086,120 (9.0%) |
| Machinery Operators and Drivers | 142,288 (5.8%) | 187,939 (5.9%) | 755,863 (6.3%) |
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Melbourne (retrieved 6 October 2026). Counts with the share of residents or employed residents in brackets, exactly as the ABS prints them.
Wages are separate from our fee and follow the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, the Restaurant Industry Award 2020 or an enterprise agreement. From 1 July 2026 the General Award sets a level 1 employee (kitchen attendant grade 1, food and beverage attendant grade 1) at $1,004.90 a week ($26.44 an hour) and a level 4 cook (tradesperson) grade 3 at $1,119.10 a week ($29.45 an hour) for full-time employees, and superannuation is paid on top at 12%. These are award minimums, the same in every state. Check Fair Work for the latest rates.
These checks work for any agency. Each one is something you can ask for or verify before you send a brief.
Ask for the percentage, what it is charged on and the event that makes the fee payable, in writing, before you send a brief.
CrossNation: CrossNation's fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds.
Ask for the guarantee period and how it applies in the agreement you sign, not only on the agency's website.
CrossNation: CrossNation placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. See our terms.
Ask what the agency checks before it shortlists a candidate, and what record it keeps, such as qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights, so you can verify each one yourself.
CrossNation: CrossNation records each candidate's qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights so employers can verify them.
If you are considering an overseas hire, ask who gives visa advice. Only a registered migration agent can give migration advice, and the register of migration agents is public (https://www.mara.gov.au/). This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
CrossNation: CrossNation is a recruitment agency, not a registered migration agent. The employer holds or obtains its own approval.
Ask for referee details for a candidate you are shortlisting, call the referees yourself, and ask the agency how it checks references and what it passes on to you.
For bar and floor roles that serve alcohol, ask how the agency records each candidate's responsible service of alcohol (RSA) certificate and check it with the issuing training provider or your state regulator, because requirements are set by each state.
CrossNation: CrossNation records the licences and certificates each candidate tells us they hold.
For chefs and cooks, ask for the cooking qualification and at least one kitchen referee, then call the referee yourself and ask which section or station the person ran.
CrossNation: CrossNation records qualifications and kitchen references so you can check them.
CrossNation is a hospitality recruitment agency registered in Mildura, Victoria (VIC 3500) that recruits for Melbourne and Victorian venues. It recruits permanent and contract roles against a brief, which is different from agencies that supply casual staff by the shift.
The Victorian Government says anyone who wants to supply alcohol in a Victorian licensed venue needs a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate from an approved course provider. It is usually required if you want to work in a licensed venue.
The Victorian Government says the free RSA Refresher course must be done every three years to keep the certificate current.
A cafe or stand-alone restaurant is usually covered by the Restaurant Industry Award, and a pub, hotel or resort by the Hospitality Industry (General) Award. Registered clubs sit under other awards, so check the award or agreement that covers the job.
Our fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. Other recruitment agencies set their own fees, so ask each one how it is calculated and when it is charged.
It depends on the candidate and on bodies CrossNation does not control, such as registration boards, licensing regulators and the Department of Home Affairs, so CrossNation does not give a timeline. Many employers ask for both onshore and overseas candidates so an urgent vacancy is not held up.
The Department of Home Affairs says a standard business sponsor has obligations to meet while it sponsors someone. They include telling the department in writing when certain events occur, such as the sponsored person ceasing employment or a change in their duties, making sure the person works only in the occupation nominated, giving terms and conditions of employment that are not less favourable than those of an equivalent Australian worker, keeping records, and cooperating with inspectors. The sponsor must also pay the costs of the recruitment process itself, including recruitment agent fees, and must not charge them to the sponsored worker. A sponsor that does not meet its obligations can face sanctions. The employer is the sponsor. CrossNation is a recruitment agency, does not sponsor and cannot promise a visa or an approval. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
Placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. How it applies is set out in the agreement between CrossNation and the employer, so ask for the guarantee terms in writing before you sign. See our terms at https://crossnation.com.au/terms. The guarantee is not a promise of any offer, visa or migration outcome.
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How CrossNation hires, what it costs and where it is registered: see About CrossNation, how to hire staff and recruitment fees.
