Comparing hospitality recruitment agencies in Sydney? CrossNation is a hospitality recruitment agency registered in Mildura, Victoria (VIC 3500) that serves hotels, pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and function venues in Sydney and across New South Wales. We recruit chefs, cooks, bar and floor staff and venue supervisors from candidates who already live in Australia and from overseas, and we record the licences and training each candidate reports. 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 Sydney had 5,231,147 residents at the 2021 Census. Its three largest employing industries were hospitals, computer system design and related services, banking, with computer system design at 3.1% against 1.8% nationally and banking at 2.6% against 1.3%. No hospitality industry reaches the top five in Greater Sydney. In Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains, takeaway food services employed 2.1%. The Census counts residents, not venues or vacancies. Read that as context, not a forecast: a Sydney venue recruits in a labour market where finance and technology employers are large, so a brief that states the roster, the award classification and the hours is the clearest way to compete. Hospitality recruitment in Sydney covers the CBD, the eastern and northern beaches and Western Sydney.
Liquor & Gaming NSW publishes the mandatory industry training courses and, on each course page, the initial training and the refresher training needed to keep competency current. It also keeps the list of approved training providers. This page does not list which New South Wales staff need which course. Check the Liquor & Gaming NSW pages for the course your role needs and ask each candidate for the card or certificate they hold. Food safety duties are national: the Food Standards Code requires many food service businesses to appoint a certified food safety supervisor, which is why some kitchens ask a senior chef to hold that certificate.
Pubs, hotels and function venues trade through holidays, and the NSW list for 2026 includes King's Birthday on Monday 8 June, Labour Day on Monday 5 October, and additional days on Monday 27 April and Monday 28 December. The first Monday in August is a Bank Holiday for retail bank branches but is not a declared public holiday, so it does not change a venue roster. NSW employers must also hold a workers compensation policy under the Workers Compensation Act 1987, unless they are exempt. The awards are national, and registered clubs sit under other awards, so write the award or agreement into the position description.
Searches for hotel recruitment agencies Sydney and for a hospitality recruitment agency in Sydney reach a wide range of businesses. CrossNation recruits permanent and contract roles against a brief, from commis chefs to head chefs, from bar teams to venue managers, and it does not supply casual staff by the shift. Tell us the venue type, the number of covers or the size of the team, the roster and whether you prefer candidates already in Australia or overseas. We shortlist, you interview, and we coordinate the offer. 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.
Liquor & Gaming NSW lists the mandatory industry training courses. On each course page you can learn about the initial training and the refresher training needed to keep competency current.
Source: NSW Government: Training, liquor and gaming in NSW (retrieved 14 October 2026)
King's Birthday is Monday 8 June and Labour Day is Monday 5 October. Additional days are listed for Monday 27 April and Monday 28 December. The first Monday in August is a Bank Holiday for retail bank branches and is not a declared public holiday.
Source: NSW Government: NSW public holidays 2026 to 2027 (retrieved 6 October 2026)
Under the Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), all employers in NSW (except exempt employers) must have a workers compensation policy.
Source: icare: Workers compensation insurance, statement of product 2026-27 (retrieved 6 October 2026)
5,231,147 residents. The three largest employing industries were hospitals, computer system design and related services, banking, with banking at 2.6% and computer system design at 3.1% of employed residents.
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Sydney (retrieved 6 October 2026)
Sydney CBD, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Bondi, Manly, North Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith, Newtown, Barangaroo.
Greater Sydney had 5,231,147 residents at the 2021 Census and a median age of 37, compared with 39 in New South Wales and 38 in Australia.
The industries employing the most people in Greater Sydney included Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals), Computer System Design and Related Services, Banking.
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) employed 98,480 people (4.1% of employed residents), compared with 4.2% in New South Wales 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 Sydney was $2,077 at the 2021 Census, above the New South Wales figure of $1,829 and above the Australian figure of $1,746.
The most common occupation groups among employed residents were professionals (29.3%), managers (15.2%), clerical and administrative workers (13.8%).
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) was the industry employing the most residents of Sydney, at 4.1% 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 New South Wales are on our recruitment agency New South Wales page. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
| 2021 Census | Greater Sydney | New South Wales | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age (years) | 37 | 39 | 38 |
| Median weekly household income | $2,077 | $1,829 | $1,746 |
| Median weekly family income | $2,374 | $2,185 | $2,120 |
| Median weekly personal income | $881 | $813 | $805 |
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Sydney (retrieved 6 October 2026). Counts with the share of residents or employed residents in brackets, exactly as the ABS prints them.
| 2021 Census | Greater Sydney | New South Wales | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) | 98,480 (4.1%) | 153,159 (4.2%) | 545,158 (4.5%) |
| Computer System Design and Related Services | 75,278 (3.1%) | 84,575 (2.3%) | 221,712 (1.8%) |
| Banking | 63,367 (2.6%) | 71,055 (1.9%) | 158,358 (1.3%) |
| Supermarket and Grocery Stores | 58,262 (2.4%) | 92,329 (2.5%) | 299,810 (2.5%) |
| Other Social Assistance Services | 48,853 (2.0%) | 87,430 (2.4%) | 278,221 (2.3%) |
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Sydney (retrieved 6 October 2026). Counts with the share of residents or employed residents in brackets, exactly as the ABS prints them.
| 2021 Census | Greater Sydney | New South Wales | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professionals | 711,729 (29.3%) | 952,131 (25.8%) | 2,886,921 (24.0%) |
| Managers | 368,876 (15.2%) | 536,820 (14.6%) | 1,645,769 (13.7%) |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 334,504 (13.8%) | 480,612 (13.0%) | 1,525,311 (12.7%) |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 254,555 (10.5%) | 436,589 (11.9%) | 1,554,313 (12.9%) |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 225,062 (9.3%) | 390,779 (10.6%) | 1,382,205 (11.5%) |
| Sales Workers | 188,556 (7.8%) | 294,889 (8.0%) | 986,433 (8.2%) |
| Labourers | 164,335 (6.8%) | 300,966 (8.2%) | 1,086,120 (9.0%) |
| Machinery Operators and Drivers | 136,033 (5.6%) | 222,186 (6.0%) | 755,863 (6.3%) |
Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Greater Sydney (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 Sydney and New South Wales venues. We serve the venue from Victoria and do not run a Sydney site. We recruit permanent and contract roles against your brief.
Yes. Tell us the venue type, because the award that applies differs: hotels and resorts are usually under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, restaurants and cafes under the Restaurant Industry Award, and registered clubs under other awards.
Liquor & Gaming NSW lists the mandatory industry training courses and approved training providers. Check the course page for the role rather than relying on a job ad.
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.
