Mining Recruitment Agencies: FIFO and Labour Hire

What agencies and labour hire firms do

A recruitment agency finds candidates for an employer's vacancies. A labour hire firm supplies workers to a host business. Plenty of firms on this page do both, and some describe their mining work as shutdowns, projects or managed workforces. When you apply through an agency, you are dealing with the agency first and the mine or contractor second, so ask who the employer is before you accept an offer.

Applying direct is a different route: you apply on the mining company's own careers page. Both routes are common. See the FIFO jobs page and the mining companies directory for direct careers pages. New to the industry? Start with how to get into mining and mining jobs with no experience.

Agencies and labour hire firms, A to Z

Locations and roles below are as each firm states them on the linked page. A firm with a head office in one city can still recruit elsewhere; check the firm's site for current coverage.

Agency	Where, as stated on its site	Recruits for, as stated on its site
Adecco AustraliaChecked 2026-10-10	The mining page names no states or cities. The site says it has teams across Australia and 45+ locations.	Skilled talent across mining and resources, in temporary and permanent positions. FIFO is not mentioned.
Brunel AustraliaChecked 2026-10-10	Western Australia and East Australia. Sites named include Barrow Island, Chinchilla and the Gunnedah Basin. Listings in Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.	FIFO roles across engineering, trades and management, on FIFO, DIDO and BIBO rosters.
Chandler MacleodChecked 2026-10-10	Mining roles across Australia, including the Pilbara and Goldfields (WA), Bowen Basin and North Queensland, Hunter Valley and Central West (NSW), Olympic Dam (SA) and the Northern Territory. Offices in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.	Trades and machinery operators, engineering and technical staff, entry-level FIFO and remote site roles, supervisors and HSE roles.
Fetch RecruitmentChecked 2026-10-10	Melbourne (VIC), Perth (WA) and Adelaide (SA). The site also lists the UK.	Mining and Resources is one of eight sectors, alongside Trades and Labour. FIFO and operator roles are not named on the home page.
Hays AustraliaChecked 2026-10-10	Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin. Regions named include the Pilbara, Goldfields, Bowen Basin and South West.	FIFO jobs, trades and labour roles (for example HV electricians, mill operators, boilermakers) and professional roles (for example mining engineers, project managers).
Michael Page AustraliaChecked 2026-10-10	The mining page names no locations. The site lists offices in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Western Sydney.	Geology, engineering (mining, petroleum, environmental, drilling) and operations and leadership roles. FIFO is not mentioned.
Mining People International (MPI)Checked 2026-10-10	Says it operates across Australia and is titled as a Perth mining recruitment agency. Listings include sites in WA (including the Goldfields), the Northern Territory and Tasmania.	Mining and FIFO roles: operators, trades, geology and mining engineering. Also labour hire, permanent and executive placements.
NES FircroftChecked 2026-10-10	Oceania offices span Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Australian city pages for Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Case studies cite Perth and the Pilbara (WA).	Six mining areas: exploration and geology, construction and commissioning, engineering, operations and maintenance, processing and metallurgy, project services and safety. White and blue collar, permanent and labour hire. Mentions support for people on FIFO contracts.
One Key ResourcesChecked 2026-10-10	Says it operates nationally. Brisbane and Mudgee are the two locations named.	Managed workforces and labour hire for the mining, energy and resources and civil infrastructure sectors. FIFO and trades are not mentioned on the home page.
ProgrammedChecked 2026-10-10	Works across Australia and New Zealand, with offices in every Australian state and territory. The mining page names the Hunter and Gunnedah regions.	Operators (dump truck, excavator, dragline), drill and blast, trades and fixed plant staff. Says it supports workers on FIFO and DIDO arrangements, plus shutdowns and projects.
Randstad AustraliaChecked 2026-10-10	Says most mining positions are in Western Australia and Queensland. Branches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Tasmania.	Professional specialities (geology, metallurgy, engineering, HSEQ, procurement) and entry-level roles such as truck operators, drillers, labourers and trade assistants. FIFO is not mentioned.
WorkPacChecked 2026-10-10	Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.	Operators (dragline, excavator, grader, water cart, electric rope shovel), trades (diesel fitter, electrician, auto electrician) and entry-level work such as dump truck operators and drillers. Lists FIFO and DIDO arrangements as a benefit.

How to check an agency

Some Australian states license labour hire providers. We have confirmed one scheme on an official page.

Victoria: the Labour Hire Authority publishes a free Labour Hire Licence Register. It says only providers with an active licence may advertise or provide labour hire services in Victoria, and the register can also show expired, suspended, cancelled or refused licences. See its guidance for businesses using labour hire.

Other states and territories may run their own schemes. We have not confirmed them on an official page, so we do not describe them here. Check the relevant government website for the state where the work is.

Before you accept a role through any agency, it is reasonable to:

Ask for the legal name of the employer on your contract, and whether that is the agency or the mine.
Ask in writing what the role, site, roster and start date are.
Check the agency's own website lists the role or the mining page you were told about.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a mining recruitment agency and a labour hire firm?

Both find workers for employers. Recruitment agencies often place people into permanent or contract roles, while labour hire firms supply workers to a host business. Many firms do both: for example, NES Fircroft says it places mining staff on permanent and labour hire terms, and Adecco says it recruits for mining and resources in temporary and permanent positions. Ask any agency which of the two a given role is.

Do mining recruitment agencies hire for FIFO roles?

Some say so on their own sites. Brunel, Hays, Mining People International and Programmed each mention FIFO, and Chandler Macleod lists entry-level FIFO and remote site roles. Others on this list, including Adecco, Michael Page and Randstad, do not mention FIFO on the pages we checked. See our FIFO jobs page for employer careers pages as well.

Can I get a mining job through an agency with no experience?

Some agencies name entry-level work. Chandler Macleod mentions entry-level FIFO roles, Randstad mentions trade assistants and labourers, and WorkPac mentions entry-level dump truck operators and drillers. Whether a particular role suits a beginner depends on the employer and the job ad. Our guide to mining jobs with no experience covers entry roles and tickets.

Is it better to apply through an agency or direct to the mining company?

This page does not rank either route. Mining companies post roles on their own careers pages, and agencies advertise roles for employers who use them. Many people use both. Our mining companies directory links to employer careers pages.

How do I check a labour hire provider is licensed?

In Victoria, the Labour Hire Authority runs a free public register of licensed providers and says only providers with an active licence may advertise or provide labour hire services in the state. Search the register by provider name. We have not confirmed the position in other states on an official page, so check the relevant state or territory government website for your location.

Sources

Last updated 10 October 2026. Facts on this page come from the sources below.

Each agency entry is taken from the agency's own page, checked on 10 October 2026. Where a site does not name a location or does not mention FIFO, the entry says so. Inclusion is not an endorsement, and absence from this list says nothing about a firm.

Mining Recruitment Agencies in Australia: FIFO and Labour Hire Firms