Is this the end of SEEK?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2026

Byron Thomas Recruitment, a Sydney based boutique executive search and accounting and finance recruitment firm, has published new analysis on a shift in how Australian businesses appoint senior and specialist talent.

Titled "The End of SEEK? How Quiet Hiring Is Reshaping Australian Recruitment", the article argues that a job advertisement is no longer a sufficient basis for an appointment where judgement, leadership and commercial performance decide the outcome.

Key highlights include

• What is ending is a method, not a job board. For senior and specialist roles, advertising first and then appointing from whoever applies is no longer a sound place to begin.
• SEEK's July 2026 figures show the strain. Applications per advertisement have risen for seven consecutive months, to the highest level on its record, while advertisement volumes are 6 per cent lower than a year earlier. A greater volume of applications has not produced a clearer choice.
• An advertisement that draws 100 or 200 applications has not searched the market. It has collected the people who were looking. The strongest person available may never have seen it.
• Technology can now identify the names, titles and career histories of people who are unlikely to apply. LinkedIn is an incomplete view of that market: some profiles are outdated, some titles understate the real responsibility, and some senior people keep a deliberately discreet presence. A database may confirm that someone held a role. It cannot establish whether they performed, how they are regarded, or whether they would consider the opportunity. That still requires judgement, and a conversation with someone they trust.
• The practical alternative is quiet hiring: consider the capability already inside the business, map the external market, and approach the right people directly. SEEK retains a clear role in visible and high-volume hiring. For a specialist or leadership appointment, it is no longer a sufficient place to start.

Peter Morgan, Managing Director of Byron Thomas Recruitment, said: "The question is not whether SEEK still has a role. It clearly does. The question is whether advertising alone remains sufficient for important specialist and leadership appointments."

Read the full article here

https://www.byronthomas.com.au/blog/quiet-hiring-australia-recruitment-seek

About Byron Thomas Recruitment Byron Thomas Recruitment is a Sydney based boutique recruitment firm specialising in executive search, accounting and finance recruitment, and professional services recruitment across Australia.

Media Contact

Peter Morgan
Managing Director
Byron Thomas Recruitment
Email: petermorgan@byronthomas.com.au
Phone: +61 2 8677 3020
Website: www.byronthomas.com.au