Finding great teachers is our full‑time job

HARKE maintains a live pipeline of teachers actively seeking roles across Australia, including locally based candidates and overseas-trained teachers with recognised qualifications. We recruit year-round using job advertising, direct outreach, and referrals, so there's always a pool of job-ready candidates, not just whoever responded this week.

Every candidate's Australian work rights are verified before we present them to any school. For overseas-trained teachers, we confirm visa class and working entitlements at the point of introduction. Schools are also welcome (and encouraged) to conduct their own final verification prior to commencement, as outlined in our service agreement.

Teacher registration requirements vary by state: VIT in Victoria, NESA in New South Wales, QCT in Queensland, TRB in WA and SA, and so on. HARKE checks the relevant registration status for each candidate based on the state they'll be working in. For overseas-trained teachers, we assess eligibility pathways and only present candidates who hold current registration or are actively progressing toward it. Schools remain responsible for conducting their own final verification before a candidate starts.

HARKE verifies a minimum of two to three senior referees for each candidate, drawn from their current position and most recent prior role. We contact referees directly and only accept professional references from people in a supervisory or leadership capacity, such as a principal, deputy principal, or head of department. References are not considered complete until we have spoken with senior leaders who can speak to the candidate's teaching practice, professionalism, and suitability for a school environment.

Every candidate is personally interviewed by a HARKE consultant before being introduced to any school. We assess teaching approach, motivation, experience, and how well a candidate aligns with the school's context and community. The written summary we send with each profile reflects this assessment. It's not just a CV cover page.

No problem at all. There's no fee if no placement is made, and no obligation to interview or proceed with any candidate we introduce. If the first shortlist isn't quite right, let us know and we'll refine the brief and keep searching.

Once your service agreement is in place, simply email or call your HARKE consultant whenever a vacancy arises. We'll ask a few quick questions about the role and start the process, usually the same day. For new schools, return the signed service agreement below and we'll book a brief call to get started.

Fees depend on the type of placement:

Ongoing or long-term roles(more than 2 school terms, or no end date): a one-off percentage of the total salary package (GST exclusive). The exact rate is outlined in your service agreement.

Fixed-term roles(1 to 2 school terms): a fixed fee per school term. The exact amount is outlined in your service agreement.

There are no retainer fees, no subscription costs, and no charge for searching or accessing our pipeline. You're only invoiced when a candidate commences employment.

No. There are no retainer fees, no annual charges, and no cost for accessing our pipeline or submitting vacancies. HARKE charges a single placement fee only when a candidate you've been introduced to commences employment. If there's no hire, there's no invoice.

An invoice is issued at the commencement of the candidate's assignment, with payment due within 14 days. All fees are exclusive of GST. HARKE does not pro-rate fees for reduced loads unless agreed in writing before the placement begins.

The 10-week placement guarantee applies to ongoing and long-term placements only(more than 2 school terms). It does not apply to fixed-term contracts.

If a placed candidate leaves within the first 10 weeks, HARKE will work to find a replacement at no additional cost, subject to being given a 4-week exclusive recruitment window first. If we're unable to fill the role within that window, a credit is issued based on when in the 10-week period the candidate left (see the credit schedule on this page). Credits are valid for 12 months and apply to a like-for-like replacement for the same role only.

Minimal. Schools don't need to manage advertising, field applications, run first-round interviews, chase references, or coordinate compliance checks. HARKE handles all of that. Because we recruit in education only and work year-round, we're faster and more efficient than running the process internally, and school leaders aren't pulled away from the things that actually need their attention.