Interview with 2025 RCSA (Aus) Recruitment Professional of the Year: Laura Frazer of Frazer Tremble

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Last month at the Rec Gala in Sydney, Laura Frazer, was announced as the 2025 winner of the RCSA Recruitment Professional award (pictured, right, with award sponsor SEEK representative, Ben Vague).

Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Laura completed undergraduate studies in Criminology and Criminal Justice then started her professional life with the Halifax Bank of Scotland as a fraud investigator. She moved to Citibank as a foreign exchange investigator then decided she wanted to see the world.

After nearly six and a half years as an employee, Laura co-founded Frazer Tremble the month after the first COVID lockdowns in early 2020.

Based in Melbourne, Frazer Tremble has nine employees and specialises in recruiting for roles across Project Services, Infrastructure, Software, Data & Analytics, Customer Experience (CX), Design, Digital and Business Transformation.

Laura has twice won the Sourcr Recruiter of the Year award.

Laura carved out some time this week to answer my questions about her background, her recruitment career and her RCSA awards win.

Ross: What was your motivation for leaving the UK and moving to Australia?

Laura: At first, it was adventure. But once I arrived, I realised it was also opportunity. Australia felt full of possibility, personally and professionally. I didn’t know it then, but that decision set the course for building a company, meeting my husband, having two boys and ultimately creating a business that now helps others transform their own lives and careers.

Ross: How did you get into recruitment?

Laura: After moving to Australia, I struggled to break back into financial services the only role I could land was in debt collection, which paid the bills but wasn’t where I saw my future.

Like any good backpacker, I decided to save up and travel. Along the way, I joined an events management business as a sales lead, which turned into two of the best years of my life. I got to travel across Australia, work in some of the biggest convention centres.

When that business was sold and I was made redundant, I began to seriously consider what was next. I was actually interviewing for another sales role when the interviewer said, “You’d be great at recruitment.” I took it seriously and being me, I did my homework. I met with over 50 agencies (I clearly had time on my hands lol) before choosing one where I was fortunate to learn under two exceptional leaders. That foundation, built on ethics, curiosity, and quality, shaped the recruiter and leader I am today.

Ross: What niche do you recruit in, what have you found to be the biggest challenge of recruiting in that niche and how have you overcome that challenge?

Laura: I specialise in senior transformation, technology, and customer experience leadership. These are high-impact roles where the best candidates aren’t actively applying , they’re leading change elsewhere.

When I first started, the immediate challenge was trying to work out what on earth “transformation” actually meant. I remember nodding through meetings with senior program directors thinking, “Surely this is English… why does none of it make sense?” It took me a solid 12 months to stop smiling politely and start actually understanding what these people did. Safe to say, I’ve now made a career out of it, but the learning curve was real.

The challenge now is access and trust. We overcome that by building genuine relationships long before a job brief is in play. At Frazer Tremble, 76% of our hires come from passive talent we’ve nurtured over time.

Ross: How are you improving your recruitment and personal skills?

Laura: I invest in leadership and business mentoring through The Entourage and lean into industry platforms like Hector and RCSA for continuous learning. I also regularly listen to industry podcasts, it’s something I encourage the whole team to do. I always say, “to be a great recruiter, you need to be an informed recruiter,” and that means consistently consuming content that sharpens your market awareness and broadens your thinking.

But truthfully, the biggest growth comes from working on the tools, leading a high-performing team, and being challenged by some of the most forward-thinking clients in the country.

Ross: Do you use statistics or KPIs to manage your performance? If so which ones and how do you use them?

Laura: Yes, but I look at both leading and lagging indicators. For me, KPIs are a tool, not a stick. Metrics like fill rates, retention, time-to-fill, exclusivity conversion, and client engagement help us track quality, not just quantity. Our 92% fill rate and 94% retention tell me we’re doing something right.

We also place huge value on feedback. We’ve collected over 220 reviews and hold a 4.9-star rating on Sourcr, reflecting the consistency and care we bring to every placement. We’re a multi-award-winning agency, and every month we recognise team members who embody our values with peer-nominated Values Cards and name our Social Media Influencer of the Month, a reminder that brand-building, culture, and community engagement matter just as much as numbers on a board.

Ross: Who have been important influences in your recruitment career and what have those people specifically contributed to you?

Laura: My co-founder Brendan has been instrumental, his background in CX and tech has helped shape a more innovative, experience-led approach to recruitment. But I’ve also had leaders early in my career who taught me how to lead with integrity and compassion. One taught me the value of listening before acting, another reminded me that empowering others is the greatest form of leadership.

Ross: What do you attribute your win in RCSA 2025 Recruitment Professional of the Year to?

Laura: This award is a reflection of consistency, courage, and care. I’ve spent years building a business that leads with insight, not ego, one that delivers strategic, relationship-driven recruitment outcomes.

But I also think it’s a nod to the culture we’ve created at Frazer Tremble. We’re values-led, data-smart, and client-obsessed. And I’ve never been afraid to take a risk if it means lifting the standard of what recruitment can be.

Ross: What are the most important things that an individual recruiter can do to maintain his or her relevance and credibility in their market?

Laura: Be the one who shows up with insight. Relevance isn’t just about knowing who’s hiring, it’s knowing why, and helping clients and candidates navigate the “what’s next.” Stay close to your niche, lead with honesty, and always follow through. People will forget a generic recruiter, but they won’t forget someone who helped them make a career or leadership-defining decision.

Ross: What personal philosophies drive you each day in your job?

Laura: Champions do more: Results come from ownership, not luck; Be wow: Every interaction should feel exceptional, even when the news isn’t; Lead with transparency: Trust is everything; Growth matters: I’m never done learning, and neither is our team; Authenticity wins: People work with people. Be real. Be kind. Be sharp.

Ross: What advice would you give to a recruiter just starting their recruitment career?

Laura: First, invest in your personal brand early. Every interaction is an opportunity to add value, build trust, and leave someone better off than when they met you. Always ask yourself: “How can I make this conversation useful for them, not just for me?”

Second, be the hardest worker in the room. I don’t know if it’s generational or not, but I still believe in the old saying: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.” Curiosity and grit will take you further than smooth talk ever will.

If you stay curious, work hard, and surround yourself with brilliant people, recruitment can be one of the most rewarding, hilarious, character-building careers out there. Bonus points if you learn to laugh through the ups and downs.

Ross: Thanks, Laura. I appreciate you sharing your journey and all the best for the future.