Interview with 2026 RCSA (Aus) Recruitment Professional of the Year: Michael Jones, MRCSA

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Michael Jones, MRCSA was the popular winner of the 2026 RCSA (Aus) Recruitment Professional of the Year, announced at the Rec Gala at the Melbourne Town Hall on 21 May 2026.

For the first time in the history of this award category, the winner was a person who operates predominantly as an industry vendor.

Michael started his recruitment career 19 years ago at Hays in Sydney, recruiting accounting staff. At the beginning of 2010, he was offered the opportunity to move into an internal training role.

He moved to Hays UK in 2013, where he was promoted four times, holding the position of head of internal recruitment and training at Hays UK and Ireland at the time of his resignation in February 2019.

After eight years away, Michael returned to Australia in 2021 and established his training business, Michael Jones Recruitment Training, the following year.

Michael is currently the chair of the RCSA WA council.

Last week, Michael kindly agreed to answer my questions about his career and his win in the 2026 RCSA Australia awards.

Ross: What was your background prior to becoming a recruiter and how did you come to choose recruitment as a career?

Michael: Prior to recruitment, I was a university dropout working in retail management. Having left uni after my first semester, I genuinely worried I’d struggle to build a professional career with good long-term prospects. I knew I enjoyed working with people and sales, and recruitment quickly emerged as a potential career path. I was excited to discover that you didn’t need a degree or previous experience to get started, so I applied for a traineeship with Hays – and the rest is history.

Ross: What aspects of recruitment did you find most challenging when you started?

Michael: All of it! I started in Accountancy and Finance recruitment despite almost failing Maths at school, so recruiting people who did Maths for a living felt pretty intimidating. Combined with my lack of qualifications and professional experience, it triggered plenty of imposter syndrome early on. I also found 360 recruitment challenging. From day one I was responsible for candidate generation, vacancy management and business development. It was a steep learning curve and often uncomfortable, but looking back, that challenge accelerated my development.

Ross: Your career has involved employment in Australia, the UK and back in Australia. How did these moves fit into your career progression?

Michael: After four years recruiting at Hays in Sydney, I moved into the internal People & Culture team as a Sales Trainer. A few years later, an opportunity arose to relocate to the UK while the business was going through significant transformation under Nigel Heap and Sandra Henke. It felt like an incredible career opportunity and an exciting adventure for my husband and me. As often happens, working overseas accelerated my career. I progressed through several leadership roles, including Head of Training and later Head of Internal Recruitment and Training, leading larger teams and gaining invaluable experience. Returning to Perth in 2021, I launched my own recruitment training business, which has been the most rewarding step of my career. I genuinely love helping agencies develop confident, high-performing recruiters, and I’m grateful to work in a profession that can open doors all over the world.

Ross: You were at Hays for nearly 12 years. What did you enjoy about working there?

Michael: I’ll always be grateful to Hays for giving me my start in recruitment. They looked beyond my lack of qualifications and experience and gave me an opportunity that changed my life. The people, culture and high-performance environment taught me what great recruitment looked like. Being surrounded by ambitious, passionate professionals pushed me to raise my standards and develop quickly. I look back on my time there very fondly – it played a huge role in shaping both my career and who I am today.

Ross: Hays ANZ has a formidable reputation for producing well-trained and productive recruiters. What’s the secret sauce?

Michael: I may be biased, but the training was second to none. More importantly, Hays had a strong performance culture where excellence was expected, accountability mattered and recruiters were taught to be commercial, proactive and results-focused. It wasn’t for everyone, and it didn’t always get everything right, but it created recruiters who understood how to build relationships, solve problems and deliver results.

Ross: What are the biggest differences between being an in-house trainer and an independent trainer?

Michael: As an in-house trainer, much of the content and delivery is predetermined. As an independent trainer, I have the freedom to choose who I work with, what I deliver and how I deliver it. The adjustment wasn’t particularly difficult, and what I enjoy most is the opportunity to work with more than 100 agencies and make an impact across so many different teams around Australia.

Ross: What are the biggest changes in recruiter training between 2010 and now?

Michael: Technology, candidate expectations and the skills recruiters need have all evolved significantly. Learning styles have also changed, with people generally expecting shorter, more interactive and engaging training experiences. While online learning has its place, I still believe nothing beats live, in-person training. The energy, interaction and learning outcomes are simply stronger when people are fully engaged in the room.

Ross: Who have been important influences in your recruitment career?

Michael: Nigel Heap and Sandra Henke shaped many of the values and behaviours that still guide me today. Grahame Doyle gave me my first opportunity at Hays, despite famously describing my assessment-centre role play as ‘like a drive-by shooting – relentless!’ My first manager, Gail Atkins, and my first coach and mentor, Jane Hughes, laid the foundations for my success. Rob Bishop—Hays’ legendary ‘million-dollar biller’ and ‘Mr. Temp’ – taught me urgency, commerciality and discipline and has been a trusted mentor and friend for almost 20 years. Today, I’m also influenced by the agency owners and managers who trust me to train their teams and allow me to do what I love most.

Ross: What are your favourite resources for your own development?

Michael: I learn something every time I deliver training or work with a new group of recruiters. My involvement with the RCSA helps me stay connected to industry developments and emerging trends. Beyond that, I regularly follow Recruitment News Australia, Staffing Industry Analysts and read extensively. The Blinkist app is a particular favourite because it provides access to thousands of business and self-development book summaries.

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

Michael: I was incredibly proud to win the award – especially on my third attempt. I’m passionate about raising standards across the recruitment industry through practical, commercially relevant training that improves recruiter confidence and capability. I’ve also contributed through my work on the RCSA WA Council, arranging industry networking events and volunteering as an MC at conferences such as Talent X and speaking at SHAPE. I’d like to think the award reflects the impact I’ve made, my commitment to the profession and the results I’ve achieved.

Ross: What are the most important things recruiters can do to maintain relevance and credibility?

Michael: Be visible, proactive and connected. Stay informed about your market, ask great questions, listen actively and build genuine relationships. Attend events, expand your network and look for opportunities to help others. Most importantly, deliver results because that’s ultimately how clients and candidates measure your value.

Ross: What personal philosophies drive you each day?

Michael: Hard work pays off – in life, you get out what you put in. Reputation is everything; it takes years to build and seconds to lose, so always do the right thing, even when no one is watching. I also believe strongly in being proactive because action creates opportunity. And finally, people remember how you make them feel, so treat everyone with care, respect and professionalism.

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

Michael: Be patient. Recruitment has a steep learning curve and it typically takes at least 12 months before you start feeling genuinely confident. I’ve seen many talented people leave too early because they expected success too quickly. Learn to ask great questions and stay curious because knowledge is power. As my former MD Nigel Heap used to say, ‘You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.’ Recruitment will always be about people and relationships, so focus on building trust, having meaningful conversations and delivering results. And don’t worry about knowing everything about your market. Your expertise is recruitment; industry knowledge comes with time. If a university dropout who nearly failed Maths can bill $500k in his first year recruiting accountants, then there’s every reason to believe you can succeed too.

Ross: What’s something very few people know about you?

Michael: My husband (Dan, photo, left) and I are proud parents to Lucas the Labradoodle and our three cats – Lily, Leo and Lachy. I also volunteer every Sunday morning at the Dogs’ Refuge Home WA, walking dogs and helping raise funds for animals in need. And something that often surprises people – I speak conversational French and Spanish.