To mark 20 years of Stellar Recruitment, our Co-Founders Shaun McCambridge and Robbie McIlraith sat down for a special milestone podcast. From humble beginnings to building one of Australia and New Zealand's most trusted recruitment brands, they share the real stories, lessons, and moments that shaped Stellar into what it is today. It's honest and personal, so join us in celebrating 20 years of connecting great people with great opportunities.

SETTING THE SCENE

Two school friends. One idea. Twenty years later - 36,000 people placed, nearly $800,000 given back to communities, and a team with people who've stayed for over a decade. This isn't a polished corporate retrospective. It's an honest conversation between two founders who backed each other from day one, survived a prolonged mining downturn with family homes on the line, navigated COVID, and kept going. Shaun and Robbie reflect on what it really took to build Stellar - the hard years, the culture they fought to protect, and what they're most excited about for the next chapter.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

0:04 - Meeting the Founders
Shaun and Robbie met at King's High School in Dunedin aged 14. Decades later, complementary skill sets and three clients who believed in them became the foundation of Stellar Recruitment, launched in Brisbane in 2006.

5:25 - Starting the Business
Shaun was already in mining recruitment; Robbie came from a surveying background. They spotted a gap between the big firms and the small boutiques - and backed themselves to fill it.

8:54 - The Early Financial Reality
For the first months, there was no salary. Then $2,000 a month. Three founding clients paid half their fee upfront - a cash flow lifeline that made everything possible.

9:40 - Culture & Hiring
From the beginning, culture wasn't an afterthought. Multi-stage interviews involved the whole team, values were distilled from 100+ staff voices, and the result speaks for itself - some team members have been with Stellar for 10-18 years.

15:26 - Knowing They Had Something
The first six to seven years were near-flawless. The GFC was a short blip - but it quietly prepared them for the much harder road ahead.

17:32 - Navigating the Hardest Times
The prolonged Australian commodities crisis nearly cost them everything. Family homes were secured against the business during years of losses in Perth. The biggest lesson: act faster than you think you need to, and stay closer than ever to your clients and your team.

20:15 - High Achievers Trips
An annual reward trip - open to anyone across the business who hits their targets. Las Vegas, Fiji, Bali. Last year, 23 people from across Australia and New Zealand made the trip. It's become one of the most talked-about parts of the Stellar culture.

23:34 - Vision for the Future
The goal is to be the number one choice in every market Stellar operates in. Big opportunities on the horizon - the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, New Zealand's infrastructure deficit, and immigration-driven growth, particularly from the Philippines.

44:17 - Giving Back
Nearly $800,000 donated or contributed to community initiatives and charities over 20 years. Rugby clubs, schools, junior sports - giving back has been part of the Stellar identity from the start.

51:28 - Impact & Legacy
36,000 people placed over two decades. When you factor in families and flow-on effects, they estimate around 100,000 lives touched. That's the number that matters most to them.

52:13 - Best Advice
Know why you want your goal - not just what it is. You can't hack success. The hard yards, put in consistently over time, are the only way.

55:18 - Company Values
Greatness. Positivity. Leadership. Three values distilled from over 100 staff. The key, as Shaun and Robbie both agree, is living them - not just putting them on a wall.

RESOURCES & LINKS

• Website: stellarrecruitment.com.au
• Facebook: facebook.com/StellarRecruiter
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stellar-recruitment
• Instagram: instagram.com/stellar.recruitment