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Hire with confidence: our 6-month recruitment guarantee

PERMANENT PLACEMENT PROTECTION

Recruitment guarantees that protect your appointment beyond day one

Every permanent placement includes our standard six-month guarantee. If a placement ends within that period in circumstances covered by the agreement, we will undertake a replacement search without an additional recruitment fee.

Extended coverage may be available for certain appointments by prior written agreement.

Understand the guarantee

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What your six-month guarantee includes

If the appointed candidate resigns or their employment is terminated during the first six months, Early Years Talent will undertake one replacement recruitment process without charging an additional professional fee, subject to the guarantee terms.

The replacement process is considered fulfilled once we have referred two candidates who, in our reasonable professional opinion, have qualifications, experience and suitability comparable to the original candidate. This applies whether or not the client chooses to interview or appoint those candidates.

Why we can confidently offer this guarantee

Our guarantee is the result of the work completed before a recommendation is ever made.

Every shortlisted candidate undergoes structured interviews, qualification and compliance verification, behavioural reference conversations and role-specific assessment. We verify evidence rather than relying solely on interviews or documentation supplied by applicants.

The guarantee reflects confidence in that process—not the belief that recruitment is risk free.

What happens if a placement ends

01 Contact us early

Tell us as soon as concerns arise. Where appropriate, we can discuss whether early intervention may help protect the appointment.

02 Confirm the coverage

We review the circumstances against the agreed guarantee terms and confirm whether the replacement provision applies.

03 Recalibrate the search

We revisit the role, expectations, service context and lessons from the original appointment before returning to market.

04 Conduct the replacement search

We identify, assess and present a new shortlist using the same evidence-led recruitment process.

When the guarantee does not apply

The guarantee is designed to protect clients from an unsuccessful appointment—not from material changes to the role, service or employment environment after placement.

It does not apply where the candidate’s departure results from:

  • redundancy, restructure, acquisition or a change of centre ownership
  • reduced hours, a room change or a major alteration to the candidate’s duties
  • relocation or closure of the service
  • stand-downs or loss of funding
  • a hostile, unsafe or unsupportive workplace
  • non-payment or late payment of wages or entitlements
  • a significant breach of contract by the client
  • misconduct that could not reasonably have been identified during recruitment

Full eligibility requirements and conditions are set out in our terms of business.

Need protection beyond six months?

Clients may purchase an extended guarantee period at the time of engagement. Extended coverage can be useful for particularly senior, difficult-to-fill or operationally critical appointments.

Extended guarantees are commonly chosen for:

  • Centre Director appointments
  • Multi-site leadership
  • New service openings
  • Community-managed services
  • Committee-run organisations
  • Rural appointments


The available period, additional fee and applicable terms are confirmed in writing before the search begins.

Frequently asked questions about our recruitment guarantee

Below are answers to common questions about our six-month recruitment guarantee. If you need clarification on a specific scenario, our team is always happy to hel

What situations are typically covered?

What situations are typically covered? Coverage is defined in your terms of engagement but typically applies where a placement does not succeed within the agreed guarantee period for reasons covered under the agreement. In these situations, we commence a structured replacement search.

Let us know early. We can support an intervention pathway with clear expectations, role clarity, and candidate support — which often prevents avoidable turnover.

No. The guaratnee applies to placements tmade through Early Years Talent under agreed terms. 

Generally no.  Each guarantee period relates to a specific role and person placed into that role. 

Early Years Talent provides a six-month replacement guarantee on eligible permanent placements. If a placement does not work out during this period for a reason covered under the Terms of Engagement, we will undertake a replacement search at no additional professional fee.

The six-month period reflects our confidence in the quality of our recruitment process while providing clients with meaningful protection and peace of mind.

If the placement ends during the applicable guarantee period for a reason covered under the agreement, we will undertake a replacement search in accordance with the terms of engagement.

Long-term retention is influenced by many factors, including leadership, onboarding, remuneration, workplace culture, professional development opportunities and role expectations. While no recruitment agency can guarantee tenure, our assessment process is designed to maximise alignment from the outset.

No. A replacement guarantee provides protection if a placement does not work out. A retention strategy focuses on creating the conditions that help great educators and leaders stay and thrive. Both are important.

Guarantee length alone is not a measure of recruitment quality. The most important factors are the quality of the search process, candidate assessment, reference checking and alignment between the candidate and the service. A guarantee is valuable protection, but preventing poor hires in the first place is even more important.

Every candidate is screened through a structured interview process, qualification verification, right-to-work checks, and human-led reference validation with previous direct managers. Only candidates who demonstrate both technical capability and alignment with the service culture are shortlisted.

We recruit across the full spectrum of early childhood roles, including Early Childhood Teachers, Diploma educators, Lead Educators, Educational Leaders, and Centre Managers.

Our focus is permanent placements where cultural fit, team stability, and long-term service quality are critical.

All placements are supported by a six-month replacement guarantee, providing protection if circumstances change during the early stages of employment. Our structured recruitment process significantly reduces this risk, but the guarantee ensures services are protected.

Yes. Many of our placements occur in regional and growth areas across Victoria and Australia, where sourcing experienced educators can be particularly challenging. Our network approach and targeted outreach allow us to identify candidates who are open to relocation or regional opportunities.

Beyond qualifications and experience, we assess leadership style, communication approach, and alignment with your service philosophy during interviews. This reduces the risk of cultural mismatch and helps ensure the candidate integrates well with existing educators, families, and leadership.

Advertising alone typically attracts active jobseekers, while many strong educators are not actively applying for roles. Our process combines targeted outreach, sector relationships, and structured screening to identify candidates who may not otherwise appear through standard job board advertising.

We invest considerably more effort before a placement than after one. Every shortlisted candidate undergoes structured interviews, qualification verification, identity checks, behavioural reference conversations and role-specific assessment. The guarantee reflects confidence in that process rather than simply providing insurance if an appointment does not succeed.