June 30, 2025
When you treat someone as valued, they become more valuable. That was TalentWeb’s founding principle.
It’s been 15 years since our founder David McKillop and CEO Colin Fannon, took this sentiment – the idea that recruitment could be better than robotic KPIs, transactional relationships and high turnover – and built what would become one of Australia’s leading specialist recruitment agencies.
Now it’s 2025, and TalentWeb is rated 4.9 out of five from over 260 Google reviewers, 4.9 out of five from over 650 Sourcr reviewers and is a certified B Corp. With 7,000 placements, over 1,200 satisfied clients and 120,000+ candidates in its database, it’s safe to say that this principle has helped TalentWeb thrive.
To celebrate our 15th birthday, and a decade and a half of doing things better in recruitment, Colin and David sat down for a chat about where it all started, their proudest moments and what’s coming next…
So, where did it all start?
David: Talent Web was founded to fill a gap in the market for a recruitment firm that trusted consultants to run their desks with autonomy. The idea was to create a high-performing environment where individual approaches were valued just as much as results, without rigid KPIs or micromanagement.
Colin: Yeah, TalentWeb was really born on the idea that recruitment could be done differently – that’s what drew me to it. The market had become very transactional, highly commoditised. We chose to build a company that stood in the face of these changes.
David: We wanted to be a business where good people attracted good people, and where consultants could really spread their wings.
Naturally, we’ve evolved over the past 15 years. We’ve created opportunities for people to grow and shape businesses they may not have been able to elsewhere, and we’ve expanded our offering with new service lines like White Light. It’s been about staying true to our purpose while adapting as the market changes.
Let’s talk about early successes. What was a moment where you really felt, “Yes, this has worked.”
Colin: The early successes for me were seeing the calibre of recruiter that was attracted to our business and values. When great people want to work for you because they believe they can achieve success on your team, you know you’ve made it. People are our greatest asset – I firmly believe that to be the case (regardless of how much the industry is steering towards AI…).
David: For me, it was reaching our first milestones. Initially, we set a budget and growth plan for – literally – the first six months. If that didn’t work then we would have to pull up stumps and close down as we’d have run out of money. Six months is not a long runway, but when we reached those goals I knew that we would be around for a long time.
Could you share your proudest moment at TalentWeb?
David: Definitely making the BRW Fast Starters list in our second year – it was early injection of credibility.
On top of that is the breadth and quality of our offering year after year, something which is very hard to achieve. I’m immensely proud of everyone in the business for working together to reach this point.
Colin: Mine is also about our people. I was sitting by a campfire late one night at a kickoff event a few years ago, watching people dance and sing, listening to them belly-laugh, seeing friendships that had blossomed through years of sharing in one another’s successes (and failures) – friends that will likely last a lifetime. That was it for me … I knew we had collectively formed a great business.
You both built this company to do things differently – better. Has it had an impact?
Colin: I believe being the first recruitment company in NSW to become B Corp certified back in 2019 declared to the community that a business can be used as a force for good. Helping people to find meaning and purpose in their work is such a privilege, one we don’t take for granted.
David: I think all of those groups – clients, candidates and our industries – value authenticity, transparency and tenacity. Those are core values within TalentWeb, and they guide how we operate.
Colin: Exactly.
David: By staying true to our values, we’ve built long-term relationships and delivered consistent results. That’s our impact: showing up with honesty, working hard and genuinely caring about outcomes.
Colin: Supporting clients that share this ethos is paramount to us. It helps us to make real, impactful change in the communities we serve.
Alright, now the big question to end on … what’s next?
Colin: The next phase of TalentWeb is truly exciting. Over the next three years, we aim to become the foremost B Corp recruitment partner in Australia as well as targeting our growth from clients that are using their business to generate positive social and economic change.
David: For me, it’s about continuing the impact. I went through a period of time of not really knowing how to feel about these 15 years of my life (given some of the trials along the way), but I now sit here with pride in where we are and what we have done. I hope the story continues and people benefit from that.
Colin: Absolutely. We’re here to serve our communities with the very best, values-aligned and purpose-driven talent the market has to offer.
From our team to yours, thank you for 15 excellent years – and here’s to 15 more.
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