Craig Colvin

Director & Principal Consultant

Craig Colvin

Hey there – I’m Craig. I’ve been in tech recruitment for nearly 18 years now, primarily for corporate enterprise companies in diverse industries including finance, retail, medical, consulting and agriculture. I partner with businesses that are in it for the long haul – those with a strong
market position and a clear sense of purpose.

My approach is pretty straightforward with a hyper-focus on value-add activities. I’m here to connect you with the right people, the ones who’ll roll up their sleeves and get things done. I started out specialising in infrastructure, networks, and security, but over time, I found my sweet spot in contract recruitment, focusing on the whole tech spectrum from the ‘doers’ up to lower C-level roles.

I make it my mission to know what you do, how you serve your customers, and what gets you closer to your business objectives – before we even start talking specific skills. I call it ‘value investing’ – less about checking boxes on a skills list and more about finding the deeper value a candidate can bring to a company.

Transparency is huge for me; I’m not about fluff or playing games with rates. Everyone knows where we all stand in every single process. Many of my clients today are former candidates and the relationships stick because they’re based on trust.

I’ve had a unique path, from competitive surfing in my teens to working as a chef, where I learned the importance of a solid process. In the kitchen, if you follow the recipe, you’ll get the desired result. The same goes for recruitment: stick to the basics and do them well, don’t overcomplicate it, and successful recruitment outcomes will follow.

Watching people grow over the years is one of my biggest achievements. I love seeing candidates grow and, naturally, building diverse teams along the way. I’m also passionate about advising early stage startups to help them hire smart and sustainably without the unnecessary tech stack. If that sounds like your style, I’d love to chat!

Services

  • Contract Recruitment
  • Statement of Work
  • Retained Search

Key Roles

  • Contingent roles within;
  • Software, Mobile & Web Development
  • DevOps & Cloud
  • Security
  • Network & Platform Engineering
  • Project Services
  • Product & UI/UX
I first met Craig through an introduction at an Infracoders meetup in Melbourne years ago, he stood out from the crowd of recruiters easily; a genuine and friendly person, really there to build relationships. Since then I have worked with Craig multiple times across different businesses, knowing that when I’m stuck Craig will always come through. He’s filled more than
Mulvina (Molly) Rowe, We're Hiring! - Head of People and Culture at RecordPoint
Mulvina (Molly) Rowe, We're Hiring! - Head of People and Culture at RecordPoint
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Craig has assisted us with recruiting for many different roles and has been a great asset to our team. He has been enthusiast, great to work with and has been able to connect us with the right people. I would highly recommend Craig to anyone who needs an experienced technology recruitment specialist.
Phillip Souter, Filling the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) role at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank
Phillip Souter, Filling the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) role at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank
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If I could give one tip to someone trying to break into the IT industry, it would be: ring Craig. Forget all the horror stories about recruiters churning through names and resumes. In the proper sense of the word, a recruiter is a knowledgeable, trusted broker, a recruiter is someone who has relationships with businesses and with talent, and can
Patrick Conheady, Tax, DevOps, automation
Craig and team are awesome and have always help us source really really great talent. How is he different? He actually gives a crap… not just about our company(ies) but about ensuring the candidate is going to enjoy the play they work. I guess it’s not hard when the place is Servian, but still… he does us proud. Thanks Craig.
Peter Gatt, Partner at Servian
I’ve been contracting for 17 years now through various IT recruitment companies and I can honestly say that the past 2.5 years working through Craig at Mode Talent has been far the best experience out of the lot. Craig’s work ethic, professionalism and general friendly nature has been fantastic right from day one. He was supportive from the initial conversations
Zayne Ismail, Senior Infrastructure Engineer,
I’ve worked with dozens of recruiters throughout my career but I have never had an experience like working with Craig. When I found out I needed to move from Brisbane to Melbourne with about a months notice, an ad on seek caught my attention so much I immediately picked up the phone. After a chat I sent through my resume
Kim Shepherd, Senior Consultant at Servian,
Craig is a delight to work with. He is extremely professional and efficient and manages to do all this with a smile and a dose of humour. Craig is a genuine guy who factors in the best interests of both employer and candidate when he is looking for the right fit for a role. He is one of the best
David Tymon, Senior Software Engineer at Snobal,
I’ve worked with Craig from both sides of the recruitment table, as a hiring manager and an applicant. In both scenarios, Craig went above and beyond what I could have expected from a recruiter. Craig takes the time to get to know his potential candidates and clients, he was on the phone to me often checking in during the process
Rob Kenefeck, Senior Consultant at Servian,
I have had the good fortune of being placed twice by Craig, and I can honestly say he is one of the most genuine people you will ever meet. His down to earth nature and witty sense of humour set him apart from the majority of people in the recruitment industry. Craig has also shown time and time again that
Dean, Senior Engineer, Global Software Company.,
I met with Craig only a few months after I arrived in Melbourne, and I straight-away knew that he was not any random recruiter you can find out there. First and foremost because he does not recruit in anything: he mainly specialises in network / security / cloud / systems which has allowed him to really know the industry and
Pierre, Network Consultant,
I have had the pleasure of working with Craig Colvin on several assignments over the past 8-10 years. Craig has unmatched experience in the IT industry and is genuinely committed to providing the best talent to the right employer. In addition to Craig’s positivity and professionalism, he keeps his contractors abreast of industry and technology trends, giving us the insight
Nico, Network Engineer,
I have known Craig Colvin for 5 years, during which he has worked with me to fill various roles that I have had vacant. Of the many recruiters I have dealt with over the years, Craig stands out for his ability to build and maintain relationships and deliver for his clientele and their needs. He is genuine, never too serious,
Head of Tech, Iconic Australian Sporting Governing Body.,

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