Xenia Michalakis
Sydney,Australia
Summary
Experienced recruitment professional with a strong track record in delivering high-quality talent solutions across the niche areas of Quantity Surveying and Client-Side Project Management. I bring a deep understanding of the technical and cultural requirements unique to these industries, developed through years of building long-term relationships with both clients and candidates across Australia.
I am now looking to transition into an internal talent acquisition role where I can contribute more strategically to a business’s long-term success. My goal is to leverage my experience in agency recruitment, including end-to-end recruitment delivery, market research, stakeholder engagement, and candidate care, to help attract, engage, and retain top-tier talent that aligns with organisational goals. I am motivated by the opportunity to work closely with hiring managers, contribute to workforce planning, and see the direct impact of effective hiring decisions over time.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Recruitment Consultant – QS & CSPM
Ivory Group
Sydney, NSW
06.2021 - Current
- Developed and executed a strategic business plan that scaled the Quantity Surveying and Client-Side Project Management division from a one-person desk to a high-performing team of three, including desk planning, onboarding, and mentoring.
- Responsible for managing the full end-to-end recruitment process, from job brief to successful hire, ensuring a seamless experience for both candidates and clients.
- Worked closely with hiring managers to define recruitment needs, scope position requirements, and plan strategic hiring processes tailored to their teams.
- Wrote compelling and targeted job advertisements to attract top talent, ensuring messaging aligned with market expectations and role requirements.
- Utilised LinkedIn Recruiter, job boards, internal CRM, and other tools to source, nurture, and manage a strong pipeline of both active and passive candidates.
- Tracked recruitment performance and pipeline health through reporting tools, including LinkedIn analytics and CRM dashboards.
- Managed all candidate communications from initial outreach through to offer acceptance, providing an exceptional candidate experience throughout.
- Maintained and updated the applicant tracking system (ATS) to ensure accurate reporting and process visibility.
- Ensured compliance with relevant employment legislation, candidate eligibility to work, and all recruitment-related regulations.
- Built and maintained talent pipelines to support both short-term hiring needs and long-term workforce planning for niche and hard-to-fill roles.
- Responsible for supporting clients with the strategic setup of new offices in regional areas (e.g. Newcastle), including candidate sourcing and advisory on team structure.
- Delivered coaching sessions to hiring managers on effective interview techniques and candidate engagement strategies, improving offer-to-placement ratio to 2.7:1.
- Prepared clients for interviews, focusing on aligning the opportunity with candidate motivators to secure higher offer acceptance rates.
- Conducted interviews, reference checks, and background verifications to ensure candidate suitability, compliance, and cultural alignment.
- Negotiated salaries, contract terms, and start dates to meet both client budgets and candidate expectations.
- Prepped candidates for the resignation process, including how to handle counteroffers and maintain professional exits from their current employers.
- Maintained candidate engagement during notice periods through regular check-ins to mitigate risk of counteroffers or competing offers.
- Delivered post-placement aftercare to ensure long-term satisfaction and retention for both candidate and client.
- Held strategic, consultative conversations with clients to improve hiring processes and drive stronger interview-to-offer conversion rates.
- Traveled interstate for face-to-face client and candidate meetings, strengthening relationships, and enhancing national market reach.
- Stayed up to date with hiring trends and movements in the Quantity Surveying and Client-Side Project Management markets to act as a trusted market advisor.
- Mentored junior consultants in sourcing strategies, commercial thinking, compliance, and client relationship management.
- Led internal team initiatives aimed at performance, motivation, collaboration, and culture building.
- Maintained and updated a centralized talent database to support future hiring needs and faster time-to-fill.
- Developed creative sourcing strategies and outreach campaigns designed to engage passive candidates in competitive markets.
Education
Business
University of Western Sydney
Sydney, NSW01-2030
Certificate III In Business -
Australian College of Higher Studies
Sydney, NSW09-2022
Skills
- Full-Cycle Recruitment
- National Talent Sourcing
- Hiring Manager Coaching
- Salary Benchmarking
- Passive Candidate Engagement
- Strategic Business Planning
- Offer Negotiation
- Team Culture & Performance
- Market Mapping & Insights
- CRM & ATS Tools (eg LinkedIn Recruiter, Seek)
- Coordinate recruitment strategies
- Networking events
Accomplishments
- Recruitment Consultant of the Quarter Award
- Scaled a team from the ground up
- Improved offer-to-placement success rates: interview-to-placement ratio of 3.5:1
- Led National Recruitment efforts
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
Volunteer Work
- Volunteered for Scouts
- Lead a fundraiser for children's cancer - 5yrs in a row
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Senior Recruitment Consultant – QS & CSPM
Ivory Group
06.2021 - Current
Business
University of Western Sydney
Certificate III In Business -
Australian College of Higher Studies