Why HARWELL. is Among the Most Loved Companies to Work For in Australia

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MAYA CULTURE AWARD WINNER I 2026

The recruitment company proving that work can be personal, and built on genuine relationships.

HARWELL. is Australia's 5th fastest-growing companies (announced by the Australian Financial Review in 2025), and it started with two mates at a kitchen table who knew there had to be a better way. Creating impact through recruitment and talent solutions across Executive, Construction, Accountancy & Finance, Ecommerce, and Trades & Labour, they've built something on genuine relationships and high performance. Work that's personal, honest, and entirely real.

Founded by two mates whose story started back in 2010, sitting side-by-side at a football trial for Hereford United. Out of a hundred boys, five change rooms, and random seat assignments, Adam and Harvey were placed next to each other. They didn't know it at the time, but that moment would shape everything that came after. Just two kids with boots and belief, that day marked the beginning of a story that's still unfolding.

At sixteen, they moved out of home and played full-time football together, chasing the dream whilst learning how to work, live, and grow under pressure. A few years later, Adam moved to Australia whilst Harvey stayed back to finish his degree, making a quiet promise: "I'll be there." Eventually, he showed up, just as he said he would. No fanfare, no drama. Just two mates, back in the same place, ready to build something that mattered.

Working in a large recruitment agency together provided huge brand presence, great training, and solid foundation to build on. But as they became more immersed in the industry, it became clear: recruitment wasn't built around people. It was built around numbers, targets, metrics, and revenue before relationships. They knew there had to be a better way.

Starting from scratch with whiteboard on the wall, they mapped out what HARWELL. could become. Sitting at Adam's kitchen table, armed with a phone, a laptop, and quiet commitment, they began with one principle: "The only way this thing fails is if a meteor hits the earth." HARWELL. wasn't polished. But it was real. And it was theirs.

Behind this mission to change recruitment lies a workplace culture that recently earned HARWELL. recognition in the Maya Culture Awards, ranking them among over 20,000 surveyed employees as one of Australia's most loved companies to work for. Building what they describe as culture similar to a professional sports team, everyone's accountable for their own performance whilst having ownership over the collective. Every person plays a part, sharing the highs together and learning from the lows.

"We are building a culture similar to a professional sports team." This philosophy drives how they create environments where team members feel they're contributing to shared goals and that their work is essential for overall success of the group, which it genuinely is. Building culture of learning where every person strives to improve and evolve each day, week, and month, they invest heavily in external coaches, training, and programmes to learn from experts within their craft.

Working one-on-one with staff to map out goals outside of work, they work backwards to help HARWELL. achieve them whilst ensuring personal aspirations get supported through professional development. This approach recognises that people thrive when their work connects to broader life goals rather than existing in isolation from personal ambitions and growth trajectories.

People who thrive at HARWELL. are self-driven, intrinsically motivated individuals who have natural inclinations to help and serve others whilst possessing work ethic, resilience and self-accountability to overachieve and lean into hard times. Being open about high standards across the business, they've found that people with life experience, such as moving to Australia as their 'Poms' have, or having grown up playing team sports, are two key indicators to making successful hires.

Staff hired from these backgrounds have key attributes in abundance and flourish in environments where they're given tools, support and trust to excel in their roles. This recognition that certain life experiences prepare people for high-performance team environments shapes their talent strategy whilst creating spaces where accountability and collective ownership drive daily work.

Moving from kitchen table to their second office, HARWELL. has grown from two voices to a full team of high performers. Building business units in Construction, Finance, E-Commerce and Trades & Labour, each with their own momentum, they've been nominated for Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Startup Business of the Year, and Professional Services of the Year whilst maintaining the authentic relationships that define their approach.

"We never set out to build the biggest agency. We set out to build the most trusted one." This drives their vision for HARWELL. beyond just more offices or headcount toward deeper relationships, better systems, and stronger people. A brand that goes beyond traditional recruitment through expanding reach across new markets and industries, hosting industry events to connect and engage with community, and investing in content, tools and education that move the industry forward.

Recognition in the Maya Culture Awards shows what HARWELL. has built in under three years: culture as their competitive advantage. When people are empowered, supported, and inspired, clients and partners feel it too. Success gets measured not only in revenue but in the energy, wellbeing and growth of the people who create it. What started with two mates and a whiteboard is now a vision they're proud to bring to life, one relationship at a time, proving that thriving culture transforms lives.