The 21 Best Recruitment Agencies in the World

Want to hire top talent? A recruitment agency can help!

Reviewed by Chris Leitch

Recruitment agencies looking for candidates

Recruiting top-tier talent in today’s competitive market can be extremely challenging. Indeed, as the demand for skilled professionals is higher than the supply, companies find themselves competing for the acquisition of the best and brightest.

For an HR manager, the recruitment process can also prove to be quite time-consuming, taking them away from other duties and responsibilities such as strategic planning, staff development and employee retention.

By outsourcing the recruitment process, HR has the opportunity to focus its energies on current employees and existing workplace issues. With the help of a specialist recruiter, you can find the skilled workforce you need, regardless if you simply need to fill a single vacancy or recruit an entire team.

To help you meet your staffing needs, we’ve compiled a list of the most prominent recruiters out there.

1. DHR Global

With over 50 locations across the globe and more than 160 partners, DHR Global has rightly earned its spot on the Forbes America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms list. Since 1989, the consultancy has provided talent advisory and executive search services to connect companies to the most talented senior professionals out there.

Their leadership consulting professionals specialize in a variety of sectors, ranging from non-profits and healthcare to technology and more. DHR Global offers its services to businesses around North and South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East.

2. Approach People Recruitment

Approach People is a vast network of international recruitment agencies in Europe. Their team of multilingual consultants supports businesses across multiple industries in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands.

Since its founding in 2000, the international recruitment agency has developed its talent pool to a stunning 700,000 candidates. So, if you’re looking to hire in Europe, you can simplify the process greatly by reaching out to them.

3. Toptal

Looking for a design, business or technology freelancer for your next project? Toptal will choose the “bestest” one for you. How do they do this? The answer lies in the global network’s brutal screening process that has built a freelancer pool exclusively out of the world’s top talent.

With tests that measure communication skills, expertise and professionalism, and take 2–5 weeks to complete, only 3% of freelancers make the cut. This highly selective process allows the US-headquartered virtual company to boast a 98% trial-to-hire success rate. Now, what’s more reassuring than that?

4. Hays

This world-leading recruitment agency employs over 13,000 recruitment specialists in 32 countries. Thanks to more than 50 years of experience, the Hays team matched 280,000 professionals to their next job in 2021 alone. This was achieved despite the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Taking that as an indication, it’s safe to say that no matter what industry you work in, Hays’ experts will help you find the right candidate to fill your latest opening. Their expertise spans multiple fields, including architecture, engineering, life sciences, finance and IT.

5. Manpower

For 60 years, Wisconsin-headquartered Manpower has been on a mission to help jobseekers find meaningful employment. Today, they boast a diverse clientele of 100,000 companies worldwide, connecting candidates to employers with unparalleled agility.

Their services don’t end there, however. Their consultants and talent agents can provide assistance in both talent retention and upskilling should you need it, helping you crush your business goals.

6. DistantJob

DistantJob is a boutique agency that specializes in hiring remote developers worldwide, giving you access to a global talent pool. They provide 3 exceptional candidates within 3 weeks, and 80% of their clients hire from that first batch. 

With 15 years of experience, they’re experts in finding people with the exact skills you need who fit into your company culture. DistantJob’s recruiters are embedded into developer communities worldwide, so they always know where to look for talent.

In addition, their HR team gives them the social and emotional support they need to perform at the highest levels and grow with your company.

7. Artisan Talent

Boutique staffing firm Artisan Talent focuses on recruiting digital, creative and marketing professionals that can make the perfect fit for your business, regardless if it’s a large corporation or a small startup, or anything in between.

Artisan places a big emphasis on its clientele and its talent pool, ensuring that both parties’ needs are met through careful matching. Its excellent services have earned it a fleet of awards, the most recent being two Best of Staffing awards in the Client Satisfaction and Talent Satisfaction categories.

7. Atrium

Atrium serves a variety of industries including creative and marketing, administrative, customer service, and finance and accounting. Among others, Atrium also offers services in internship program design, payrolling and IC compliance.

The company was founded on an applicant-centric philosophy, placing the needs of jobseekers first. This has allowed the company to engage new talent and attract top-quality candidates, and has resulted in higher satisfaction rates, both from employees and employers.

As a certified Woman Business Enterprise, employers who opt to work with Atrium not only receive tailored services from a leading staffing company but can also increase their diversity spending.

8. Cornerstone Staffing Solutions

Cornerstone Staffing Solutions offers holistic solutions to companies across the accounting and finance, customer service, healthcare, IT, and engineering fields, among others. With offices across the US, the company works closely with its customer base to ensure that all their staffing needs are met.

The agency boasts an impressive list of awards, most notably the Best of Staffing award for Client Satisfaction four years running. Its action-oriented approach and focus on offering a first-class experience to its clients have rightfully secured it a spot on this list.

9. Creative Circle

If your company is on the hunt for creative professionals with experience in advertising, marketing and digital, Creative Circle’s right up your alley.

As one of the leading recruitment agencies in the creative sector, Creative Circle hones its expertise to provide employers with the right talent for their organizations, regardless if it’s just a single skilled candidate or an entire custom-built team. The staffing agency also specializes in executive recruitment, sourcing the best and brightest senior talent in their field.

10. Spherion Staffing Services

Founded in 1946, Spherion Staffing Services was one of the first recruitment services in the US. The company caters to various sectors such as administrative and clerical, education, customer service, accounting and finance, hospitality, as well as engineering and manufacturing.

Within its list of services, Spherion also offers management solutions that can be tailored to your company’s needs, whether this means on-site support or handling administrative tasks of the hiring process. On top of that, Spherion is one of the first recruitment companies to receive a Safety Standard of Excellence mark, indicating its dedication to putting health and safety first for its clients and employees.

11. Insight Global

Based in Atlanta, GA, Insight Global began as a one-shop startup before expanding to over 50 locations across the US and Canada. With clients among the Fortune 1000 ranks, Insight Global assists employers in an array of industries including IT, accounting and finance, engineering, and government services.

For the past 11 years, Insight Global has held its position as one of the fastest-growing IT staffing agencies in North America while also steadily expanding across other industries.

12. HH Staffing

Florida-based recruitment agency HH Staffing has built a solid reputation for itself over the years. The company is renowned for its time-efficient candidate screening process, whether it be for temporary staffing, temp-to-hire placements or direct-hire positions.

Its ethos revolves around the idea of helping employers and jobseekers alike: the former to find the ideal candidate for the job, and the latter to find meaningful employment. As for its services portfolio, it ranges from conventional recruitment to workforce strategies and drug testing to payroll.

13. Integrity Staffing Solutions

With offices across 19 states, Integrity Staffing Solutions works with companies and organizations across the whole of the US. As a nationwide recruitment firm, Integrity places great emphasis on its clientele. Its efforts haven’t gone unnoticed either, as among its fleet of accolades, Integrity’s latest achievement includes a Best of Staffing award for Client Satisfaction.

From Amazon to Uber and Target to Urban Outfitters, Integrity works with a diverse selection of industry leaders, helping them find the most suitable talent to help them achieve their company goals.

14. Roth Staffing

Roth Staffing is a prominent agency with multiple accolades under its belt, including a Best of Staffing award for Talent Satisfaction 2019 and a spot in Forbes’ 2017 list of America’s Best Recruitment Firms. The company’s ambassador program helps it hire talented jobseekers, understand their needs and expectations, and match them with employers that are best suited for their skills.

As an employer, you can trust Roth Staffing to carry out your talent management from temp workers and independent contractors to full-time employees.

15. Robert Half

With over 400 locations globally, Robert Half has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1948. Indeed, in 2020, Robert Half was recognized as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies for the 23rd year running.

The multi-award-winning recruitment firm matches skilled professionals with companies in the accounting, finance, tech, creative and marketing, legal, and administrative sectors. From flexible staff to full-time hires, the company offers recruitment solutions that fit your needs as an employer.

16. Aerotek

With over 17,000 clients and 230 offices, Aerotek has established itself as a global recruitment agency. As a member of the Allegis Group, it specializes in engineering, scientific, professional and industrial recruiting, staffing and strategic outsourced solutions for major industries.

Aerotek’s industry-specific recruiters focus on tracking down the most suitable candidates for their clients. Their focus on customer service and satisfaction has earned the agency the Best of Staffing Client and Talent awards for four consecutive years. As a people-focused agency, then, Aerotek places equal emphasis on its clients and its talent.

17. Adecco

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Adecco is a leading multinational recruitment agency with more than 500 locations worldwide.

Adecco boasts a large candidate database and sources talent across several industries, including IT, engineering, finance, legal and science. The staffing company shows commendable dedication to its clients, making sure that its recruits are the perfect fit for the role through thorough vetting. Beyond the recruitment process, Adecco extends its services to consultation, staff training, interview coaching for employers and even salary surveys and benchmarking.

18. Randstad

With locations in 39 countries, Randstad is a leading global recruitment agency that has worked with 90% of all Fortune 100 companies. Randstad mainly focuses on providing HR solutions and technology consulting, as well as talent recruitment, and follows a “human-powered” approach to produce “tech-forward” solutions for their clients.

Randstad’s services extend beyond recruitment. Indeed, as well as helping employers build their teams, they also help to retain them by equipping their clientele with the latest industry strategies to keep employees engaged.

19. KNF&T Staffing Resources

KNF&T Staffing Resources is a leading, women-owned recruitment agency based in Boston, MA. The company is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce, and part of its recruitment strategy involves finding and retaining a balanced talent pool for its clients.

KNF&T is also one of the largest temporary placement firms, helping employers and candidates alike fill in temp positions within organizations. As of October 2019, the company joined forces with BANKW Staffing in a bid to expand its services further and build on its existing customer portfolio.

20. Kelly Services

With over 70 years of industry experience on its back, Kelly Services has evolved from a US-based agency to a global company offering workforce solutions across multiple industries. The company’s services mainly range across the accounting, education, law, science and healthcare fields, and has distinguished itself particularly across the science, IT, engineering and finance industries.

Although Kelly Services created the concept of temporary staffing during the post-war economy, the company has greatly expanded its services over the years and is responsible for the employment of over 1 million professionals to this day.

Final thoughts

For a business to succeed, you need the right people to take your company to the next level. However, in today’s job market, finding the right talent for the job can be a lot more challenging than it used to be.

With the help of these renowned staffing agencies, you can ensure that your recruitment needs will be met and that you employ the best candidate for the job. Plus, it will give your HR department the necessary flexibility that is required to create a more dynamic work environment.

Got a question about using a recruitment agency for your hiring process? Let us know in the comments section below.

Originally published on June 13, 2017. Updated by Electra Michaelidou.