Meet America’s Best Recruiting And Staffing Firms 2023 (2024)

When Aubry Alvarez, Ph.D., began looking for a job in the tech industry last year, she found that as “a psychologist with technical skills,” identifying a position that complimented her unique skill set was a challenge. “None of the roles felt quite aligned,” she says. “I also highly value work-life balance and was never sure from the outside whether any particular job would share the same values.”

That’s why Alvarez, who lives in Florida, decided to try a recruiting agency called The Mom Project—and she is thrilled that she did. “Working with a recruiter allowed me to share my background, interests and values, and then have someone else keep tabs on the market for me, taking into account all of these elements,” she says. The results were astounding: Within two weeks, Alvarez had landed a contract position she loves at Meta. She is engaged in her projects, has extended her contract and still has room for life outside of work. “I was pleasantly surprised with not only how aligned the role is that they found for me, but also by the speed in which everything fell into place. I would simply not have been able to find that kind of role so quickly on my own,” Alvarez says.

It’s successes like these that make recruiting and staffing agencies so valuable in a workforce where people change jobs on average every two years and nine months, says Biron Clark, a former executive recruiter and founder of Career Sidekick, a career advice and job search website. Plus, given that 40% of workers in the U.S. last year said they expected to leave their jobs in the near future, according to a report from McKinsey & Company, recruiters and staffing companies can meet a critical need for both job seekers and employers.

But because not all recruiting agencies are created equal, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to compile our seventh annual lists of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms, America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms and America’s Best Temp Staffing Firms.

The lists are derived from survey responses from more than 5,200 external recruiters, HR or hiring managers and job seekers with recent experience working with a recruiting firm. The top-rated firms landed on one or more of Forbes’ three lists—150 companies in the executive search category, 200 companies in professional search and 150 companies in temp staffing.

One company that consistently ranks well is Kelly, a recruiting firm with expertise in fields such as science, engineering, technology, telecom and education. The agency, which has been in business for more than three-quarters of a century, took the No. 1 spot on the temp staffing list (up from No. 2 in 2022), edging out Robert Half, which dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 this year. Kelly also repeated its No. 2 ranking from last year in the professional recruiting category, coming up on the heels of Robert Half, which repeated its No. 1 ranking from last year.

The secret to the agency’s success? Peter Quigley, Kelly’s CEO, says it’s a combination of “time-tested practices and behaviors related to both the customers that we serve and the talent that we place, coupled with a very intentional combination of tools and technologies,” which he notes are constantly evolving. The firm is also keenly tuned in to what job candidates are seeking. Not only is the demand for hybrid and remote work at an all-time high, but increasingly, people “want to feel connected to a purpose and that their work is meaningful,” Quigley says, and Kelly can help them find that.

Recruiters at Adecco (which ranked No. 6 in temp staffing, No. 7 in professional recruiting and No. 17 in executive recruiting) have discovered that flexibility has become job candidates’ highest priority. “The pandemic accelerated flexible work and cemented it as a must-have in the workforce,” says Geno Cutolo, head of Adecco North America. Adecco is meeting that need through digital resources that enable candidates to “easily apply for jobs at their fingertips,” Cutolo says. Or, if they prefer, they can take advantage of in-person opportunities, such as recruiting events run by the Adecco “jobmobiles” that travel the country. “While remote and hybrid work have become a major part of the work culture since the pandemic, we balance that with our in-the-field approach,” Cutolo says. “We’re focused on staying close to our clients (aka employers), job seekers and associates—connection still matters.”

A balance of high-tech offerings and face-to-face connections is also important for Aya Healthcare, No. 21 in temp staffing (up from No. 73 last year) and No. 83 in professional recruiting. Named the largest healthcare staffing firm in the U.S. by Staffing Industry Analysts, Aya has developed an innovative online platform that uses algorithms to match clinicians and healthcare employers.

“On the clinician side of the platform, they can register their preferences, and they can tell us what they’re looking for and then the system is smart enough with algorithms to amplify those preferences to help them land in areas where they’re most interested,” says April Hansen, a nurse and group president of workforce solutions at Aya Healthcare. “And the details are visible, so you no longer have to wait to hear back from a recruiter to see what a job pays; you don’t have to wait to try to figure out what hospital or client the job actually is; it’s self-service within the platform, and that’s been key because clinicians want on-demand real-time access to the job details.”

On the employer side, once a job is posted, it hits Aya’s database and the technology immediately starts presenting that job to candidates who are best matched for it. “This magic is happening in the middle of the platform,” Hansen says. “It’s seamless and it’s highly personalized to what the client needs and what the clinician needs.”

Along the way, Aya recruiters reach out to candidates to help them customize their searches or to provide services, including licensing and housing assistance (if a job involves relocating). “We help mitigate any problems that come up and solve issues really quickly,” Hansen says.

This efficient system of pairing clinicians with healthcare employers has become even more crucial post-pandemic as the U.S. grapples with a healthcare workforce shortage. Among the workers who haven’t left the healthcare field altogether, a growing number of burned-out clinicians are gravitating toward gig employment to gain more flexibility and control over their schedules. “They also want varied experiences as a burnout relief factor,” Hansen says, so the ability to easily find shifts in different settings for different days of the week can help clinicians remain engaged in their work.

Engaged employees and satisfied employers are, of course, the primary objectives of good recruiters. But the best recruiters, says Quigley from Kelly, take a long-term view of the recruiter-candidate relationship—helping job seekers develop their skills, identify next steps and work toward their ultimate career goals. As Quigley sums it up: “Our philosophy is we’re going to be your talent agent for life.”

For the full list of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms, click here.

For the full list of America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms, click here.

For the full list of America’s Best Temp Staffing Firms, click here.

Methodology

Statista surveyed 5,200 external recruiters, HR or hiring managers and participants who’ve worked with at least one of the firms, and gave them the chance to recommend and assess recruiting and staffing companies. The survey period ran from November 2022 through late February 2023, and the firms that received the highest scores made it onto one or more of the final three lists. The executive recruiting list includes the top 150 companies that specialize in filling positions with salaries of at least $100,000; the professional recruiting list consists of the top 200 companies that specialize in filling positions with salaries of less than $100,000; the temp staffing list includes the top 150 companies that focus on matching job candidates with employers for temporary and contract positions.

As with all Forbes lists, companies pay no fee to participate. For questions about this list, please contact listdesk (at) forbes.com.

Meet America’s Best Recruiting And Staffing Firms 2023 (2024)

FAQs

Meet America’s Best Recruiting And Staffing Firms 2023? ›

Staffing is a function carried across all levels within an organisation, and it involves multiple activities from the time employees join an organisation and continues till the time they leave. Recruitment is carried out only during the initial stages of hiring a candidate.

What is the difference between US staffing and US IT recruiter? ›

Staffing is a function carried across all levels within an organisation, and it involves multiple activities from the time employees join an organisation and continues till the time they leave. Recruitment is carried out only during the initial stages of hiring a candidate.

Which is the world's fastest growing recruitment company? ›

Fastest Growing Companies in Recruiting
RankCompanyCountry
1MindquestUK
2Agricultural and Farming JobsUK
3The Intersect GroupUSA
4BROADSTAFFUSA
54 more rows

Who is the largest staffing company in the world? ›

For the fourth year in a row, Randstad is the largest staffing firm globally, generating just under $26 billion in revenue. Swiss-based Adecco and US-based Manpower Group follow in second and third.

What is the starting salary of US staffing? ›

Average starting Salary for US Recruiter in India is around ₹1.2 Lakhs per year (₹10.0k per month). No prior experience is required to be a US Recruiter. What is the highest salary for a US Recruiter in India? Highest salary that a US Recruiter can earn is ₹7.0 Lakhs per year (₹58.3k per month).

What is the salary of US staffing process? ›

US IT Recruiter salary in India with less than 1 year of experience to 4 years ranges from ₹ 1.8 Lakhs to ₹ 5 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 3 Lakhs based on 11.9k latest salaries.

Who is the largest IT staffing company in the US? ›

Who is the largest IT staffing firm? Allegis Group is the world's largest staffing firm. They are based in Hanover, Maryland, and have offices all over the United States.

How much does a US IT recruiter earn in America? ›

Recruiter Salaries
Job TitleSalary
Recruiter salaries - 1,177 salaries reported$40,223/yr
Recruiter salaries - 524 salaries reported$52,278/yr
Recruiter salaries - 482 salaries reported$51,649/yr
Recruiter salaries - 444 salaries reported$60,165/yr
16 more rows

Do recruiters work for you or the company? ›

First, the basics: a recruiter works for a company to help match qualified candidates with open positions. They search for and reach out to candidates on Handshake and other platforms. And they serve as a link between the candidate and the company during the interview process.

Who is the highest paid recruiter? ›

The highest-paid recruiter job is a senior technical recruiter. Senior Technical Recruiters earn an average salary of $88,314, which is $ 42.46 hourly. A senior technical recruiter is a professional who is responsible for identifying and hiring top talent candidates to work for a company.

Which company pays highest salary to recruiter? ›

12 high-paying recruiter jobs
  • McKinsey & Company. ...
  • SAIC. ...
  • Barclays. ...
  • Salesforce. ...
  • Autodesk. Average recruiter salary: $139,771 per year. ...
  • Meta. Average recruiter salary: $156,310 per year. ...
  • Juniper Networks. Average recruiter salary: $175,000 per year. ...
  • Visa. Average recruiter salary: $240,000 per year.
Jan 26, 2023

What is the highest salary recruiters? ›

The majority of Corporate Technical Recruiter salaries across the United States currently range between $77,500 (25th percentile) and $87,500 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience.

Why do staffing companies make so much money? ›

As a business that services almost all industries, staffing agencies make money from the fees paid for recruiting services. Their earnings come from providing workers to companies who are looking to employ them.

What are the top staffing agencies globally? ›

Staffing Industry Analysts has published a global ranking of the world's 100 largest staffing companies by revenue in 2021. The top 5 companies include Randstad, Adecco, Manpower Group, Allegis Group and Recruit.

Who is the father of staffing? ›

Herbert Heneman has described an effective recruiting process as the cornerstone of an effective staffing system.

Do recruiters get commission? ›

Most agency recruiters have a base salary and are paid commissions by placing candidates with companies they recruit on behalf of. When an agency recruiter places a candidate on a direct-hire contingency basis they are paid a percentage based fee calculated off the job seeker's first-year salary.

How much does an entry level HR recruiter earn in USA? ›

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $61,500 and as low as $23,000, the majority of Entry Level Hr Recruiter salaries currently range between $33,000 (25th percentile) to $48,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $56,000 annually across the United States.

Is US staffing a good career? ›

US IT Staffing as a career would be one of the best decision one can make to excel in a fast pacing world, It gives you an opportunity to work with the best of the best system integrator, consulting and end clients.

What is the salary of manager in US staffing? ›

Us Staffing Manager salary in India ranges between ₹ 6.1 Lakhs to ₹ 19.2 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 12.0 Lakhs.

How much does a staffing coordinator earn in USA? ›

Staffing Coordinator Salary
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$50,000$4,166
75th Percentile$45,000$3,750
Average$40,974$3,414
25th Percentile$35,000$2,916

How much do US pay per hour? ›

The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour.

What is the largest minority owned IT staffing firm in the US? ›

Who is DIVERSANT? That's simple—we are a fully certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) and are the largest diversity-owned IT staffing firm in the U.S.

Is the staffing industry growing? ›

The US staffing industry had another successful year of growth in 2022, generating $218 billion in revenue according to SIA's April 2023 US staffing Industry update. This was $6 billion more than the original $212 billion 2022 revenue projections.

How big is the US recruiting industry? ›

The market size, measured by revenue, of the Employment & Recruiting Agencies industry was $32.2bn in 2022.

Can recruiters make 200k a year? ›

Agency recruiters aren't paid a flat salary, typically. Instead, they earn commissions when they place candidates into jobs. Because of this, the average recruiter salary will vary widely based on the success of the individual but could go upwards of $200,000 for an experienced agency recruiter.

Can you make 6 figures as a recruiter? ›

For experienced recruiters, placing two to three candidates at a time can earn up to $24,000 per month. Multiply that throughout the year, and it's easy to see how external recruiters can make more than six-figure salaries.

How much does Harvard recruiter get paid? ›

$85,115. The estimated total pay for a Recruiter at Harvard University is $85,115 per year.

What recruiters don t tell you? ›

Here are a few of the secrets that Molad says recruiters won't tell you, but really want to.
  • “We could have gone higher if you had negotiated.” ...
  • “Don't go overboard with buzzwords — we can tell.” ...
  • “You never had a chance after that bad first impression.” ...
  • “Your references weren't very flattering.”
Dec 16, 2021

Do recruiters decide who gets hired? ›

And while the recruiter manages the process, it's the hiring manager who actually closes the deal. So, hiring managers are the decision-makers; they have the final say as to who gets hired and who gets rejected. They own the outcome of the recruiting process.

Should I tell recruiter I have a job? ›

If you're wondering how to best answer when a recruiter or hiring manager asks you if you have other job offers, the answer is... Answer honestly. If you've got other job offers, tell them. If you don't have any offers, don't invent them.

Can a recruiter get you a higher salary? ›

A recruiter can help you negotiate your salary in many ways. They have inside info on the employer, they know how to sell you to the hiring manager, they will fight for what you're worth, they have negotiation experience, and they have real-time industry knowledge.

Can you make a lot of money in recruiting? ›

Generally, internal recruiters have hourly or salaried compensation. Internal recruiters make around $35,000 to $75,000 per year depending on where they work and how much experience they have.

Do recruiters get extra pay? ›

Recruiters will receive $150 for each non-prior service recruit in Category IIIA, which requires a minimum score of 50 or better, who ships off to basic training, according to “initial” rates detailed in the memo. Each Category IIIB accession, requiring a score between 31 and 49, will earn the recruiter $75.

What state pays recruiters the most? ›

Recruiter Salary By State FAQs

The highest-paid state for recruiters is Massachusetts with an average salary of $66,136 per year. What city pays recruiters the most? Richmond, CA pays recruiters the most with an average salary of $71,994 per year. What is the worst state for recruiters?

Do recruiters care about salary? ›

There are three reasons why it's more beneficial to both you and the recruiter if you are open about your future salary requirements. When recruiters are considering potential candidates for a position, they need to know the candidate's salary requirements to see if they are a fit for the position.

Does the recruiter decide salary? ›

In most cases, it is the employer that is going to be creating the salaries for all employees that they are hiring. Employers have the freedom to decide what kind of salary they want to offer depending on the position, the person, and their financial position.

Are recruiters in high demand? ›

Of course, the demand for recruiters serves as a barometer for hiring across all functions. We see a nearly threefold increase in recruiter job postings from January to June 2021 when compared to the exact same six-month period in 2020. There are nearly 7 times more recruiter jobs posted in June 2021 than in June 2020.

What rank are recruiters usually? ›

Each Army Recruiting Station is commanded by a Station Commander, a successful cadre recruiter in the rank of Staff Sergeant or Sergeant First Class selected to lead an office of three to 15 recruiters in conducting the actual mission of recruiting qualified people into the Army.

What to do if recruiter gives you the salary range? ›

If the recruiter does give you the salary range you can respond by saying, “that's in my range.” If pressed you can pick a number somewhere in between. Just remember that the highest salary in that range will go to a candidate who meets most if not all of the requirements.

What are the cons to working for a staffing agency? ›

CON: Potential team bonding and culture issues

A temporary worker may not mesh well with long term employees. Full-time employees and temporary staff may have a short term view of each other resulting in reduced team bonding and interpersonal interaction.

Why should I work in staffing? ›

Staffing agencies are partners to job seekers and are interested in the success of their individual temporary and contract employees. Staffing agencies work one-on-one with job seekers. Working for a staffing firm also allows you to experience a variety of industries, companies, and jobs—without a long-term commitment.

Why do companies hire temps? ›

Temporary workers help reduce overall staffing costs, because their presence can keep your regular employees fully productive, but not overworked. The ability to “try out” potential future hires.

What are the four types of staffing? ›

This sample International Recruitment Policy template describes the four global staffing approaches: ethnocentric, polycentric geocentric, regiocentric, and it will help you set up your own international staffing strategy.

What is best of staffing program? ›

About Best of Staffing

ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing® Award is the only award in the U.S. and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service quality based entirely on ratings provided by their clients, placed talent, and internal employees.

What is the difference between a recruiter and a staffing agency? ›

The difference between recruiting vs staffing is that recruiting is acquiring talent to be a full-time employee. Whereas staffing is the hiring of an agency to provide temporary workers.

What is the net profit of a staffing company? ›

Net profit is the overall profit your staffing agency will make after you pay for your operating costs. These costs include your wages, office space, marketing, insurance, and other expenses to run the business. In this example, your operating costs are broken down to $3.00 per hour, per employee.

What are the 6 functions of staffing? ›

The staffing function includes recruitment, selection, training, development, transfer, promotion and compensation of personnel.

What is US staffing in simple words? ›

What is US Staffing? • US Staffing is a Talent Acquisition Industry which brings together HR Departments of the Clients, the VMS and the managers of staffing companies to hire the best talent for the vacant jobs in shortest possible time.

What is the largest staffing agency in America? ›

Who are the biggest staffing agencies in the U.S.?
  • Randstad.
  • The Adecco Group.
  • ManpowerGroup Inc.
  • Allegis Group.
  • Robert Half International Inc.
  • Kelly Services Inc.
  • Express Employment Professionals.
  • Aerotek.
Jan 5, 2023

What are the top staffing firms by revenue? ›

Staffing Industry Analysts has published a global ranking of the world's 100 largest staffing companies by revenue in 2021. The top 5 companies include Randstad, Adecco, Manpower Group, Allegis Group and Recruit.

What staffing industry analysts are the largest staffing firms in the US? ›

The three largest companies are TEKsystems (Allegis Group), Insight Global, and ASGN. Added together, these 62 firms generated $29.6 billion in such revenue.

How many staffing companies are there in US? ›

There are 12,554 Employment & Recruiting Agencies businesses in the US as of 2023, an increase of 2.3% from 2022.

How much does an agency recruiter earn in USA? ›

The average Staffing Agency Recruiter salary is $47,370 as of May 01, 2023, but the salary range typically falls between $41,594 and $54,416.

What is the average profit margin for a staffing agency? ›

What Is The Average Markup? The average staffing agency markup for temporary employees or independent contractors can range anywhere between 20 – 75%. Permanent placement markups are typically 10 – 20% of the employee's gross annual salary.

What is a good turnover rate for staffing? ›

As a general rule, employee retention rates of 90 percent or higher are considered good and a company should aim for a turnover rate of 10% or less.

What are the three common staffing models? ›

Different Types of Staffing Plans
  • Short-Term Staffing. A short-term staffing plan focuses on the immediate needs of the company. ...
  • Long-Term Staffing. Long-term staffing involves taking a proactive approach to your company's staffing needs. ...
  • Employee Succession Planning. ...
  • Strategic Staffing Models.

How big is the US recruiting market? ›

The market size, measured by revenue, of the Employment & Recruiting Agencies industry was $32.2bn in 2022.

What is the staffing industry forecast for 2023? ›

For 2023, Staffing Industry Analysts forecasts the US staffing market is going to experience a slight -2% y/y growth in comparison to the record-breaking revenue experienced in 2021 and 2022 on the back of COVID-19 hiring rebounds.

Is staffing a growing industry? ›

Employment Growth in the US Staffing Industry

Manufacturing, professional business services, health care and social assistance have accounted for 47% of US employment growth this year and are four categories continuing to grow in the US staffing market according to the SIA.

Which industries use staffing agencies the most? ›

What Types of Companies Use Temporary Staffing Agencies?
  • Office support. Temporary and contract workers are also essential in providing administrative and clerical support. ...
  • IT. ...
  • Engineering and life sciences. ...
  • Healthcare. ...
  • Marketing/creative. ...
  • Finance/accounting. ...
  • Education. ...
  • More in common than not.
Apr 27, 2022

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