Compare staffing, recruiting and consulting firms

Businesses hiring a staffing firm, a recruiter or a consultant.

Short answer

How do you choose a staffing, recruiting or consulting firm?

A good staffing, recruiting or consulting firm specializes in the roles or problems you have, explains its fee structure in writing, and stands behind its work with a replacement period or clear deliverables. Compare firms on specialization, fees, guarantees, time to results and communication.

The OpenlyCompared guide to staffing, recruiting and consulting firms explains what to compare, which questions to ask and which warning signs to look for. The first companies are being checked before they are listed.

Which firms are listed?

We are verifying the first companies for this guide. Each listing is built from facts the company has published, and checked before it goes up.

What should you compare when choosing a staffing, recruiting or consulting firm?

SpecializationFirms that work in your industry or role type find people, or answers, faster.

Fee structureKnow whether you pay a contingency fee, a retainer, an hourly markup or a fixed project price.

GuaranteesA recruiter should say what happens if a hire leaves early; a consultant should define the deliverables.

Time to resultsAsk for a realistic timeline for your role or project, in writing.

CommunicationRegular, specific updates beat a silent search followed by a stack of resumes.

ComplianceStaffing firms should explain how they handle worker classification, payroll and onboarding paperwork.

What should you ask before choosing a staffing, recruiting or consulting firm?

Which roles or projects like ours have you handled recently?
How is your fee calculated, and when is it due?
What happens if the hire leaves within the first months?
How often will we hear from you, and with what?
Who on your team will do the work?

What are the warning signs when choosing a staffing, recruiting or consulting firm?

Fees that are not in writing before the work starts
No replacement or guarantee terms
Resumes sent without any screening
A consultant who cannot describe the deliverables

Frequently asked questions about staffing, recruiting and consulting firms

What is the difference between contingency and retained search?

A contingency recruiting firm is paid only when you hire one of its candidates, while a retained search firm is paid to run the whole search. Retained search usually suits senior or hard-to-fill roles.

When does a staffing agency make sense?

A staffing agency makes sense for temporary demand, quick backfills, or trying a person in a role before hiring them permanently.

How do I scope a consulting project?

To scope a consulting project, agree in writing on the question the consultant will answer, the deliverables, the timeline and the price before any work starts.

What should a recruiter's guarantee cover?

A recruiter's guarantee should promise a replacement candidate or a partial refund if the hire leaves within an agreed period. Get the recruiter's guarantee in writing before the search starts.

How this page works: companies are listed by the method on our Methodology page. Companies marked “Toutmark client” pay Toutmark, which publishes OpenlyCompared; paying never buys a position or an award. Request a correction.