It should come as no surprise to anyone at this point that the pandemic ushered in a new way of working—with virtual and hybrid arrangements and more flexible schedules. Less obvious is the fact that the pandemic also prompted a considerable number of people—even high-level executives—to rethink their careers. “We’re having the highest rate of CEO turnover on the books,” says Aileen K. Alexander, CEO of Diversified Search Group (DSG), the largest woman-founded and woman-led executive search firm in the world. Alexander adds that she’s also seeing professionals take more “non-linear paths to leadership—crossing sectors, crossing industries, moving from public to private-equity backed roles.”
Companies are increasingly using recruiting firms to uncover top executive talent when their own networks don’t turn up successful candidates, says DeLynn Senna, president for Robert Half’s executive search global operations. But with so many recruiting firms to choose from, it can be difficult for companies to know which ones might suit their organizations best. Likewise, it can be tough for job candidates to ascertain which recruiting firms might address their employment needs best. And that’s where Forbes can help. For the eighth straight year, Forbes has partnered with market research firm Statista to compile rankings of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms, America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms and America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms.
The lists are based primarily on survey responses from more than 9,300 recruiters, HR or hiring managers, and employees with recent experience working with a recruiting firm. Last year’s survey responses were also incorporated into the analysis at a lower weighting. Ultimately, the firms with the most recommendations landed on the lists, including 150 companies on the executive search list, 200 on the professional search list and 175 companies on the temporary staffing list.
Across all of the lists, a handful of companies dominated the top ranks, as they’ve done in years past. On the list of executive recruiting firms, the first five firms were the same this year as in 2023, with Korn Ferry earning the No. 1 spot, followed by Robert Half, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles and Russell Reynolds Associates, respectively. Alexander’s Diversified Search Group held steady at No. 8 for the second year in a row. Robert Half and Kelly vied for the top ranks on the other two lists. Robert Half nabbed the No. 1 spot for professional recruiting, and Kelly ranked at No. 2, while Kelly earned the top position on the temporary staffing list with Robert Half at No. 2. Remarkably, the top four firms in the temporary staffing list were the same as last year, with Manpower at No. 3 and Randstad at No. 4.
Nationally, at least 4% of companies in the private sector advertise open positions using recruiting firms, according to the latest Business Response Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Manufacturing companies lead the way in partnering with recruiters to fill openings. But the speed of tech advancements and the impacts of AI are driving companies in a range of industries to turn to recruiters to fill positions in cybersecurity and strategy, Alexander says, as well as find tech-savvy job candidates for more traditional executive jobs.
To keep pace with these needs, recruiters are now offering more learning and networking opportunities, says Alexander. Case in point: DSG has begun offering services that bring leaders together, including a recent institute on AI. “The changing expectations of our clients for executive search firms is to be multi-dimensional with the solutions that we’re providing,” Alexander says.
Another continued focus for companies—one that recruiters help to address—is the push for more diversity among employees and leadership, which research has found to be positive for both work culture and the bottom line. In fact, the latest report on diversity from McKinsey & Company determined that companies in the top quartile of female representation on executive teams were 39% more likely to financially outperform their bottom-quartile peers, as were companies in the top quartile for ethnic diversity on executive teams.
“Inclusive leadership leads to innovation, it lends itself to cultural inclusivity. It lends itself to growth,” Alexander said.
Consider DSG, which was founded in 1974 by Judith von Seldeneck with the purpose of including more women in the workforce. The company—with von Seldeneck now its chair—has since expanded its scope of expertise and size, including the acquisition of five other firms, and it now has private equity partnerships that allow it to operate in 34 countries and 60-plus cities around the world.
If any company understands staffing needs, it’s a company that has grown like that.
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
To create our lists of the top recruiting firms in the country, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey more than 9,300 recruiters, HR or hiring managers, and employees with recent experience working with a recruiting firm. Last year’s survey responses were also incorporated into the analysis with a lower weighting. The firms with the most recommendations made it onto our rankings. 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 175 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 or be selected. For questions about this list, please contact listdesk (at) forbes.com.
