The Chicago index

Chicago recruitment agencies, ranked.

Every firm we track, scored on public signals: specialist focus, market activity and track record. Terms, claiming and sponsorship never change a rank.

The index is free to read and free to be listed in. Our sponsor makes that possible, and has no say in any ranking.

Firms tracked: 409
Specialties: 13
Open roles: 6,813
Updated: Nov 11

Chicago, United States

The full leaderboard, Chicago

Chicago recruiting firms ranked by index score
Rank	Firm	Focus	Fee model	Terms	Index score
=198	44 Solutions	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	6 Degrees Inc.Palatine	Accounting and finance staffing and search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Actalent	Engineering and scientific professional staffing	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Adams Dearborn	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Admiral Healthcare	Permanent physician recruitment across hospitalist, emergency medicine and other clinical specialties.	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Advanced Resources	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Advanced RPO	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	AEConnection	Permanent architecture, engineering and construction management recruiting	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Alexander Hughes	Executive and senior leadership search for European companies operating in the US	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Aligned Talent	Software, infrastructure, information security, data and research engineering recruitment	Hybrid	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Aligning Talent Consultants	Technical and security-cleared recruitment, including software, cybersecurity, engineering, data and leadership.	Hybrid	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Allium Partners	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	AltaStaff	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Ampcus	Permanent and contingent recruitment for IT, engineering, finance and marketing professionals.	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Arculen	Nuclear-industry executives, engineers, analysts and project leaders	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Artisan Talent	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Ascend Attorney Search, LLC	Lateral attorney and attorney-group recruitment across transactional, litigation and regulatory practices.	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Aspen Technical StaffingNaperville	Engineering recruiting	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Auctus Search Partners	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Baker Montgomery	Corporate, technology, analytics and digital executive leadership search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Baker Tilly	Local-government executives, public-sector leadership and interim management	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Baldwin Search Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Banner Personnel	Chicago office, accounting, sales, and professional staffing	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Baquri IncStreamwood	Engineering, IT, and technical staffing	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	BarkerGilmore	General counsel, in-house legal and compliance executive search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	BCT Staffing	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Benchmark Capital Careers	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Bennett Ashley Financial SearchOak Brook	Permanent accounting, finance, audit, and tax search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	BlocHaus	Blockchain, Web3, AI infrastructure, software, data, product and security recruitment	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Boyden	Executive and board search across industrial, consumer, private equity and senior functional roles	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Bridge Professional Services	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Brilliant	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Buckingham Search	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Buffkin Baker	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Burns Legal Recruiting and Consulting	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	BWP & Associates	School district superintendent and educational executive search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	CAA Executive Search	Executive leadership, boards, corporate officers and senior HR appointments	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	CCR Search LLC	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Chicago Execs	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	City Staffing	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Clark Resources Search & Staffing	Manufacturing engineering, corporate operations leadership, office and accounting recruitment	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Collinwood Technology Partners	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Cornerstone Search Partners	Audit, tax, accounting and financial reporting recruitment	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Corporate Resources of IllinoisSchaumburg	Accounting, office, and corporate professional roles	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Cowen Partners	—	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	CPGTalent	Consumer-products analytics and insights professionals for project, flexible and full-time roles	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	CPG Talent Management	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Crist\|Kolder Associates	—	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Cruitly	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Cullerton Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8

=19844 Solutions23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=1986 Degrees Inc.Palatine · Accounting and finance staffing and search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198ActalentEngineering and scientific professional staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Adams Dearborn23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Admiral HealthcarePermanent physician recruitment across hospitalist, emergency medicine and other clinical specialties.23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Advanced Resources23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Advanced RPO23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198AEConnectionPermanent architecture, engineering and construction management recruiting23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Alexander HughesExecutive and senior leadership search for European companies operating in the US23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Aligned TalentSoftware, infrastructure, information security, data and research engineering recruitment23.8
HybridNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Aligning Talent ConsultantsTechnical and security-cleared recruitment, including software, cybersecurity, engineering, data and leadership.23.8
HybridNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Allium Partners23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198AltaStaff23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198AmpcusPermanent and contingent recruitment for IT, engineering, finance and marketing professionals.23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198ArculenNuclear-industry executives, engineers, analysts and project leaders23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Artisan Talent23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Ascend Attorney Search, LLCLateral attorney and attorney-group recruitment across transactional, litigation and regulatory practices.23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Aspen Technical StaffingNaperville · Engineering recruiting23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Auctus Search Partners23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Baker MontgomeryCorporate, technology, analytics and digital executive leadership search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Baker TillyLocal-government executives, public-sector leadership and interim management23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Baldwin Search Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Banner PersonnelChicago office, accounting, sales, and professional staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Baquri IncStreamwood · Engineering, IT, and technical staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198BarkerGilmoreGeneral counsel, in-house legal and compliance executive search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198BCT Staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Benchmark Capital Careers23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Bennett Ashley Financial SearchOak Brook · Permanent accounting, finance, audit, and tax search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198BlocHausBlockchain, Web3, AI infrastructure, software, data, product and security recruitment23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198BoydenExecutive and board search across industrial, consumer, private equity and senior functional roles23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Bridge Professional Services23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Brilliant23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Buckingham Search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Buffkin Baker23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Burns Legal Recruiting and Consulting23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198BWP & AssociatesSchool district superintendent and educational executive search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198CAA Executive SearchExecutive leadership, boards, corporate officers and senior HR appointments23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198CCR Search LLC23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Chicago Execs23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198City Staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Clark Resources Search & StaffingManufacturing engineering, corporate operations leadership, office and accounting recruitment23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Collinwood Technology Partners23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Cornerstone Search PartnersAudit, tax, accounting and financial reporting recruitment23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Corporate Resources of IllinoisSchaumburg · Accounting, office, and corporate professional roles23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Cowen Partners23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198CPGTalentConsumer-products analytics and insights professionals for project, flexible and full-time roles23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198CPG Talent Management23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Crist|Kolder Associates23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Cruitly23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Cullerton Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles

Score built from public signals · Fee model from firm websites · Terms reported by firms · Terms never affect the score

How the score works →

Recruitment agencies in Chicago: questions

How are these Chicago recruitment agencies ranked?

Each firm gets a score from public data: how focused it is on one specialty, how many roles it is actively hiring for, and its track record. We rank 409 firms in Chicago so far and re-score them as new data comes in. The full method is on our methodology page.

Can a recruitment agency pay to rank higher?

No. There is no paid placement. Claiming a profile, adding terms and our sponsor never change a score or a rank.

What's the difference between a recruitment agency, a headhunter and an executive search firm?

They overlap. A recruitment agency fills roles for employers, usually on contingency. Headhunter is the informal name for a recruiter who approaches people who aren't job hunting. Executive search firms are headhunters for senior roles and usually work on a retained basis. We list all three when they fill professional, white-collar roles.

How much do recruitment agencies in Chicago charge?

Most agencies charge a percentage of the hire's first-year base salary. Contingency recruiters are commonly quoted at around 15–25% and are paid only when you hire; retained and executive search firms often charge 25–35%, paid in stages as the search progresses.

My firm is missing or something is wrong. What can I do?

Firms can claim their profile for free and correct their details. Anyone can request a correction; we reply within three working days.

Browse by specialty

13 specialties

Chicago recruitment agencies, ranked.

The full leaderboard, Chicago

Recruitment agencies in Chicago: questions

Browse by specialty

Fintech & Trading

Legal

Executive Search

Tech & Engineering

Data & AI

Private Equity & VC

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Media & Advertising

Real Estate

Insurance & Actuarial

Accounting & Finance

Sales & Marketing

HR & Talent