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	PSI Resources	Accounting, finance, IT, legal and office staffing	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Quality Placement Authority	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	R3 Recruits	Recruiter and executive recruitment for recruiting businesses in real estate, finance and professional services.	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Raines International	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Recruiters Worldwide Inc.	Human resources, talent acquisition, sales, IT support and customer service leadership	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	RigelskySchaumburg	IT, engineering, and finance and accounting staffing	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Roberts and Ryan	—	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Rodgers HouderOak Brook	Retained and contingent search for food, consumer, and industrial firms	Hybrid	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Roy Talman & Associates	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	RSR Partners	Board, CEO, family-enterprise and senior functional executive search	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Rukes GroupHoffman Estates	Church and nonprofit leadership staffing	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Samerican Group	IT, cybersecurity, legal support and other professional staffing alongside industrial workforce services	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Search 4/79Oak Brook	Executive search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Search Excellence Partners	Executive and specialist leadership search in automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food industries	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	SEARCHPOINT GROUPOak Brook	Sales, marketing, and consumer-goods search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Seven Oaks Search Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Shapiro Legal Search	Lateral partner, practice group, senior associate and in-house counsel search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Sheer Velocity	Retained executive search, with deep tech and life sciences leadership expertise	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Singleton Recruiting	Software engineering, data and artificial intelligence.	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Slayton Search Partners	C-suite and senior leadership across finance, HR, technology, marketing and industry practices	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	SME & U	Finance, accounting and human resources recruiting	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Solution PartnersNaperville	Technology staff augmentation and permanent placement	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Solve IT Strategies	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	SPI of Chicago	Executive, scientific, engineering and commercial recruiting for ingredients and industrial sectors	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Staff One Recruiting	Accounting, finance, IT, engineering, creative services and office professionals	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Swoon	Technology, data, cloud, telecom, digital experience, marketing and project management	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TalentBank	Software, data, cloud, DevOps, security, infrastructure and technology leadership recruitment	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TalentCraftOak Brook	Technology, life sciences, and AI staffing	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TalentDash	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TalentRise	Executive search and interim C-suite placements across professional industries	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Taylor Transportation Search Group	Transportation, freight rail and logistics executive search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Technical Paradigm	Technology recruitment, technical hiring and recruiting as a service	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TekLine Recruiting	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TEKsystems	IT staffing, technology recruiting and contract talent	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TekWissen	Direct hire, contract and contract-to-hire staffing for IT, engineering, finance and professional roles.	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Terrana Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	The Equus Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	The Essentialist	Professional placements across technology, finance, healthcare and other corporate functions.	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	The Goodwin Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	The Judge Group	IT and engineering staffing, professional direct hire and executive search	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Theophany Staffing	Accounting, HR, sales and office professional direct hire	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	The Overture Group	—	Retained	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	The Salem Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Think Recruiting	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Throughline Talent Group	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	TRANSEARCH USA	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Tuminello Advisors	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Vaia Talent	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Verital Advisory Search	—	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8
=198	Veterans in Staffing	HR, office professionals, finance, accounting, procurement and supply chain recruitment	Not stated	Not disclosed	23.8

=198PSI ResourcesAccounting, finance, IT, legal and office staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Quality Placement Authority23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198R3 RecruitsRecruiter and executive recruitment for recruiting businesses in real estate, finance and professional services.23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Raines International23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Recruiters Worldwide Inc.Human resources, talent acquisition, sales, IT support and customer service leadership23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198RigelskySchaumburg · IT, engineering, and finance and accounting staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Roberts and Ryan23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Rodgers HouderOak Brook · Retained and contingent search for food, consumer, and industrial firms23.8
HybridNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Roy Talman & Associates23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198RSR PartnersBoard, CEO, family-enterprise and senior functional executive search23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Rukes GroupHoffman Estates · Church and nonprofit leadership staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Samerican GroupIT, cybersecurity, legal support and other professional staffing alongside industrial workforce services23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Search 4/79Oak Brook · Executive search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Search Excellence PartnersExecutive and specialist leadership search in automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food industries23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198SEARCHPOINT GROUPOak Brook · Sales, marketing, and consumer-goods search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Seven Oaks Search Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Shapiro Legal SearchLateral partner, practice group, senior associate and in-house counsel search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Sheer VelocityRetained executive search, with deep tech and life sciences leadership expertise23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Singleton RecruitingSoftware engineering, data and artificial intelligence.23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Slayton Search PartnersC-suite and senior leadership across finance, HR, technology, marketing and industry practices23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198SME & UFinance, accounting and human resources recruiting23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Solution PartnersNaperville · Technology staff augmentation and permanent placement23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Solve IT Strategies23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198SPI of ChicagoExecutive, scientific, engineering and commercial recruiting for ingredients and industrial sectors23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Staff One RecruitingAccounting, finance, IT, engineering, creative services and office professionals23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198SwoonTechnology, data, cloud, telecom, digital experience, marketing and project management23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TalentBankSoftware, data, cloud, DevOps, security, infrastructure and technology leadership recruitment23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TalentCraftOak Brook · Technology, life sciences, and AI staffing23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TalentDash23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TalentRiseExecutive search and interim C-suite placements across professional industries23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Taylor Transportation Search GroupTransportation, freight rail and logistics executive search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Technical ParadigmTechnology recruitment, technical hiring and recruiting as a service23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TekLine Recruiting23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TEKsystemsIT staffing, technology recruiting and contract talent23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TekWissenDirect hire, contract and contract-to-hire staffing for IT, engineering, finance and professional roles.23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Terrana Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198The Equus Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198The EssentialistProfessional placements across technology, finance, healthcare and other corporate functions.23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198The Goodwin Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198The Judge GroupIT and engineering staffing, professional direct hire and executive search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Theophany StaffingAccounting, HR, sales and office professional direct hire23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198The Overture Group23.8
RetainedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198The Salem Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Think Recruiting23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Throughline Talent Group23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198TRANSEARCH USA23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Tuminello Advisors23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Vaia Talent23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Verital Advisory Search23.8
Not statedNot disclosed0 open roles
=198Veterans in StaffingHR, office professionals, finance, accounting, procurement and supply chain recruitment23.8
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