What Kelly Services does

Kelly Services is a global workforce solutions provider founded in 1946 by William Russell Kelly, who is credited with inventing the modern staffing industry. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, and publicly traded on NASDAQ (KELYA, KELYB), Kelly generated approximately $4.3 billion in FY2025 revenue (down 1.9% YoY) and connects more than 375,000 people to work annually across 140+ countries. The company operates through a platform-plus-specialty-divisions model: core workforce solutions include temporary staffing, direct sourcing and hiring, master vendor programs, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), on-site workforce management, business process outsourcing (BPO), payroll services, and skilled professional solutions. These are delivered through specialty brands including Kelly Education (serving 10,000+ U.S. schools), Kelly Engineering/SETT (second-largest engineering staffing firm), Kelly Government, KellyOCG (outsourcing and consulting), Kelly Professional & Industrial, and Kelly Pediatric Therapy, plus acquired brands such as Motion Recruitment, Sevenstep, RocketPower, Softworld, and Children's Therapy Center.

Kelly's technology stack centers on the proprietary KellyOCG platforms Helix and Sevayo for integrated enterprise talent management, the AI-driven GRACE Boost platform and SET tech stack for recruiter productivity, and the myKelly.com self-service portal for job seekers and SMB clients. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees on temporary staffing (bill-rate spread on worker wages), permanent placement fees, and managed services contracts for RPO, BPO, and contingent workforce management. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; contracts range from per-placement transactions to multi-year enterprise engagements. Kelly serves enterprise, mid-market, and SMB customers across verticals including education, industrial and manufacturing, life sciences, semiconductor, automotive, financial services, technology, telecommunications, and government, with a specialized distribution model combining enterprise field sales, inside sales, master vendor programs, and self-service digital channels.

Recent strategic activity centers on the May 2024 acquisition of Motion Recruitment Partners for $425 million plus up to $60 million earnouts (Kelly's largest deal ever), the November 2024 acquisition of Children's Therapy Center, and the February 2025 integration of KellyOCG with Motion Recruitment's Sevenstep brand to form a top-five global RPO entity operating across 71 countries with 33 in-country teams. A material governance event occurred in January 2026 when Hunt Equity Opportunities LLC acquired approximately 92.2% of Kelly's Class B voting power at a premium of more than 4x the non-voting share price, prompting a board committee to evaluate strategic alternatives. The company also appointed a new Chief Growth Officer (February 2026) and a new President of the SETT division (March 2026), while executing a ~2% workforce reduction in October 2025 amid US labor market softness.

Name

Kelly Services

Legal name

Kelly Services, Inc.

Website

https://kellyservices.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Kelly Services is a global workforce solutions provider operating across 140+ countries, connecting 375,000+ people to work annually through temporary staffing, RPO, BPO, and managed services delivered via specialty divisions and proprietary Helix/Sevayo/GRACE Boost platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing and Workforce Solutions

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Temporary Help Services (561320), Payroll Services (541214), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Contractor Management Systems (CMS) & Workforce Management (BPACAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Management & Scheduling Outsourcing (Non-payroll) (BPACAKAJ), General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA), Data, AI/ML & Analytics Staffing (BPACADAB), Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB)

Keywords

• Workforce solutions
• Temporary staffing
• Recruitment process outsourcing
• Talent acquisition
• HR outsourcing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Temporary Staffing: Core staffing services providing temporary workers for seasonal demands, special projects, or extended absences. Revenue generated from staffing margins on worker wages.
2. Direct Sourcing & Hiring: Permanent placement and direct-hire talent solutions reducing recruiting time and costs for employers. Revenue from successful placement fees.
3. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): KellyOCG division provides comprehensive RPO solutions operating across 71 countries with 33 in-country teams, integrating KellyOCG with Motion Recruitment Partners' Sevenstep brand.
4. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO): Outcome-based solutions including project management, contact centers, administrative solutions, manufacturing and logistics, and field services across industries including semiconductor, life sciences, automotive, and financial services.
5. Payroll Services: Centralized payroll services provided for more than 20 years to organizations of all sizes, handling payroll administration, workers' compensation, and unemployment insurance.
6. Pediatric Therapy Services: Pediatric occupational, physical, speech therapy and behavioral health services delivered through school districts, early intervention programs, and outpatient clinics following acquisition of Children's Therapy Center in Minnesota.
7. Skilled Professional Solutions: Engagement of career professionals as subject matter experts for project work, bridging gap between temporary and full-time employment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kelly Services is a global workforce solutions provider that connects employers with job seekers through temporary staffing, direct-hire placement, recruitment process outsourcing, master vendor programs, business process outsourcing and payroll services. It serves customers through specialized industry verticals such as education, government, engineering, science, IT and professional/industrial staffing.

Product overview

Kelly Services is a global talent solutions company operating as a platform-plus-specialty-divisions model. The core workforce solutions platform encompasses temporary staffing, direct sourcing, master vendor programs, RPO, on-site management, BPO, payroll services, skilled professional solutions, the Kelly Certification Institute, and Equity@Work programs. These core services are delivered through multiple specialty divisions including Kelly Education, KellyOCG (outsourcing and consulting with Helix and Sevayo proprietary platforms), Kelly Engineering/SETT, Kelly Government, Kelly Professional & Industrial, Kelly Pediatric Therapy, and Kelly Science & Clinical. The company has also acquired and integrates several specialized brands including Motion Recruitment (tech staffing, acquired 2024), RocketPower (RPO, acquired 2022), Greenwood Asher & Associates (executive search), Softworld (tech staffing), TG Federal (government staffing), Vita Global Science (life sciences), and Children's Therapy Center (pediatric therapy, acquired 2024). Kelly employs AI tools including the Apriora Alex system for automated interviews and proprietary GRACE Boost and SET tech stack for recruiter productivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KellyOCG: Outsourcing and consulting business of Kelly Services providing global solutions for managed services, workforce outsourcing, and consulting
• Kelly Pediatric Therapy
• Sevenstep
• Motion Recruitment
• Kelly Education

Products and services

• Temporary Staffing Core staffing service that places contingent workers at client organizations across administrative, industrial, professional and technical roles.
• Direct Hire Placement Permanent placement service that recruits and hires candidates into full-time roles on behalf of client employers.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Outsourced recruitment service managing part or all of an employer's hiring process, including sourcing, screening, interviewing and onboarding.
• Master Vendor / MSP Programs Managed service programs in which Kelly acts as the single prime supplier or master vendor managing a client's contingent workforces and reporting.
• On-Site Workforce Management On-site staffing management in which Kelly manages contingent workers at client locations, handling hiring, deployment, scheduling and oversight.
• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Outsourced business process services in which Kelly owns discrete back-office or operational processes for clients.
• Payroll Services Payroll processing for client-managed or Kelly-placed workers, including tax filing, wage payment and compliance support.
• Kelly Education (Substitute Teacher & Special Education Staffing) Specialized staffing for K-12 schools, providing substitute teachers, special-education therapists, para-educators and administrative support.
• KellyOCG (Outsourced Consulting Group) Workforce solutions division focused on contingent workforce consulting, vendor management and workforce optimization for large clients.
• Kelly Government Staffing Staffing services tailored to federal, state and local government agencies, providing cleared and credentialed talent.
• Kelly Engineering (SETT) Specialized staffing and talent solutions for engineering, science, technology and telecom roles, underpinned by the SETT technology stack.
• Kelly Professional & Industrial Staffing division serving professional, office-clerical, light-industrial and skilled trades talent needs.
• Motion Recruitment Acquired specialty IT and engineering recruitment brand providing direct hire and contract talent sourcing.
• Softworld Acquired technical staffing brand specializing in IT, engineering and life-sciences talent placement.
• Greenwood Asher & Associates Acquired executive search and permanent placement firm.
• Children's Therapy Center / Kelly Pediatric Therapy Acquired pediatric therapy service provider offering school-based and clinic-based therapy services.
• KellyConnect (Contact Center / CX) Staffing services focused on customer experience, contact-center and digital talent.
• myKelly.com Self-Service Portal Self-service online portal enabling smaller employers to place orders, search candidates and manage hiring.
• Equity@Work Talent Development Program Branded program associated with Kelly's workforce development, inclusion and equity initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% therapist retention rate (30% higher than industry average)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SevenstepcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2025Following the MRP acquisition, Kelly integrated Sevenstep brand with KellyOCG's RPO division to form an integrated permanent hiring solutions business line. The combined entity ranks among top five global talent solutions providers, operates across 71 countries with 33 in-country teams, led by Amy Bush formerly president of Sevenstep.
• Motion Recruitment Partners LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2024Kelly acquired Motion Recruitment Partners from Littlejohn & Co. LLC for $425 million in cash plus up to $60 million in earnouts in May 2024. The acquisition is Kelly's largest in its history and aims to expand presence in talent services across technology, telecommunications, and government specialties. MRP operates under the KellyOCG umbrella and its Sevenstep brand was integrated with KellyOCG's RPO operations.
• RocketPowerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2022Kelly acquired RocketPower, a Silicon Valley-based provider of Recruitment Process Outsourcing and talent solutions with 2021 revenue of $28 million, to strengthen its RPO practice and expand high-tech industry offerings. RocketPower operates under its own brand within KellyOCG.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KellyServices
• Facebookfacebook.com/kellyservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kellyservices
• TikToktiktok.com/@kellyservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A20 records

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kelly Services