What LevelUp HCS does

LevelUp HCS, founded in 2012 by Curtis Grajeda, is a privately held talent acquisition and workforce solutions firm headquartered at 32 Old Slip, New York, operating globally across North America, the UK, Europe, LATAM, and South Africa (Cape Town). The company delivers Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Embedded Recruitment, Project RPO, On-Demand RPO, Sourcing as a Service, Total Talent Solutions, Contingent Workforce Management, HR Advisory, and Executive Search — the latter through its wholly-owned subsidiary Phyton Talent Advisors. Customers are predominantly enterprise organizations in regulated or high-complexity verticals: Financial Services (investment banks, fintech, asset managers), Technology, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Advanced Manufacturing, with nonprofit/public sector and mid-market as secondary segments.

The firm's core technology is the proprietary LevelUP Hiring Engine™, an AI-enabled orchestration platform that integrates sourcing, engagement, and talent intelligence into a continuous workflow. It incorporates predictive analytics on talent supply, demand, and compensation; AI-powered voice and text candidate evaluation; multi-channel automated engagement (email, SMS); interview scheduling automation; and a talent-community layer for candidate rediscovery. In October 2025, LevelUp extended the platform with Ella, an AI Talent Scout for automated candidate screening. The Hiring Engine is designed to sit alongside clients' existing ATS systems rather than replace them, and the platform operates within an ISO 27001 certified environment.

LevelUp's business model is services-led and engagement-based, monetized primarily through managed services (multi-year RPO and Total Talent contracts), professional services (Embedded Recruitment and Executive Search engagements typically structured as 3, 6, or 12-month deployments), and contingent workforce management. Pricing is custom, tied to engagement scope, volume, and contract duration, with no publicly disclosed standard tiers. Go-to-market is consultative enterprise field sales supplemented by inside sales, with marketing support from content (blog, case studies, podcast), industry events, and partner referrals. The firm is a Certified Minority Business Enterprise (NMSDC), Great Place to Work certified, and a member of RPOA, SIA, APSCo, and SHRM, positioning DE&I execution as a procurement-relevant differentiator.

Name

LevelUp HCS

Legal name

LevelUP HCS, LLC

Website

https://leveluphcs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LevelUp HCS is a privately held, New York-based talent acquisition firm delivering AI-enabled Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Embedded Recruitment, Total Talent Solutions, and Executive Search to enterprise clients in Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, and Advanced Manufacturing across North America, EMEA, and LATAM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) & Talent Acquisition Services

NAICS

Employment Services (5613), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

HR Service Delivery, Case Management & Employee Self-Service (BPACAPAL)

Keywords

• Recruitment process outsourcing
• Executive search services
• Workforce management solutions
• Contingent staffing services
• Talent acquisition consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Full-service recruitment process outsourcing where LevelUP embeds dedicated recruiters and expertise into the client's talent acquisition function. Operates as a partnership model delivering consistent results, stronger pipelines, and long-term cost efficiencies through dedicated technology and data insights.
2. Embedded Recruitment: Placement of experienced recruiters (sourcers, coordinators, TA specialists) directly into the client's internal team. Typically structured as 3, 6, or 12-month engagements with scalability options.
3. Project RPO: Short-term, agile RPO solutions for specific hiring projects, seasonal needs, or backlog situations. Delivers rapid sourcing at scale globally at lower cost than traditional agencies.
4. Recruitment on Demand: On-demand sourcing and screening support for internal teams facing peak hiring periods or hard-to-fill positions. Provides access to broader, more diverse talent pools.
5. Sourcing as a Service: Front-end recruitment work combining technology, industry knowledge, and sourcing to build tailored talent pipelines. Clients receive tools and data insights to boost internal team effectiveness.
6. Total Talent Solution: Integrated program combining permanent and contingent workforce management through a unified technology platform. Delivers cost savings, efficiencies, and full workforce visibility.
7. Contingent Workforce Management: MSP-driven solution for finding, hiring, and managing temporary workers, consultants, and gig workers. Simplifies onboarding and reduces costs of managing contingent labor.
8. Executive Search (Phyton Talent Advisors): Specialized executive and professional search through Phyton Talent Advisors division. Targets mid-to-senior level professionals and leadership roles with flexible models including retained search, permanent placement, and temporary/contract staffing.
9. HR Advisory: Consulting services including DE&I advisory, leadership and change management, process optimization, and HR practice modernization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

LevelUp HCS provides outsourced recruitment and workforce solutions to enterprise and mid-market clients, delivered through Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Embedded Recruitment, Contingent Workforce Management, Total Talent Solutions, HR Advisory, and Executive Search (via the Phyton Talent Advisors division). These services are powered by the LevelUP Hiring Engine™, an AI-enabled orchestration platform that connects sourcing, engagement, evaluation, and market intelligence into a single workflow integrated with client ATS systems.

Product overview

LevelUP HCS operates as a talent acquisition and workforce solutions company offering a portfolio of services organized around its AI-enabled Hiring Engine platform. The core portfolio consists of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Embedded Recruitment, Contingent Workforce Management (CWM), Total Talent Solutions, HR Advisory, and Executive Search (delivered through the Phyton Talent Advisors sub-brand). The LevelUP Hiring Engine acts as the orchestration platform powering these services, connecting sourcing, engagement, and intelligence into a continuous AI-enabled workflow. Supporting capabilities include Talent Intelligence & Market Analysis, AI-Powered Candidate Evaluation (voice and text), and Talent Communities for pipeline building. The Hiring Engine integrates with clients' existing ATS and tools rather than replacing them. Services are delivered globally across North America, UK, Europe, and LATAM, targeting regulated and high-growth industries including Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Advanced Manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Full-service, flexible RPO where LevelUP embeds dedicated recruiters and expertise into the client's talent acquisition function. Delivers scalable, data-driven recruitment strategies supporting permanent hiring globally, including specialized healthcare RPO solutions.
• Embedded Recruitment Placement of experienced recruiters (sourcers, coordinators, TA specialists) directly into the client's internal team to support hiring surges, add specialized expertise, and strengthen delivery without the overhead of traditional agencies. Typically structured as 3, 6, or 12-month engagements.
• Project RPO Agile, short-term RPO solution for rapid scaling, new market entry, seasonal hiring, or clearing hiring backlogs. Delivers large-scale talent pools at lower cost than traditional agencies, with rapid sourcing at scale globally.
• On-Demand RPO (Recruitment on Demand) Flexible recruitment support that brings in expert sourcers to work alongside internal teams during peak hiring periods or to address hard-to-fill positions, providing access to broader, more diverse talent pools.
• Sourcing as a Service Front-end recruitment pipeline building combining technology, industry knowledge, and sourcing expertise to create tailored talent pools and provide data insights that boost internal team effectiveness.
• Contingent Workforce Management (CWM) Tech-driven solution (MSP model) for finding, hiring, onboarding, and managing temporary workers, consultants, gig workers, and contingent workers. Simplifies administration and reduces costs of managing contingent labor.
• Total Talent Solution Integrated program combining permanent and contingent workforce management through a unified technology platform, providing full workforce visibility, cost efficiencies, and streamlined administration.
• HR Advisory Consulting services to modernize HR and talent acquisition practices, streamline processes, improve retention, and achieve leadership and change management goals, including DE&I consultancy, leadership and change management, and HR practice modernization.
• Phyton Talent Advisors (Executive Search) Specialized executive and professional search division operating under LevelUP, combining advanced recruitment technology, labor market intelligence, and deep industry expertise to deliver data-driven, inclusive hiring for mid-to-senior level and leadership roles across financial services, technology, healthcare, and professional services.
• Ella AI Talent Scout AI-powered candidate screening and engagement assistant that integrates automation with human expertise to deliver faster, fairer, and more consistent candidate experiences, supporting LevelUP's broader talent acquisition solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 63% reduction in talent acquisition spend over 3 years while doubling number of hires
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phyton Talent AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhyton Talent Advisors is LevelUP's specialized division for executive search and professional recruitment services. The division combines advanced recruitment technology with deep industry expertise to deliver inclusive, data-driven hiring solutions for mid-to-senior level placements in financial services, technology, healthcare, and professional services sectors. Phyton operates with its own brand identity while leveraging LevelUP's infrastructure and global networks.
• The Mom ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting diversity and inclusion hiring initiatives by connecting with underrepresented talent pools including working parents returning to the workforce.
• Disability ConfidentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK government partnership committed to disability inclusion in hiring, supporting LevelUP's DE&I initiatives and inclusive recruitment practices.
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)minorOthersProfessional membership providing access to HR resources, industry intelligence, and networking opportunities for LevelUP's recruitment professionals.
• SIA (Staffing Industry Analysts)minorOthersMembership in leading staffing and workforce solutions research organization providing market intelligence and industry insights.
• APSCo (Association of Professional Staffing Companies)minorOthersTrade association membership providing support and market intelligence for professional staffing operations globally.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Eightfold AI: Eightfold AI is an AI-native talent intelligence platform offering talent acquisition, talent management, and talent flex solutions — an emerging tech-led competitor whose self-serve model could disrupt traditional RPO providers like LevelUP by offering enterprise buyers AI alternatives.
• Phenom People: Phenom is an AI-powered talent CRM and recruitment marketing platform serving enterprise TA teams — an emerging player whose tech-led candidate engagement and CRM capabilities overlap with LevelUP's AI-enabled Hiring Engine features.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a premier executive search and leadership advisory firm serving financial services, technology, healthcare, and industrial clients — a direct comparable to LevelUP's Phyton Talent Advisors executive search division at the leadership placement level.
• Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm specializing in board, CEO, and senior leadership placements — a comparable incumbent competing for the same executive search mandates that Phyton Talent Advisors targets in financial services and technology.
• Hays Talent Solutions: Hays Talent Solutions is the RPO/MSP/CWS division of Hays plc, providing enterprise recruitment process outsourcing and total talent solutions across multiple verticals and geographies — a large incumbent competing for similar enterprise RPO mandates.
• Randstad Sourceright: Randstad Sourceright is the RPO/MSP arm of Randstad, the world's largest staffing company, offering enterprise-scale RPO, total talent, and contingent workforce solutions globally — a broader incumbent competitor with deeper geographic coverage and brand recognition.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm combining executive search, RPO (via Korn Ferry RPO), and talent consulting — competing with both LevelUP's RPO core and Phyton Talent Advisors' executive search business at the enterprise level.

Direct peers

• WilsonHCG: WilsonHCG is a global RPO and talent advisory firm serving Fortune 500 enterprises with full RPO, executive search, and talent consulting services — a closely comparable mid-to-large RPO competitor with similar vertical specialization.
• Alexander Mann Solutions: AMS is a global RPO and workforce solutions provider serving large enterprises across financial services, technology, healthcare, and manufacturing — competing head-to-head with LevelUP for multi-year enterprise RPO contracts in the same verticals.
• Cielo: Cielo is a global RPO and talent acquisition partner offering end-to-end recruitment process outsourcing, embedded recruitment, and total talent solutions across multiple verticals — directly comparable to LevelUP's core RPO/embedded/total talent service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leveluphcs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCv9Zs65M4AR2H7CmBiaNAMw
• Facebookfacebook.com/LevelUPHCS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leveluphcs
• Instagraminstagram.com/leveluphcs/channel

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about LevelUp HCS