What Oakleaf Partnership does

Oakleaf Partnership is a specialist HR recruitment firm founded in 2005 by Richard Colgan in London, operating as the primary trading entity of the privately held Oakleaf Group. It sources HR professionals across all functional sub-disciplines — including HR Generalist, HR Business Partner, Learning & Development, Total Rewards, Talent Management, Equity Diversity & Inclusion, Organisational Development, Change Management, Recruitment, Employee Relations, HR Technology & Data, and Payroll — for clients ranging from start-ups to FTSE 100 / Fortune 500 and PE-backed firms. Service lines span retained and contingent permanent search, interim and fractional HR solutions, executive search (CHRO/CPO-level), market mapping, psychometric assessment, and a pay-as-you-go Branded Job Ads product (£1,500–£7,500 per package). Underlying technology is a generic cloud-based stack on the operations side; the proprietary content assets include the Oakleaf Refresh podcast/video series and branded job-ad microsites, but no disclosed AI/ML product capability.

The firm operates from a London headquarters with offices in New York (US regional HQ), Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, and Brussels, covering the UK, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Vertical segmentation spans Financial Services, Professional Services, Commerce & Industry, TMT, Consumer, Industry & Science, Payroll, Reward & Analytics, and Not for Profit, with named enterprise clients including News Corp, Toshiba, Clyde & Co, Harrods, Burberry, Pernod Ricard, Allen & Overy, Teva, NHS, and the Natural History Museum. Revenue mechanics combine percentage-based permanent placement fees (25% on candidate remuneration up to £59,999; 30% above £60,000), pro-rata fixed-term contract fees, and one-time branded-ads fees; turnover is below the £36m Modern Slavery Act reporting threshold with no publicly disclosed revenue figure. The leadership team remains founder-led (Richard Colgan as Group CEO), supported by regional MDs in the US (Simon Hunt) and UK & Europe (Amy Morris), a Group CFO, and a Non-Executive Director, with no external institutional or PE investment disclosed.

Name

Oakleaf Partnership

Legal name

Oakleaf Partnership Limited

Website

https://oakleafpartnership.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Oakleaf Partnership is a privately held, UK-founded specialist HR recruitment firm placing HR professionals across all sub-disciplines and seniority levels into enterprise and PE-backed clients in the UK, US, Europe, and the Middle East, with offices in London and New York plus five European cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A HR Advisory (Due Diligence, Integration, Carve-outs) (BPACAJAL)

Keywords

• HR recruitment services
• Executive search
• Payroll recruitment
• Talent acquisition
• Interim HR solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement Recruitment: Fee calculated as percentage of Candidate Remuneration during first 12 months of engagement. Up to £59,999 attracts 25% fee; £60,000 and above attracts 30% fee. VAT charged where applicable.
2. Fixed Term Contract Recruitment: Fee calculated pro-rata for fixed term roles less than 12 months. Minimum term of 3 calendar months. Can accept on contract/day rate basis for shorter durations.
3. Executive Search Retained Search: Bespoke senior leadership talent appointment services with retained search methodology. Tailored solutions for clients globally across all industry sectors and HR functions.
4. Interim and Fractional HR Solutions: Urgent or project-based talent requirements at all levels, any duration. Support for parental leave, extended absences, interim cover, and project-based niche expertise.
5. Market Mapping Services: Advertising campaign services featuring and championing client brands, psychometric assessment services, and comprehensive market intelligence.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Oakleaf Partnership is an HR-focused recruitment firm placing HR professionals at all levels (administrator through C-suite) across disciplines including HR Generalists, Learning & Development, Total Rewards, Talent Management, EDI, Organisational Development, Change Management, Payroll, HR Technology & Data, and HR Operations. Core paid services include retained Executive Search, Contingent permanent and fixed-term contract placements, Interim/Fractional HR Solutions, Market Mapping, psychometric assessment, and Branded Job Advertising packages.

Product overview

Oakleaf Partnership is an HR recruitment specialist offering a suite of talent acquisition services for the HR profession. Its core offerings include HR Search (retained and contingent search), Contingent HR Solutions (temporary/permanent staffing), and Fractional/Interim Solutions (fractional HR leaders and interim talent), all supported by Branded Job Ads (BrandYour Ads) and a Candidate Hub providing career resources. The company operates across the UK, US, Europe, and Ireland through offices in London, New York, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, and Brussels, placing candidates across disciplines including HR Business Partner, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Total Rewards, Payroll, HRIS, Employee Relations, and Organisational Development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search
• HR Search
• Contingent HR Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully placing HR professionals at all levels across industry since 2005
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Coaching SolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for executive roundtable events. Oakleaf and The Coaching Solution co-host executive events such as 'The New Power Seat: Why the CPO is Central to Business Success' bringing together CPOs and senior HR leaders for strategic discussions.
• Clear AssuredcoreOthersClear Assured works with Oakleaf to identify and remove barriers from recruitment and talent management policy, process and practice which could exclude under-represented groups including disabled, BAME and LGBTQ candidates. Oakleaf achieved Bronze Certification in January 2021.
• 10,000 Black InternsminorOthersOakleaf has signed up to and is committed to the 10,000 Black Interns initiative, supporting career development opportunities for Black talent in the HR and recruitment sector.
• TrusaicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakleaf and Trusaic partnership announced in July 2025, combining Oakleaf's HR recruitment expertise with Trusaic's pay equity and compliance solutions for comprehensive reward insights.
• GallaghersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew collaboration announced April 2025 to drive reward insights and solutions, combining Oakleaf's HR recruitment capabilities with Gallaghers' compensation and benefits expertise.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: NYSE-listed staffing firm with dedicated HR and HR Operations placement divisions across North America and Europe. Larger scale than Oakleaf with overlap in HR generalist, recruitment, and HR operations staffing.
• Korn Ferry: NYSE-listed global executive search and organizational consulting firm. Competes with Oakleaf at the senior HR search end (CHRO/CPO placements) while adding executive search scale and broader HR advisory services.
• Reed: UK-headquartered generalist recruitment group with dedicated HR divisions. Largest privately-held recruitment firm in the UK, operating in similar verticals to Oakleaf with broader scale.
• Heidrick & Struggles: NASDAQ-listed global executive search firm with a dedicated HR Officer practice. Direct competitor to Oakleaf for senior CHRO and CPO-level retained search mandates.
• Robert Walters: UK-listed recruitment group with a dedicated HR recruitment practice alongside broader professional services verticals. Operates globally including UK, US, and Europe with similar geographic footprint to Oakleaf.
• Hays: FTSE-listed global recruiter with an established HR recruitment practice. Larger scale and diversified sector coverage, but overlaps with Oakleaf in HR professional placement across UK, US and European markets.
• Michael Page (PageGroup): FTSE-listed recruitment group with HR recruitment as one of multiple professional services verticals. Comparable fee structure, geographic spread, and target customer profile to Oakleaf.

Direct peers

• Frazer Jones: UK-headquartered HR recruitment specialist (part of SThree plc), placing HR professionals from mid-level to executive across permanent and interim engagements. Operates as a direct competitor to Oakleaf in the dedicated HR-recruitment niche.
• Morgan McKinley: Specialist recruitment firm focused on financial services and professional services including HR, payroll and change & transformation roles — directly comparable to Oakleaf's senior HR placement model.

Emerging players

• Talentful: UK-based HR recruitment and talent partner firm specializing in in-house HR team build-outs. Partial overlap with Oakleaf's HR placement work but more focused on embedded/in-house recruitment models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OakleafHR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oakleaf-partnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/oakleafhr
• Facebookfacebook.com/OakleafPartnership

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Oakleaf Partnership