Real Staffing

What Real Staffing does

Real Staffing is a life sciences specialist recruitment consultancy established in 1998 and operating as the life sciences brand within Specialist Staffing Group (SSG), itself a subsidiary of SThree plc, the London-listed STEM workforce group. The company sources and places STEM professionals into pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices and technology, contract research, and healthcare communications organizations. Its service portfolio covers permanent recruitment, contract staffing, Statement of Work (SOW) services, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), executive search, and — most strategically — Global Employment Solutions, which provides Employer of Record and Agency of Record services enabling clients to hire in 145 countries without establishing local legal entities. Geographic reach is broad but selectively concentrated: the company operates 17 owned offices across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, drawing on the wider SSG network of 46+ offices and 3,000+ employees in 14 countries.

The underlying operating model is a non-software, consultant-driven professional services business rather than a technology platform. Revenue is generated from placement fees on permanent hires, mark-ups on contract bill rates, managed-service fees on SOW and RPO engagements, and service fees on EOR/AOR engagements; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer acquisition combines enterprise field sales (dedicated consultants serving organizations from mid-market through enterprise) with inside sales and a self-serve online job portal; marketing is anchored on thought-leadership content including the STEM Skills Index co-developed with the Centre for Economics and Business Research and branded Life Sciences reports. Differentiators articulated by the company include 25+ years of specialist domain expertise, a "Red Carpet Experience" post-placement service model, and a 360-degree consulting approach emphasizing long-term partnerships over transactional placements. Reported 2024 scale metrics (US-facing) include 2,518 specialist placements and 1,009 organizations served; 2025 UK-facing figures reference approximately 12,042 candidate placements and around 6,000 clients worked with.

Name

Real Staffing

Legal name

Real

Website

https://realstaffing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Real Staffing is a life sciences specialist recruitment consultancy, part of Specialist Staffing Group / SThree plc. It places STEM professionals into pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, CRO, and healthcare communications organizations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia via permanent, contract, SOW, RPO, and Global Employment Solutions offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Temporary Help Services (561320), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Life Sciences & Biotech (R&D/Clinical) Staffing (BPACADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC), Healthcare Clinical & Allied Health Staffing (BPACADAJ), Manufacturing, MSAT & Operations Staffing (API/Biologics/Cell & Gene) (HLAGAOAL), Data, AI/ML & Analytics Staffing (BPACADAB), Mechanical, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Staffing (BPACADAG)

Keywords

• Life sciences recruitment
• STEM workforce staffing
• Pharmaceutical talent placement
• Contract research staffing
• Global employment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Permanent Recruitment Services: Fee-based permanent placement services where recruiters with specific experience in STEM hiring within Life Sciences source candidates for long-term employment. Leverages local networks and databases to find experienced and diverse talent.
2. Contract Recruitment Services: Contract staffing services placing professionals in temporary or contract roles. Provides compliant contract solutions for demanding timelines and project resources. Candidates include W2 workforce and independent contractors.
3. SOW (Statement of Work) Services: Enhanced services for procurement departments offering improved efficiency and accountability in contract management, risk mitigation, compliance with procurement policies, resource allocation and cost control.
4. Global Employment Solutions: Employer of Record (EOR) and Agency of Record (AOR) services enabling organizations to hire in 145 countries without establishing legal entities. Handles contracts, international payroll, benefits, and local compliance. Revenue from service fees for global workforce management.
5. Referral Program: Referral bonus program offering up to $500 for successful candidate placements, driving organic candidate acquisition through existing network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Real Staffing is a specialist life sciences recruitment consultancy that sources and places STEM professionals into pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, contract research, and healthcare communications organizations on a permanent, contract, or Statement of Work basis. It supplements placement services with Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), executive search, and Global Employment Solutions (Employer of Record / Agency of Record) that allow clients to hire in 145 countries without establishing local legal entities, supported by a post-placement "Red Carpet Experience" program.

Product overview

Real Staffing is a life sciences workforce consultancy that operates as a service-based staffing platform rather than a software product. The company offers a unified portfolio of recruitment and workforce solutions centered on its core Permanent Recruitment, Contract Recruitment, SOW Services, Global Employment Solutions, and RPO offerings. These services are organized around specialized life sciences sector focuses (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, Medical Devices and Technology, Contract Research, and Healthcare Communications and Marketing), supported by a proprietary post-placement 'Red Carpet Experience' program. The Global Employment Solutions service enables international hiring through Employer of Record (EOR) and Agency of Record (AOR) models in 145 countries, while the Referral Program provides incentive-based candidate sourcing. The company positions itself as a 360-degree recruitment consultant with deep sector expertise rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Recruitment Services Recruitment service focused on sourcing and placing candidates into permanent full-time roles within life sciences organizations, covering candidate assessment, interview management, offer negotiation, and post-placement follow-up.
• Contract Recruitment Services Staffing solution that connects employers with qualified W2 contractors and independent contractors for project-based, time-limited, or flexible workforce needs in life sciences sectors, with compliant contract solutions for demanding timelines.
• SOW (Statement of Work) Services Statement of Work services providing enhanced procurement department solutions for contract management, risk mitigation, compliance with procurement policies and standards, and resource allocation and cost control.
• Global Employment Solutions International hiring solution enabling organizations to employ professionals in 145 countries without establishing local legal entities, providing Employer of Record (EOR) and Agency of Record (AOR) services that handle contracts, international payroll, benefits administration, and local compliance.
• RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) Outsourced recruitment service in which Real manages the full hiring process for client organizations, including workforce planning, candidate sourcing, screening, and onboarding support.
• Executive Search Specialized permanent recruitment service for executive and senior-level positions within life sciences organizations, including targeted headhunting and comprehensive candidate evaluation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Contract profiles delivered within 48 hours
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Specialist Staffing GroupcoreOthersReal is a specialist life sciences brand under Specialist Staffing Group, the global STEM workforce consultancy. Specialist Staffing Group operates in 14 countries with over 3,000 employees and more than 46 offices globally. The brands are united by the common purpose of bringing skilled people together to build the future.
• SThreecoreOthersSThree is the ultimate parent company of Specialist Staffing Group, celebrating its 40th anniversary. Founded in 1986 as a pure-play STEM specialist, SThree helps companies worldwide future-proof their workforce through its family of brands including Real for life sciences staffing.
• Specialist Staffing Group (Global Employment Services)coreOthersSpecialist Staffing Group handles global employment services including contracts, international payroll solutions, benefits administration, and local compliance across 145 countries for Real's global clients.
• Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop the STEM Skills Index, a data-led ranking of nations based on their ability to cultivate, retain, and apply STEM expertise. Published as part of Real's thought leadership content.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Paramount Recruitment: Paramount Recruitment is a UK specialist life sciences recruiter placing scientific, clinical, and medical affairs professionals. Comparable to Real in niche life sciences focus, particularly across pharma and clinical research.
• Barrington James: Barrington James is a specialist life sciences recruiter covering pharma, biotech, medical devices, and consumer health across global markets. Closely comparable to Real's specialist life sciences vertical focus.
• CY Partners: CY Partners is a UK-based life sciences recruitment specialist serving pharmaceutical, biotech, and CRO clients. Comparable to Real's UK life sciences focus and contract/permanent delivery model.
• Skills Alliance: Skills Alliance is a specialist life sciences recruitment consultancy focused on pharma, biotech, medical devices, and CRO sectors globally. Comparable to Real in niche life sciences focus and delivery of permanent, contract, and FSP-style services.
• Planet Pharma: Planet Pharma is a pure-play life sciences staffing firm specializing in biotech, pharma, and medical device placements. Directly comparable to Real Staffing as both serve the same pharmaceutical/biotech/medtech client base with permanent and contract solutions.
• Cpl Life Sciences: Cpl Life Sciences is the specialist life sciences arm of Cpl Resources, providing permanent and contract staffing across pharma, biotech, medical devices, and clinical research. Directly comparable to Real's vertical-specialist positioning.
• Mantell Associates: Mantell Associates is a specialist life sciences recruiter serving pharma, biotech, medical devices, and nutraceuticals. Comparable to Real as a boutique life sciences staffing competitor with similar vertical coverage.
• Hays Life Sciences: Hays Life Sciences is the life sciences vertical of global recruiter Hays plc, offering permanent and contract staffing across pharma, biotech, and medical devices. Comparable to Real in offering multi-region life sciences staffing under a larger parent brand.

Broad incumbents

• Aerotek: Aerotek is a large US staffing firm with life sciences practice, placing scientific, clinical, and engineering professionals. Broader incumbent compared to Real due to its multi-vertical scope, but directly overlaps in life sciences contract and permanent placements.
• SThree plc: SThree plc is Real's publicly-traded ultimate parent company (LSE: STH), operating STEM specialist brands globally. While broader than Real, SThree is materially relevant as the parent that controls capital allocation, brand strategy, and global infrastructure for Real.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/real-staffing-group
• Facebookfacebook.com/RealStaffing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Real Staffing