Hays plc

What Hays plc does

Hays plc is a London-headquartered global specialist recruitment and workforce solutions firm operating from offices in 31 countries with c.9,500 expert consultants across 21 areas of specialism. The company places qualified professionals in permanent, temporary and contract roles for employers spanning enterprise, mid-market and SMB clients, and serves jobseekers through a network of country-specific websites and the Hays brand. In FY25, Hays placed over 255,000 white-collar candidates, approximately 43,000 in permanent roles and approximately 212,000 in temp and contracting assignments, earning fees from employers (placement fees as a percentage of first-year salary, typically 15–25%) and contractor mark-ups.

The underlying service combines what Hays describes as the "science" of recruitment — an "engaged data" approach supported by proprietary intelligence products including the Hays Global Talent Tracker (co-developed with Oxford Economics, covering 35 countries), the Tech Talent Explorer (34 countries, including AI Impact Scores), the Global Skills Index and Salary Guides — with the "art" of consultant-led recruitment. The product portfolio extends beyond traditional placement into Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Managed Service Provider (MSP) services, and a dedicated Executive Search practice, plus a specialist technology-recruitment division. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct: enterprise and mid-market clients are served by consultants in regional offices (London for EMEA, Singapore for APAC, Sydney for ANZ), while jobseekers engage via local Hays websites.

Revenue mechanics are transactional and employer-paid: one-off placement fees for permanent roles (historically ~42% of net fees) and recurring contractor mark-ups for temporary and contracting roles (historically ~58%). The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange (LON:HAYS, FTSE 250 constituent) and is currently undergoing a significant portfolio rationalisation under interim CEO Mark Dearnley, having exited Russia (2022), sold six European operations to Meraki Capital (2026), and exploring divestiture of a further seven markets while narrowing focus to 16 core markets.

Name

Hays plc

Legal name

Hays plc

Website

https://haysplc.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Hays plc is a London-based global specialist recruitment firm placing qualified professionals in permanent, contract and temporary roles for employers across 31 countries and 21 specialisms. It monetises via employer-paid placement fees and contractor mark-ups, supported by a c.9,500-consultant global network and proprietary labour-market intelligence products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Workforce Solutions

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (561320), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB)

Keywords

• Specialist recruitment services
• Permanent placement staffing
• Temporary contracting solutions
• Recruitment process outsourcing
• Executive search services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 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 Placement Services: Fees charged to employers for placing candidates in permanent roles. The company placed approximately 43,000 candidates in permanent jobs in FY25. Represents approximately 42% of net fees historically.
2. Temporary and Contracting Services: Markup fees on contractor rates charged to employers. The company placed approximately 212,000 candidates in temporary/contracting roles in FY25. Represents approximately 58% of net fees historically.
3. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Comprehensive outsourcing of recruitment processes for clients, representing a growing breadth of HR services.
4. Managed Service Provider (MSP): Management of contingent workforce programs for enterprise clients.
5. Executive Search: Specialized senior-level recruitment services for executive positions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hays plc is a global specialist recruitment and workforce solutions company that places qualified professionals into permanent, temporary, and contract roles across 21 areas of specialism in 31 countries. Its services span permanent placement, temporary and contracting staffing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Managed Service Provider (MSP) programs, and executive search. In FY25, the company placed over 255,000 candidates, including approximately 212,000 temporary/contracting roles and 43,000 permanent jobs.

Product overview

Hays plc operates as a global specialist recruitment and workforce solutions company offering a unified platform of services centered on connecting qualified professionals with employment opportunities. The core offering comprises permanent placement and temporary/contracting recruitment across 21 areas of specialism in 31 countries. The product portfolio includes complementary service offerings: Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Managed Service Provider (MSP) solutions, Executive Search for senior-level roles, Business Solutions, Enterprise Solutions, and a dedicated Experts in Technology division. Supporting these core recruitment services are research and intelligence products including the Tech Talent Explorer (comparing tech salaries and AI impact across 34 countries), the Hays Global Talent Tracker (in partnership with Oxford Economics covering 35 countries), and regional Salary Guides providing market compensation data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Placement Recruitment Fee-based recruitment service in which Hays matches employers with candidates for permanent professional roles across 21 areas of specialism in 31 countries. Employers are charged a placement fee, typically a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year salary.
• Temporary and Contracting Recruitment Provides employers with temporary and contract professionals across 21 specialisms, with revenue generated through markups on contractor daily or hourly rates. Approximately 212,000 temp and contracting candidates were placed in FY25.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) End-to-end outsourcing of recruitment processes where Hays manages the full hiring lifecycle on behalf of client organisations, including sourcing, screening, and onboarding.
• Managed Service Provider (MSP) Programme management of clients' contingent labour populations, including vendor management, rate card governance, and reporting for large organisations.
• Executive Search Specialist senior-level recruitment service targeting executive and board-level positions, operated under the Hays Executive brand at hays-executive.com.
• Business Solutions HR and workforce solutions package for businesses, delivered via the dedicated Hays Business Solutions portal in India.
• Enterprise Solutions Enterprise-level talent solutions delivered through the Hays Talent Solutions portal, bundling recruitment, RPO, MSP, and workforce consulting for large clients.
• Experts in Technology (IT Recruitment) Dedicated IT and technology recruitment division placing tech professionals across permanent, contract, and project roles via the hays.co.uk/it portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 255,000 candidates placed in FY25, including 212,000 temp/contracting and 43,000 permanent roles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AXI IMMOminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 January 2026AXI IMMO collaborated with Hays Poland on the 'FOCUS ON Łódź' report, a knowledge platform identifying Łódź as a versatile investment market combining manufacturing, logistics, and business services capabilities.
• Oxford EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHays developed its 2024 Global Talent Tracker in partnership with Oxford Economics. The tracker assesses labour market dynamics across 35 countries based on innovation capacity and talent market flexibility, evaluating hundreds of indicators including workforce participation, skills development, legislative flexibility, and tech talent availability.
• LinkedIncoreTechnology or IntegrationHays is recognized as the #1 Recruiter on LinkedIn globally with over 2 million followers. Partnership involves talent sourcing, employer branding, and content distribution on the platform.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Randstad NV: One of the world's largest staffing and HR solutions providers, with broad permanent, temp, RPO, and MSP offerings. Comparable as a global, multi-specialism recruitment competitor operating in many of the same geographies as Hays.
• Adecco Group: Global staffing leader offering general staffing, professional staffing, and talent solutions across permanent, temp, and managed services. Direct competitor with overlapping geographies and service mix.
• PageGroup (Michael Page): UK-listed specialist recruiter operating across permanent, temp, and executive search in similar white-collar disciplines and a comparable international footprint. Direct competitor to Hays in mid-to-senior professional hiring.
• SThree plc: Specialist STEM staffing firm placing contract and permanent professionals in technology, engineering, and life sciences. Highly comparable specialist recruitment model with similar cyclical exposure to Hays's tech and engineering verticals.
• ManpowerGroup: Global workforce solutions company providing permanent, temporary, and RPO/MSP services across multiple specialisms. Comparable business model and global footprint, though with greater weighting toward industrial staffing.
• Hudson Global: Smaller specialist recruiter focused on professional and talent management solutions, including RPO. Comparable as a niche white-collar recruitment and workforce solutions peer, with overlapping service lines.
• Robert Half International: Global specialist staffing firm focused on white-collar, finance, accounting, technology, and administrative placements. Closely comparable to Hays in target customer, specialism mix, and transactional permanent-plus-temp business model.

Emerging players

• Cielo: Leading pure-play RPO provider serving enterprise clients with outsourced talent acquisition. Comparable on the RPO service line that Hays offers, representing both a competitor and a partner in the enterprise segment.

Regional players

• Morgan McKinley: Specialist professional services recruiter operating across Ireland, UK, Asia, and other markets with a focus on financial services, technology, and professional disciplines. Comparable specialism mix, particularly relevant in Ireland and APAC where Hays also operates.

Broad incumbents

• Recruit Holdings (Indeed, Glassdoor): Global HR technology and staffing conglomerate including Indeed and Glassdoor. Operates broadly across the same recruitment market as Hays, with platform-based matching that increasingly competes with traditional agency models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HaysNews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HaysTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/HaysUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hays
• Instagraminstagram.com/hays_worldwide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A4 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hays plc