What HRnetGroup does

HRnetGroup Limited is a Singapore-incorporated, Singapore Exchange-listed recruitment and staffing company headquartered at Ngee Ann City Tower A, founded in 1992 by Peter Sim as a four-person team. The group operates two complementary businesses: professional recruitment services under the HRnetOne, PeopleSearch, PeopleFirst, SearchAsia, and Recruit Legal brands, which monetize on a transactional fee basis tied to successful permanent placements; and flexible staffing solutions under HRnetOne, HRnetRimbun, PeopleSearch, PeopleFirst, SearchAsia, and REForce, which generate managed services revenue from staffing margins on contractor placements. The company employs over 900 consultants across 18 Asian growth cities in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, mainland China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou), South Korea, and Japan, and serves a diversified mix of corporate employers plus specialist segments including industrial, F&B, retail, hospitality, legal, semiconductor, healthcare, and government.

HRnetGroup complements its services portfolio with proprietary HR technology and adjacent offerings: Octomate (workforce management with 24/7 instant payments), EASE (mobile-first job portal), YesPay! (HR and payroll platform), DouDou (Employer of Record), AllwaysHRnet (semiconductor-focused talent solutions), and LEAPS by HRnet (business transformation consultancy). Revenue is generated through transaction-based permanent placement fees, contract staffing margins on 16,421 active contractors, and an emerging layer of subscription and platform fees from technology and EOR offerings. Distribution is primarily consultant-led enterprise sales via 20 brands, supported by self-serve technology platforms.

In FY2025, HRnetGroup reported S$584m in revenue (+3.0% YoY), S$122.9m in gross profit, S$51.2m in PATMI (+15% YoY), and an EBITDA/GP margin of 53% (+7 points YoY), with 4,766 placements and a market capitalization of approximately S$733.7m. The group won Singapore's Best Managed Companies Gold Award for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 and was recognized as the largest Asia-based recruitment agency in Asia Pacific excluding Japan, while disclosing a 20.09% stake in UK-listed Staffline Group PLC as a cross-border strategic investment.

Name

HRnetGroup

Legal name

HRnetGroup Ltd

Website

https://hrnetgroup.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

HRnetGroup is a Singapore-listed recruitment and staffing company operating 20 brands and 900+ consultants across 18 Asian cities, serving corporate, industrial, legal, semiconductor, and government clients with permanent placement, flexible staffing, and proprietary HR technology including Octomate, EASE, YesPay!, and DouDou EOR.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Temporary Help Services (561320), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive HRO (Multi-Process HR Outsourcing) (BPACAKAA), HRIS/HCM Managed Services & Support (BPAEAGAF), Clerical & Customer Support Temp Staffing (BPACACAC)

Keywords

• Recruitment services
• Staffing solutions
• Executive search
• Workforce management
• HR consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Recruitment Services: Executive search and professional recruitment services provided under HRnetOne, PeopleSearch, PeopleFirst, and SearchAsia brands. These services are typically fee-based, charging clients upon successful placement of candidates.
2. Flexible Staffing Solutions: Contract and temporary staffing services provided under HRnetOne, HRnetRimbun, PeopleSearch, PeopleFirst, SearchAsia, and Reforce brands. Revenue generated from staffing margins on contractor placements.
3. HR Technology Platforms: Technology-enabled workforce management solutions including Octomate, EASE job portal, YesPay! payroll solutions, and DouDou EOR services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HRnetGroup provides professional recruitment (executive search, permanent placement) and flexible staffing (contract and temporary staffing) services through 20 brands across 18 Asian cities, supported by 900+ consultants. The group complements its recruitment services with proprietary HR technology platforms including Octomate (workforce management with 24/7 instant payments), EASE (mobile-first job portal), YesPay! (HR and payroll solutions), and DouDou (Employer of Record services).

Product overview

HRnetGroup operates a multi-brand recruitment and staffing platform comprising 20 brands across 18 Asian cities with over 900 consultants. The portfolio is organized into two complementary businesses: professional recruitment services (HRnetOne, PeopleSearch, PeopleFirst, SearchAsia, Recruit Legal) and flexible staffing solutions (HRnetOne, HRnetRimbun, RecruitFirst, RecruitExpress, SearchAsia, Reforce). Supporting the core recruitment services, HRnetGroup offers specialized workforce technology products including Octomate (workforce management with instant payments), EASE (mobile-first job portal), YesPay! (HR and payroll solutions), DouDou (Employer of Record/EOR services), LEAPS (business transformation consultancy), and AllwaysHRnet (semiconductor industry talent solutions). The company also operates across geographies with dedicated brands such as AllwaysFirst (Vietnam), Center Point Personnel (Hong Kong), and RecruitFast (cross-border talent acquisition).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HRnetOne: Flagship brand founded in 1992 providing fully integrated, bespoke professional services solutions. One of the leading executive search organisations in Asia Pacific with presence in 12 cities.
• Recruit Express
• PeopleFirst
• SearchAsia
• RecruitFirst
• Recruit Legal
• YesPay!
• Octomate

Products and services

• HRnetOne Flagship professional recruitment brand founded in 1992 providing fully integrated, bespoke professional services solutions. One of the leading executive search organisations in Asia Pacific with presence in 12 cities, covering major industry sectors.
• Recruit Express Leading staffing solutions provider established in 1996, with a proven track record for matching the right people to the right organisation within the shortest time through vast network resources, extensive databases, and defined recruitment processes.
• PeopleSearch Professional recruitment brand with 26 years of industry experience, delivering precise human capital solutions based on market insights and in-depth knowledge of industry trends.
• PeopleFirst Professional recruitment brand with 26 years of industry experience focused on providing human resource solutions by going beyond the brief to understand client needs and engaging candidates on a personal basis.
• SearchAsia
• RecruitFirst
• Recruit Legal Specialist consultancy for Legal, Compliance, and Company Secretarial recruitments established in 2004. Asia's leading legal recruiter with a 93% placement-success record serving law firms, financial institutions, and Fortune-500 MNCs.
• Recruit Express Services (RESS)
• HRnetRimbun Trusted recruitment partner in Indonesia (formerly RimbunJob), serving a wide spectrum of industries from Asian conglomerates and healthcare to mining and IT, delivering innovative and customised human capital solutions.
• REForce One-stop human resource management solutions including mid-to-senior level talent recruitment, search and consulting, RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), talent mapping, HR advisory and consulting, and employer branding services in China.
• RecruitFast
• AllwaysHRnet
• LEAPS by HRnet
• Crew
• AllwaysFirst
• Center Point Personnel
• DouDou
• EASE
• YesPay!
• Octomate

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% placement-success record in legal recruitment industry
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Outward Bound SingaporeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026HRnetGroup's HRtech brand Octomate secured a project with Outward Bound Singapore (outdoor education institution under National Youth Council) to implement a workforce management system for OBS's 250 staff. The system centralizes roster scheduling, leave planning, and skills-based instructor assignment with mobile-responsive, real-time access.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Robert Half International: US-listed specialist in finance/accounting/technology professional staffing and consulting. Directly comparable in the professional recruitment (placement fee) model for mid-to-senior level roles and overlap in HR advisory services for white-collar segments.
• Michael Page International: UK-listed specialist professional recruitment firm with strong APAC presence (PageGroup). Direct competitor in mid-to-senior professional placement across Asia, using a similar consultant-led fee model with overlapping target customer segments (corporate employers seeking executive search).
• Robert Walters plc: UK-listed mid-to-senior level professional recruitment firm with strong Asia-Pacific presence in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and China. Closely comparable business model focusing on white-collar professional placement fees in the same Asian markets HRnetGroup targets.

Broad incumbents

• Hays plc: UK-listed global recruitment firm specializing in professional services and skilled trades across 33+ countries with deep APAC presence. Comparable mid-to-senior level professional recruitment focus and presence on HRnetGroup's board via independent director Albert Ellis's prior tenure.
• Randstad N.V. Dutch-listed global HR services leader with significant Asia-Pacific operations including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Direct competitor in flexible staffing, RPO, and HR solutions with overlapping technology investments (digital matching platforms).
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing leader operating in 70+ countries with strong Asia-Pacific operations through ManpowerGroup Asia. Direct competitor in flexible staffing and workforce solutions, especially in markets like Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong where HRnetGroup also operates.
• Persol Holdings: Japan's second-largest staffing firm operating across APAC with TempStaff, PERSOL Asia Pacific, and digital platform businesses. Direct competitor in Asia professional staffing and temp placement, with similar dual-engine professional recruitment + flexible staffing model.
• Recruit Holdings: Japanese-listed parent of Indeed and Glassdoor; the dominant global recruitment and HR services platform. Comparable to HRnetGroup in professional staffing (RGF Staffing) but with vastly greater scale, technology investment, and geographic reach including a strong Asia presence (ex-Japan overlap).

Regional players

• TechnoPro Holdings: Japan-listed engineering and IT staffing firm with growing APAC operations. Comparable in technology-focused flexible staffing and contract engineer deployment; Hank Sato (HRnetGroup board member) was previously CFO at TechnoPro.

Others

• Staffline Group plc: UK-listed recruitment and training group where Albert Ellis (HRnetGroup independent director) is CEO. While primarily UK-focused, Staffline's workforce solutions model and HRnetGroup's 20.09% stake create a strategic partnership and governance linkage rather than direct market overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about HRnetGroup