General Search & Recruitment

What General Search & Recruitment does

General Search & Recruitment (GSR) is a Chicago-based, privately held recruitment firm specializing exclusively in the U.S. insurance industry. Founded circa 1982 and led by founder and president John Michael, the firm places insurance professionals in three core disciplines: underwriting, claims, and sales. It serves two primary counterparties: insurance companies seeking to hire specialized talent, and insurance professionals seeking new roles. Operating with 1-10 employees from a single headquarters at 200 S. Wacker Floor 31, Chicago, IL, the firm manages placements nationwide.

GSR has no proprietary technology platform. Its service offering is built on industry expertise, a curated candidate network accumulated over more than four decades, and consultative relationship management. Outreach to candidates includes a website job board, email, and SMS communications, while employer engagement is conducted through direct sales outreach. The firm also maintains a content-marketing presence via an industry blog covering insurance transformation, technology adoption, and career guidance.

GSR monetizes through contingency-based placement fees paid by insurance employers upon successful candidate placement. Its go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct employer engagement, content marketing for top-of-funnel awareness, and SMS/email for candidate nurturing. The firm reports a domestic U.S. focus but has at least one international partnership (Swiss Re Corporate Solutions for non-life insurance in Hong Kong), indicating selective cross-border activity. The firm rebranded with a new logo and website in October 2023.

Name

General Search & Recruitment

Legal name

General Search & Recruitment

Website

https://gsr4you.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

General Search & Recruitment is a Chicago-based, privately held insurance recruitment firm founded in 1982, placing underwriting, claims, and sales professionals with insurance employers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

Keywords

• Insurance recruitment
• Underwriting staffing
• Claims recruitment
• Insurance sales hiring
• Talent placement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Recruitment/Placement Services: GSR generates revenue by placing insurance professionals (underwriting, claims, and sales) with insurance companies. As a recruitment firm, the company likely earns contingency-based fees upon successful placement of candidates with employers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

General Search & Recruitment (GSR) is an insurance-focused recruiting firm that sources and places underwriting, claims, and sales professionals for insurance carriers, brokers, MGAs, and related organizations. The firm also maintains a job board and career resources for insurance professionals seeking new positions.

Product overview

General Search & Recruitment (GSR) is a staffing and recruitment services firm specializing exclusively in the insurance industry. The company does not offer a software product or technology platform. Its offerings consist of recruitment and placement services across three core insurance disciplines: underwriting, claims, and sales. GSR provides end-to-end talent acquisition support, from sourcing to screening, serving both employers seeking candidates and job seekers seeking insurance industry positions. The firm operates from a Chicago, Illinois office and facilitates communications with candidates via SMS messaging for job opportunities and appointment scheduling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Underwriting Recruitment

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Swiss Re Corporate SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSR has partnered with Swiss Re Corporate Solutions for non-life insurance in Hong Kong. This collaboration strengthens GSR's global network and allows the company to offer unparalleled opportunities to candidates, expanding its reach in international insurance markets.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kforce: Professional staffing firm with a focused Financial Services practice that places underwriting, claims, and risk professionals at insurance carriers, comparable in role categories to GSR.
• Aerotek: Large-scale staffing provider with insurance vertical capability placing claims, underwriting operations, and sales support talent, representing broader scale competition to GSR's direct-hire model.
• Kelly Services: Diversified global staffing provider with insurance and financial services recruiting capabilities, representing broader scale competition to boutique firms like GSR.
• Beacon Hill Staffing Group: Specialty staffing firm with a Financial Services and Insurance division delivering direct-hire and contract recruitment services for carrier clients alongside broader professional placements.
• Randstad: One of the largest global staffing firms with insurance vertical practices across the US, providing placement services that overlap with GSR's direct-hire insurance recruiting.
• Robert Half: Global staffing and recruiting incumbent with a dedicated Financial Services / Insurance practice delivering direct-hire and contract placements at far greater scale than GSR.

Direct peers

• Insurance Talent Group: Boutique recruiting firm exclusively focused on insurance industry placements, serving carriers and agencies with underwriting and claims hires comparable to GSR's core offering.
• Apex Recruiting Partners: Insurance industry-specific recruitment firm placing talent across underwriting, claims, and sales roles. Overlapping niche specialization with GSR in the same insurance verticals.
• The Jacobson Group: Chicago-based insurance-focused executive search and staffing firm serving carriers across underwriting, claims, and actuarial. Most directly comparable in vertical, geography, and core disciplines to GSR.
• Starr Search Group: Specialized insurance recruitment firm focused on placing underwriting, claims, and sales professionals with carriers and agencies, mirroring GSR's three-pillar insurance focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/generalsearchandrecruitment

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 General Search & Recruitment