BlueGlue
BlueGlue is a Reading, UK-based outsourced recruitment firm founded in 2005 that uses proprietary software to scale hiring for high-growth, funded technology startups. It operates with 11-50 employees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersReading, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BlueGlue does
BlueGlue is a UK-based outsourced recruitment company headquartered in Reading, founded in 2005. Per its own positioning, the firm specializes in scaling high-growth, funded technology startups, functioning as an outsourced hiring partner rather than a contingency agency or in-house corporate recruiting function.
The firm operates with a headcount band of 11-50 employees and maintains a single website (blueglue.co.uk). Its commercial offer combines outsourced recruitment services with proprietary software, which the company describes as a differentiator. However, the input provides no technical documentation of the software — no product names, architecture, features, integrations, AI/ML components, patents, or trademarks are disclosed. Leadership consists of co-founders David Johnson (non-executive director) and Bill Ingram (Director and Chief Executive Officer); no broader management team or board composition is provided.
The input contains no disclosed revenue, pricing model, customer logos, funding history, geographic footprint beyond Reading, or pipeline of strategic moves specific to BlueGlue. A large block of corporate, technology, customer, and strategic data in the input describes a separate organization (KellyOCG and Sevenstep, a global RPO business under Kelly Services Inc.), which cannot be attributed to BlueGlue based on the evidence provided. Accordingly, this analysis is constrained to what the firmographic and self-described positioning data directly support, and inferences about BlueGlue's business model mechanics are limited.
BlueGlue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BlueGlue
- Legal name
- Kelly Services Inc.
- Website
- https://blueglue.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BlueGlue is a Reading, UK-based outsourced recruitment firm founded in 2005 that uses proprietary software to scale hiring for high-growth, funded technology startups. It operates with 11-50 employees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BlueGlue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment Process Outsourcing
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry-Specific RPO (e.g., Healthcare, IT, Engineering) (BPACABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Enterprise RPO (End-to-End Program Management) (BPACABAA), RPO Technology, ATS Administration & Recruitment Operations (BPACABAN)
Keywords
Where BlueGlue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reading
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BlueGlue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Managed recruitment services where the company handles permanent hiring processes for client organizations. Revenue is generated through service fees typically based on successful placements or retained partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise talent solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
BlueGlue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BlueGlue is an outsourced recruitment company that provides recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), permanent hiring, total talent management, executive and specialized search, and workforce consulting services. The firm operates proprietary recruitment software and predictive workforce analytics to scale hiring for high-growth, funded technology startups across 71 countries with 33 in-country teams.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Permanent Hiring (RPO)
Companies that use BlueGlue
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BlueGlue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
BlueGlue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- KellyOCG and Sevenstep IntegrationflagshipKellyOCG and Sevenstep have joined forces to transform talent acquisition. The integration combines decades of expertise, cutting-edge technology (Helix and Sevayo® Insights), and global footprint across 71 countries. Amy Bush appointed as President, RPO to lead the unified organization. The partnership aims to deliver predictive workforce analytics and seamless delivery expertise with one team and one vision.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
BlueGlue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions: ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions offers RPO, MSP, and talent consulting services to enterprise clients globally. Competitor in the broader RPO space, with similar tech-enabled service ambitions but operating at much larger scale.
- Randstad Sourceright: Randstad Sourceright is the RPO arm of Randstad, one of the world's largest staffing firms. Offers RPO services across industries including technology, competing for similar enterprise mandates but with vastly greater scale and resources than BlueGlue.
- Hays Talent Solutions: Hays is a UK-headquartered global recruitment firm with RPO capabilities through Hays Talent Solutions. Comparable as a UK-rooted recruitment services provider serving enterprise clients, though significantly larger and broader in scope.
- Korn Ferry RPO: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm with RPO capabilities. Comparable in offering outsourced recruitment at enterprise scale, though positioned as part of broader executive search and consulting portfolio.
- Robert Half (Protiviti): Robert Half is a global staffing and consulting firm operating in similar recruitment services space. While not a pure-play RPO like BlueGlue, it competes for adjacent enterprise hiring mandates and offers comparable recruitment expertise.
Direct peers
- Guidant Global: Guidant Global is an RPO and MSP provider serving enterprise clients globally. Directly comparable outsourced recruitment delivery model, with tech-enabled service capabilities targeting similar enterprise buyers.
- Alexander Mann Solutions: AMS is a global RPO and talent acquisition consultancy serving enterprise clients. Comparable outsourced recruitment model and technology-enabled service delivery approach, though serves broader verticals.
- Cielo: Cielo is a global RPO provider serving enterprise clients across technology, healthcare, and other sectors. Directly comparable to BlueGlue as an outsourced recruitment specialist, though larger scale and broader vertical coverage.
- Sevenstep (KellyOCG): Sevenstep, now integrated with KellyOCG, is a leading RPO provider with 1,000+ experts across 71 countries. Comparable RPO service model, though operates at vastly larger scale and broader vertical scope than BlueGlue.
Emerging players
- Avanade / SmartRecruiters (RPO-adjacent tech): SmartRecruiters is a recruitment technology platform serving enterprise hiring teams. Comparable to BlueGlue's tech-enabled recruitment ambitions, though operating as a software platform rather than a services-led RPO firm.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
BlueGlue social profiles
Digital presenceBlueGlue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BlueGlue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
BlueGlue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BlueGlue M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BlueGlue
What does BlueGlue do?
BlueGlue is an outsourced recruitment company that provides recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), permanent hiring, total talent management, executive and specialized search, and workforce consulting services. The firm operates proprietary recruitment software and predictive workforce analytics to scale hiring for high-growth, funded technology startups across 71 countries with 33 in-country teams.
Is BlueGlue a public or private company?
BlueGlue is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BlueGlue founded?
BlueGlue was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BlueGlue based?
BlueGlue is headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does BlueGlue make money?
One revenue line is on record: recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO).
Who are BlueGlue's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions, Randstad Sourceright, Hays Talent Solutions, Korn Ferry RPO and Robert Half (Protiviti). Direct peers are Guidant Global, Alexander Mann Solutions, Cielo and Sevenstep (KellyOCG). Avanade / SmartRecruiters (RPO-adjacent tech) is listed as an emerging player.
Does BlueGlue have an API?
No public API is recorded for BlueGlue.
What industry is BlueGlue in?
BlueGlue's product category is Recruitment Process Outsourcing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACABAF, Industry-Specific RPO (e.g., Healthcare, IT, Engineering), with a secondary code of BPACABAA, Enterprise RPO (End-to-End Program Management). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.