Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.

What Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. does

Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo-headquartered global technology company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market under ticker 6098 and founded in 1960. It operates three reportable Strategic Business Units: HR Technology, which includes the global job-matching platforms Indeed and Glassdoor; Staffing, which provides temporary placement and workforce solutions through brands such as RGF Staffing; and Marketing Matching Technologies, which connects Japanese small and mid-sized businesses with consumers across verticals including beauty, dining, travel, and real estate through services like Hot Pepper Beauty, Hot Pepper Gourmet, Jalan, and SUUMO. Across these units, Recruit served customers in more than 60 countries at the close of fiscal 2025 with a consolidated headcount of 45,586 employees across 218 subsidiaries and 6 affiliates.

The company's core technology is a set of AI-mediated matching and ranking systems — including Indeed's Smart Sourcing, Smart Screening, and Career Scout products — trained on 665 million+ job-seeker profiles and 3.3 million employer clients, the largest proprietary recruiting dataset globally. The platform architecture pairs this data layer with distribution surfaces such as Indeed PLUS (a programmatic SMB ad network claimed to reach roughly 70% of Japanese internet users) and Glassdoor's employer-review and salary-transparency data, creating cross-SBU feedback loops between candidate intent, employer demand, and consumer behavior in Japan.

Recruit's business model is a hybrid of usage-based marketplace monetization and SaaS-style subscriptions. HR Technology earns primarily on pay-per-performance and pay-per-applicant pricing, with Indeed PLUS layering display and lead-gen advertising; Staffing earns placement and gross-margin spread on temporary and permanent placement; Marketing Matching Technologies sells bookings-based and subscription plans to Japanese SMBs in beauty, dining, travel, and real estate. In fiscal 2025 the group reported revenue of ¥3.697 trillion, operating income of ¥630.5 billion, and EBITDA+S of ¥794.3 billion, with FY2026 guidance of approximately ¥4.0 trillion in revenue and ¥787 billion in operating profit, implying mid-single-digit top-line growth and ~25% operating-profit growth.

Name

Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.

Legal name

Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.

Website

https://recruit-holdings.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Recruit Holdings is a Tokyo-based global technology company operating three SBUs — HR Technology (Indeed, Glassdoor), Staffing, and Marketing Matching Technologies — connecting job seekers, employers, and Japanese SMEs through AI-powered marketplaces and SaaS solutions across 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Recruitment and HR Technology Platforms

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

RPO Technology, ATS Administration & Recruitment Operations (BPACABAN), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Recruitment Marketing & Employer Branding for RPO (BPACABAL), Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC), Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO), Sales, Marketing & Customer Success Direct Hire (BPACAFAD), Administrative, Clerical & Office Support Direct Hire (BPACAFAF), Hospitality, Travel & Events Direct Hire (BPACAFAL)

Keywords

• HR technology platforms
• Online job marketplaces
• Talent acquisition services
• Workforce staffing solutions
• Business matching platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HR Technology - Job Advertising & Sponsored Products: Revenue from employer-sponsored job postings on Indeed and Glassdoor. Employers pay per click or per started application, with Standard and Premium Sponsored Jobs pricing based on job competitiveness, market factors, and recommended budgets. Many jobs can be posted for free subject to quality standards and usage limits.
2. HR Technology - Placement Services: RECRUIT AGENT operates a fully success-based fee model placement service in Japan, providing end-to-end recruitment support from hiring requirements to onboarding for employers, with industry-specialized advisors.
3. Staffing - Temporary Staffing Services: Comprehensive temporary staffing services in Europe, US, Australia, and Japan. Revenue includes personnel costs for temporary staff (also accounted as CoGS), resulting in higher CoGS as a percentage of revenue. However, EBITDA+S to gross profit ratio is similar to other SBUs.
4. Marketing Matching Technologies - Platform Fees: Matching platforms operate primarily on Expected Action Tiered Plans (pricing structured around expected user actions and customer acquisition costs). Travel and certain verticals have transaction-based pay-for-performance pricing. Since FY2025, introduced Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)-linked model where fees are based on clients' GMV from matches.
5. Marketing Matching Technologies - SaaS Subscriptions: SaaS solutions (AirREGI, AirPAY, AirSHIFT, AirWORK Payroll, AirWALLET, AirINVOICE, AirCASH) primarily operate on subscription and transaction-based models, with some services provided for free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Recruit Holdings operates a global HR technology and matching platform business through three Strategic Business Units: HR Technology (two-sided talent marketplace Indeed, workplace transparency platform Glassdoor, and AI-powered hiring tools), Staffing (temporary and permanent placement services across Europe, US, Australia, and Japan under the RGF Staffing umbrella), and Marketing Matching Technologies (Japanese vertical matching platforms for housing, beauty, dining, travel, and the Air BusinessTools SaaS suite for SMEs). The company connects job seekers with employers, consumers with local businesses, and SMBs with operational software, monetizing primarily through pay-for-performance job advertising, placement fees, subscription SaaS, and platform fees.

Product overview

Recruit Group operates as a global technology company transforming the world of work through three Strategic Business Units (SBUs). The HR Technology SBU (including Indeed, Glassdoor, Indeed PLUS, RECRUIT AGENT, and Rikunabi NEXT) operates a global two-sided talent marketplace in over 60 countries, processing job searches, hiring, and workplace transparency. The Staffing SBU (including RGF Staffing, Recruit Staffing, STAFF SERVICE HOLDINGS, Chandler Macleod, The CSI Companies, Staffmark Group, and regional operations) provides temporary staffing and placement services across Europe, US, Australia, and Japan. The Marketing Matching Technologies SBU (including Recruit Co., Ltd., SUUMO, Hot Pepper Beauty, Hot Pepper Gourmet, Jalan, and Air BusinessTools suite) offers matching platforms and cloud-based SaaS solutions for business clients in Japan across housing, beauty, travel, and dining industries. The Air BusinessTools suite includes AirREGI (POS), AirPAY (payments), AirSHIFT (shift management), AirWORK (ATS/Payroll), AirWALLET (digital payments), AirCASH (cash advances), and AirINVOICE (invoicing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Indeed: The #1 job site in the world with over 665 million job seeker profiles, allowing job seekers to search millions of jobs in more than 60 countries and regions in 28 languages.
• Glassdoor
• RGF Staffing
• SUUMO
• Hot Pepper Beauty
• Jalan
• Hot Pepper Gourmet
• Air BusinessTools
• Rikunabi NEXT
• RECRUIT AGENT
• Indeed PLUS

Products and services

• Indeed The #1 job site worldwide with over 665 million job seeker profiles, enabling job seekers to search millions of jobs across more than 60 countries and regions in 28 languages. Operates as a global two-sided talent marketplace connecting job seekers and employers.
• Sponsored Jobs (Standard and Premium)
• Indeed Smart Sourcing AI-powered product suite featuring candidate suggestions, resume search, and automated candidate messaging for employers to source high-quality candidates with precision matching.
• Indeed Smart Screening Platform that automates screening and scoring applications based on employer hiring criteria and delivers screened applications to the ATS.
• Indeed Career Scout AI-powered personal career coach helping job seekers navigate their search by exploring career paths, finding jobs, tailoring resumes, filling out applications, and preparing for interviews.
• Indeed PLUS Job distribution platform connecting a network of Applicant Tracking Systems and job boards, including Indeed, Rikunabi NEXT, TOWNWORK, and third-party sites. Automatically distributes job postings to the most appropriate partner job boards using AI-powered matching technology.
• Glassdoor Leading workplace transparency platform where professionals research ratings, reviews, salaries, and company information at millions of employers, and engage in real-time workplace conversations.
• Indeed Interview Video interviewing platform designed specifically for interviewing and hiring, enabling employers to adapt to virtual hiring needs and job seekers to interview from home.
• Indeed Hiring Platform End-to-end hiring solution allowing employers to manage the hiring process from posting through interview directly on Indeed.
• Indeed Assessments Platform helping employers automate the screening process to quickly find candidates with the skills they need.
• RECRUIT AGENT Employment placement service operating on a fully success-based fee model in Japan. Industry-specialized advisors provide tailored support from recruitment to onboarding for both job seekers and employers.
• Rikunabi NEXT Online matching platform for mid-career job seekers in Japan.
• RGF Staffing (Temporary Staffing) Comprehensive temporary staffing and HR services in Europe, US, Australia, and Japan, providing a broad range of HR solutions through regional operating companies such as Start People, USG People, Chandler Macleod, CSI Companies, Staffmark, and Unique.
• Recruit Staffing Temporary staffing solutions company focused on large companies in urban areas in Japan, offering support across all occupations and needs.
• SUUMO Online platform and in-person consultation service for housing and real estate in Japan.
• Hot Pepper Beauty Online platform for beauty treatment appointments and services in Japan.
• Jalan Online platform for travel and accommodation reservations, mainly in Japan.
• Hot Pepper Gourmet Online platform for dining reservations and restaurant information in Japan.
• Air BusinessTools Cloud-based operational and management support solutions suite for Japanese SME business clients across retailers, restaurants, and other verticals.
• AirREGI Point of sale system for SMEs using smartphones and tablets to enhance operational efficiency.
• AirPAY Payment system service accepting various payment methods including credit cards, electronic money, and QR codes.
• AirSHIFT System for management of shift work using a SaaS solution, contributing to operational efficiency in the service industry.
• AirWORK Hiring management system including ATS for creating hiring websites and payroll services.
• AirWALLET Digital account management and payment application with Coin+ compatibility, allowing users to manage, charge, transfer, and withdraw money, including digital wage payments.
• AirINVOICE Invoice management service enabling users to make payments from smartphones.
• AirCASH Financial service allowing businesses to cash out future sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• Standard Sponsored Jobs receive 6.5X more applications than non-sponsored jobs (Indeed data, US)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature8 records

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Robert Half International: Robert Half specializes in professional staffing (finance, accounting, technology, legal) in the US, overlapping with CSI Companies and Staffmark in US staffing and competing in the higher-margin professional placement space.
• Adecco Group: Adecco is one of the world's largest staffing firms with broad geographic overlap in Europe, the Americas, and APAC, competing with RGF Staffing and Recruit's Japan staffing brands across temporary and permanent placements.
• LinkedIn (Microsoft): LinkedIn is the dominant professional networking and recruiting platform globally, competing head-to-head with Indeed for white-collar and passive-candidate hiring. Both operate two-sided talent marketplaces and have invested heavily in AI-powered matching.
• ZipRecruiter: ZipRecruiter operates a direct-to-employer job marketplace in the US and UK, using AI matching to distribute jobs across partner networks — directly competitive with Indeed's Sponsored Jobs and Indeed PLUS distribution model.
• Randstad: Randstad is a global leader in HR services and staffing, with major European presence overlapping with RGF Staffing in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Belgium — and competing on permanent placement and RPO.
• Persol Holdings: Persol is a major Japanese staffing and HR services firm (Tempstaff, doda), directly competing with Recruit Staffing, STAFF SERVICE HOLDINGS, and Rikunabi NEXT in Japan's HR matching and staffing markets.
• ManpowerGroup: ManpowerGroup is a global staffing and workforce solutions provider operating in 70+ countries, competing directly with RGF Staffing across temporary staffing, permanent placement, and RPO services in Europe, the US, and APAC.

Emerging players

• SmartRecruiters: SmartRecruiters is an enterprise ATS and recruitment marketing platform with embedded AI matching — a direct competitor in the mid-market and enterprise segment where Indeed Hiring Platform and Indeed PLUS are expanding.

Broad incumbents

• Workday: Workday is a leading HCM and recruiting (Workday Recruiting) platform for enterprises. It is an indirect competitor to Indeed Hiring Platform and provides the ATS layer against which Indeed competes for end-to-end employer share.

Regional players

• Indeed competitors / aggregators — StepStone, Totaljobs (StepStone Group): StepStone Group operates leading job board brands across Europe (StepStone, Totaljobs, Jobs.ie), competing with Indeed in European markets and serving as both a partner on Indeed PLUS and a regional competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/RecruitGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10217189

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries23 records

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 Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.