12 Best International Recruiting Agencies in 2024 In the USA

If you are like most employers who want to recruit the best talent available, the likelihood of your success is very low. Why? Because the process of hiring is a lot harder. The fact of the matter is that these days it takes quite a number of resources to lure and employ skilled and talented professionals. 

No doubt, it is difficult to get qualified professionals from the international labor market. But the entire process can be made simple if you can work with recruitment firms. While these firms have organized their work in such a way that you can access the most suitable candidate for a number of vacant positions, the main difficulty comes from finding the best firm for your operations.

What is an International Recruiting Agency? 

Simply put, an international recruitment agency is a company that helps businesses find and hire talent from all over the world. For an employer, you can consider the international recruitment agency as a team of HR experts who can help deal with the paperwork involved with international hiring. Their experience in sourcing candidates from various regions will be to your advantage. Logistical, cultural, and legal aspects of cross-border hires (including navigating visa requirements, work permits, and local labor regulations)-you can leave that to them.

One of the most attractive features of international recruitment agencies is that they can find a great professional fit for you, even if you operate in different sectors, like information technology (IT), healthcare, and finance. They guarantee that you are not affected by any skills scarcity in your local market and may source from abroad to fill the vacant roles where needed. 

What to Look For in the International Recruiting Agency?

Picking an international recruitment agency calls for an in-depth assessment of various factors to guarantee success in the partnership and get the best brains on your team. Here are the main factors to consider to aid your search for an international recruitment agency:

1. Industry Target

One aspect that you have to consider about an international agency that may be very critical is their experience in particular business fields. For instance, if your operations are mainly in the healthcare sector, IT, finance, etc., you should look for recruitment agencies that specialize in those sectors. 

2. International Exposure and Presence

When hiring a recruitment firm, the firm’s ability to source candidates globally can’t be overstated. The point is, a firm that has established a global presence will easily find and acquire the right candidates in other regions. Your company, therefore, needs to evaluate a firm’s capabilities to penetrate and set up in target markets of interest. 

3. Visa and Moving Assistance

If hiring a professional from a different region has ever crossed your mind, you are aware that relocation and visa issues can present a real challenge, sometimes stressing the employer due to the requirements of the host country. An effective international recruitment agency, on the other hand, would help in every stage of the international recruitment process and help prospective candidates in the process of obtaining the necessary documents

4. Reputation and Track Record

Reputation is an indicator of an agency’s reliability and quality of service. As a result, ensure to check industry rankings, reviews, and client testimonials to gain insight into an agency’s performance and customer satisfaction.  When reviewing a recruitment firm’s reputation, pay attention to those with high placement success rates and positive feedback from companies and job candidates. These positive reviews will serve as solid indicators of the agency’s credibility. A well-regarded agency is more likely to have established processes, quality assurance, and a proven track record.

5. Client Testimonials and References

Client testimonials and references can provide you with valuable insights into an agency’s strengths and weaknesses. As a potential client, it makes sense to request references to gain first hand feedback on the service quality and candidate satisfaction of your preferred recruitment firm. A study by CareerBuilder found that 83% of job seekers and employers trust agencies recommended by colleagues or industry peers. 

Client testimonials will tell you how well the global recruitment agency communicates, supports the recruitment process, and meets client expectations. As an employer who priortizes the quality of staff in your organization, only partner with agencies that have consistently positive feedback from previous clients, as this often reflects an agency’s commitment to excellent service and results.

Why Use an International Recruiting Agency?

As mentioned earlier, the hiring process for most organizations is considerably more difficult. If you’re like other employers, you won’t let this difficulty deter you from filling up your ranks with the best talent moneh can buy. That’s where an international recruiting agency comes in. Next, we’ll review the top reasons for employers and job seekers to use a recruiting agency. 

Benefits for Employers

As an employer who is interested in high-quality personnel, international recruitment agencies offer an invaluable advantage by simplifying the complexities of hiring across borders. You’ll be excited to know that these agencies are established to manage intricate legalities, ensuring compliance with varying labor laws, tax obligations, and employment standards across countries. 

Moreover, agencies adeptly handle work permits and visa arrangements. According to a 2021 study by ManpowerGroup, 69% of companies experience delays and compliance issues when managing visas and work permits alone. This burden is alleviated working with recruitment agencies. Additionally, your preferred agencies’ cultural expertise helps bridge communication and cultural gaps. Over the long run, all the benefits of recruitment agencies improve the hiring success by ensuring candidates align well with company culture and role expectations. 

Benefits for Job Seekers

For job seekers, international recruitment agencies offer structured access to global opportunities. They can help to simplify the job search and relocation process. Also, agencies provide insights into regional job markets, which is especially valuable for candidates interested in niche roles in fields like IT, healthcare, or finance. As a job seeker, recruiters can help you navigate requirements for work permits, visas, and country-specific qualifications, alleviating much of the complexity involved in international job transitions. 

12 Best International Recruiting Agencies

Yes, there are hundreds of international recruiting agencies worldwide. However, each of them performs their roles effectively to a different degree. We’ve compiled a brief overview of the 12 best global recruitment agencies, summarizing their strengths, industry expertise, geographic reach, and specialization. The following table will provide you with details on how these agencies have built their reputations for excellence across various industries and roles.

Read further: Guide to Hiring International Employees, Best EOR Companies

1. Globy

Founded in 2022, they do their utmost best to assist you in discovering great prospective employees beyond your local border. If you require overseas employees, it may be of interest to you that Globy’s expertise is thrives more in this aspect. What’s more? All the questions with respect to employer compliance, payrolls and other legal issues will be addressed by Globy as well. Thus, you will not have worries about sourcing best tech and non-tech talent from the LATAM region which in addition will save huge costs compared to the conventional means of recruitment. 

Globy has also formed networks in Europe, the Asia Pacific and the Americas thanks to its offices in major cities across the globe. This recruiter aims to place experienced individuals who will relocate with clients overseas or work remotely. If you’re interested in more information, their website claims that their main area of focus is looking for mid to senior level professionals for US companies in IT finance, and healthcare. There is further good news for you, in that each of this recruitment firm’s partners can access competent people by hiring only the top 5% of vetted candidates. All these candidates are expected to undergo further screening to determine whether they fit your firm perfectly.

2. Airswift

One of the best things about Airswift is that it operates in over 60 countries, with a focus on energy hubs like the Middle East, North America, and Southeast Asia. If you’re interested in engineers, project managers, supply chain professionals in energy and infrastructure, this recruiter will fill your team with the best available talent. Renowned for placing engineers and IT professionals in energy and infrastructure sectors, Airswift combines technical expertise with global reach. You can also trust them to address industry-specific challenges, such as sourcing candidates for remote and offshore projects

3. Robert Half

Founded in 1948, Robert Half is known for financial and accounting placement. In addition to that, it has diversified into IT, legal, and administrative placements- quite a flexible agency. Their reputation and bouquet of offerings has positioned them well to be trusted across any kind of roles that require filling. Their global presence and focus on the U.S. market also provides ample opportunity for your business should you if you are seeking talent locally (or from abroad). You’d do well to note that they engage in permanent placement as well as in temporary staffing and consulting.

Aside from its reputation for top-notch recruitment, this firm is known for having a footprint in many different parts of the world. You will find it operating in more than 20 countries. Overall, they have a very strong network in North America, Europe, and Asia. This recruitment firm is also known for hiring accountants, financial analysts, legal professionals, IT managers.

4. Approach People Recruitment

Launched in Europe, this agency’s primary focus area revolves around hiring people speaking various languages for three main sectors including sales, marketing and financial services. Approach People has successfully found employment for candidates possessing foreign language skills needed by international organizations. When you work with them, they will help you meet your recruitment needs by applying knowledge of the local environment coupled with international resources. 

Approach People Recruitment is well represented in Europe with its offices in Paris, Dublin and Geneva thereby firmly establishing them in this region and enabling them to assist companies seeking to enter European markets. This network can be further be used to find cheaper specialists in other regions of the world. However, this agency also targets European employers who require multilingual, tech-savvy candidates for various positions. Their area of specialization includes recruitment for sales representative market managers and finance officers.

5. NPAworldwide

The first thing to note about NPAworldwide is that it’s a member-owned network of recruitment firms with a focus on high-level roles and global placements. You’ll be excited to know that their selling point is working across various industries, including technology, life sciences, and manufacturing. NPAworldwide has created an expensive network connects over 500 recruitment firms in more than 50 countries, giving them access to a broad global network. 

They are a great alternative to replace executives, engineers, scientists, and senior-level management. One of the most enjoyable features about this platform is that it has video testimonials which lets job seekers and recruiters see first-hand the quality of service made available by this service provider. 

6. ISC Recruitment

Like many of the big names mentioned above, ISC Recruitment focuses on placing top talent in executive roles across finance, technology, and manufacturing. Their approach includes rigorous vetting and sourcing specialized talent. Before hiring them, you should note that they excel as an international service provider because of their numerous offices across the US, as well as global networks and connections. 

ISC also works closely with clients seeking highly qualified leadership in both developed and emerging markets. They have fine-tuned their service to provide you and other US employees with access to top-notch C-level executives, IT directors, and manufacturing specialists.

7. Michael Page

Part of PageGroup, Michael Page specializes in mid-to-senior level roles across finance, human resources, and legal. They have significant experience in recruitment consulting and market analysis. If you’re interested in international recruiting partners, Michael Page is a great choice for you because it operates in over 30 countries with an especially strong presence in Europe, Asia, and Australia. This service provider can also effectively help you hire the best finance managers, HR directors, legal counsel, and marketing heads.

Michael Page is the right choice for you if you need help securing mid- to senior-level management across various sectors, including finance, marketing, and human resources. This service provider has managed to get to the top by combining local market knowledge with global reach. As a result, they are an ideal partner for multinational companies requiring executive talent tailored to regional business cultures

8. Adecco Group

Since its inception, Adecco Group has constantly contributed to the global workforce, in terms of well-researched and vetted information and top-class personnel. With over 50 years in recruitment, you can trust Adecco to provide innovative workforce solutions across multiple industries, from finance to engineering and healthcare. This service provider also operates in more than 60 countries, with particularly strong networks in Europe and North America. Furthermore, you can trust them to aid your search for administrative staff, skilled trades, finance and healthcare professionals.

9. ManpowerGroup

Like Adecco Group, Manpower Group is a service provider that’s useful for more than just hiring international staff. As one of the world’s largest staffing firms, you can rely on ManpowerGroup to connect your business with skilled professionals across IT, finance, and administrative services. By relying on its presence in over 80 countries, ManpowerGroup has an expansive global reach that can easily connect you with various markets. They rely on their network to connect you with IT specialists, accountants, administrative staff, and customer service representatives.

Specializing in scalable workforce solutions, ManpowerGroup excels at enterprise recruitment for high-volume roles, especially in manufacturing, logistics, and retail. Their Total Workforce Index helps companies strategize recruitment efficiently across global markets​

10. Kelly Services

Founded in 1946, Kelly Services specializes in recruitment for science, engineering, technology, and education. You can trust them due to their long-standing reputation as a recruiter. It means you can also rely on their experience of dealing with multiple employers to provide you with good custom staffing solutions. This service provider has grown a reputation of providing temporary and contract staffing solutions. With offices in over 30 countries, Kelly Services is well-established in North America and Asia-Pacific. As a result, you can easily access the best talent in the region by partnering with them.

When you choose to work eith Kelly Services, you’ll get the chance to hire top-class engineers, scientists, educators, and IT support professionals. While Kelly Services focuses on workforce management for large enterprises in science, technology, and education, you can also trust their ability to handle contingent staffing and direct-hire recruitment. All of these features makes them ideal for enterprise-level hiring needs

11. Hays

When you closely consider the quality of service they offer, it’s clear that Hays is a global leader in providing staffing solutions for specialized sectors, including technology, healthcare, and finance. Their market knowledge and local expertise make them a top choice for permanent and contract roles. Also, Hays boasts a global reach and is operational in 33 countries, with strong networks in Europe, Asia, and Australia. The typical roles this recruiter can hire for you include software developers, finance officers, healthcare professionals, and engineering specialists.

12. Randstad

Randstad is one of the largest staffing firms worldwide, with expertise in finance, healthcare, and logistics. Their focus on digital recruitment tools has made them a leader in innovative hiring solutions. Operating in 39 countries, Randstad has a significant presence in Europe, North America, and Asia. By leveraging on the quality of their service, Randstad can equip your organization with finance professionals, logistics experts, healthcare staff, and IT consultants.

Randstad stands out from the competition by combining technology and human expertise to provide you with innovative workforce solutions that’s suitable for different types of enterprises. Their global presence and focus on innovation through AI-driven recruitment tools also make them a trusted partner for large organizations​. 

Read more: Best Remote Staffing Agencies, Best Tech Recruiting Agencies

How to Choose the Best International Recruiting Agency?

When selecting an international recruitment agency, you must evaluate key factors to ensure you partner with a firm that meets you specific needs. Here’s a breakdown of critical considerations for each.

Key Factors for Employers

If you are thinking of hiring a recruiting agency, the factors given below should be among your deciding factors: 

• Industry Expertise: When searching for recruiters, it’s important to consider their areas of focus, as industry-specific recruiters are more likely to have connections with candidates possessing the necessary skills compared to others. For example, employers in the energy sector may stick to Airswift, while finance or accounting employers may stick to the Robert Half team. While there is nothing wrong with working with a recruiter who covers multiple sectors, one with industry specialization will be better suited to your needs. 
• Geographic Reach: The geographic scope of the talent network of a particular recruiter is also of great importance especially for organizations looking for employees from certain regions. For instance, if your organization wants to penetrate the Asian market, it would make sense to look for a recruiting agency with vast local contacts such as Hays and Manpowergroup that are well established in the region. This type of approach will broaden the employer’s recruitment scope and understanding of regional hiring practices.
• Client Testimonials and Reputation: An international recruiter may present themselves as your best alternative but it’s crucial to always verify this information yourself. You’ll need to verify the agency’s reputation in the industry to give a clear picture of their trustworthiness. Whenever you don’t have first hand information about a recruiter, do due diligence: read reviews online, ask for testimonials and rankings to have an objective understanding of the recruiter.

Key Factors for Job Seekers

Job seekers who are concerned about finding the best international recruiters will find the following crucial considerations to be helpful in selecting the ideal agents: 

• Industry Fit and Job Specialization: It is always advisable to work with an agency whose focus is on your area of specialization. For instance, technology specialists would benefit from partnering with Globy or Hays as these agencies have a substantial focus in IT and digital sector placements. Therefore, it increases chances of getting more appropriate matches and greater satisfaction with their job.
• International Network and Job Opportunities: Job seekers may also be international emigrants in search of greener pastures. As a result, they should select agencies with an international reach as this will allow them easy access to different job opportunities. If you have any interest in an employer from a different geographical area, Michael Page and Kelly Services are present in multiple regions. Hence, they can link you to various places.
• Cultural Fit and Relocation Assistance: When changing jobs, moving to a different city or country, relocation and cultural integration support services can come in handy. The cultural orientation support services of your preferred recruiter caters for the fact that you are moving to a new environment and ensures that you need little or no period of adjustment. 
• Agency’s Track Record: The very last factor which needs to be looked into before finalizing a contract with a hiring agency is the history and accomplishments of the agency with regards to its candidate placements and the level of satisfaction among its clients. The best alternative for you are agencies with high placement retention, like Randstad. A high placement retention rate signals that your preferred partner has a strong vetting process and better long-term placements, giving candidates confidence in their job security. 

Best International Recruiting Agencies By Category

There’s no doubt that each of these international recruiting agencies mentioned above are top of their industry. However, you’d do well to note that each of these service providers excel in different aspects. While some are efficient in equipping you with mid and entry-level professionals, others are your best bet when searching for executive personnel. We’ll review a breakdown of the best international recruiting agencies based on what they are renowned for. 

Best for Executive Search

Let’s say you’re interested in filling recently vacated executive positions. The following agencies are your best bet for a top-quality hire: 

• Robert Half
• Michael Page
• Hays

Best for Tech Recruitment

If your organization is interested in tech recruitment, you may partner with any of the following to gain access a pool of professionals: 

• Globy
• Airswift
• Approach People Recruitment

Best for Enterprise-level Recruitment

If you are interested in large-scale recruitment for your enterprise, any of the following service providers will give you the best possible results: 

• Adecco Group
• Manpower Group
• Kelly Services
• Randstad

Challenges and Solutions When Working With International Recruiting Agencies

When your business is expanding their recruitment internationally, there’s a high chance you’ll face challenges like time zone differences, communication barriers, and cultural nuances, which can complicate recruiting and team integration. However, reliable recruitment agencies offer solutions that help your business overcome these obstacles efficiently. Here are some solutions you’ll likely come across: 

• Time Zone Differences: The truth is that it can be a hassle to coordinate multiple candidates across different time zones and this can potentially delay recruitment processes. Top recruiters can help you mitigate this by delay by leveraging global networks and managing interview scheduling, ensuring smooth interactions. If you work with a top recruiter like Hays who is operational kn over 33 countries, it will streamline this process by offering round-the-clock support across time zones, reducing hiring timelines by up to 40%.
• Communication Barriers: Language differences or unfamiliar professional expectations can also hinder candidate assessment and onboarding. When you choose to work with agencies that specialize in multilingual placements, such as Approach People Recruitment, they ei address this by pre-screening candidates for language proficiency and providing translation services when needed. 
• Cultural Differences: While easily overlooked, cultural nuances in workplace behavior, management styles, and professional etiquette can impact team cohesion and candidate fit. So, you need a recruiting agency with regional expertise, like Michael Page and Randstad, to provide cultural orientation services for both employers and candidates. 

Success Stories: Companies That Thrived With International Recruitment

When you look closely, you’ll find that recruitment agencies like Globy and Robert Half have helped numerous companies overcome complex hiring challenges by providing expertise, geographic reach, and specialized recruitment processes. Now, let’s review real-world examples illustrating how certain businesses have benefited from these agencies.

Globy Assists a $16M With Premier Tech Talent Recruitment and High Conversion

Sydecar is a fintech startup based in California, USA. Sydecar had ambitious plans to expand its engineering team with top-tier professionals from Latin America but faced several critical challenges:

• Ineffective Recruitment Partners: The previous recruitment collaborators hired by Sydecar proved inefficient, inundating the company with irrelevant CVs. This resulted in a conversion rate of less than 1%, leading to wasted time and resources.
• Budgetary Pressures: As a growing fintech startup, Sydecar needed a cost-effective hiring approach to align with its tight financial constraints while maintaining the high standards necessary for its talent pool.
• Balancing Quality and Cultural Fit: The company sought skilled engineers who not only met technical requirements but also aligned well with its vibrant and dynamic culture.

To overcome these obstacles and achieve its scaling objectives, Sydecar collaborated with Globy, a recruitment agency specializing in the Latin American talent market. These are some of the innovative solutions offered by Globy:

• Focused Talent Sourcing: They prioritized the recruitment of experienced DevOps and Fullstack (Node/React) engineers from Latin America. Thereby, balancing expertise with affordability.
• Optimized Hiring Process: Globy adopted an efficient recruitment strategy with comprehensive technical and cultural assessments to improve the hiring rate and reduce delays.
• Cultural Integration: They strong emphasis on cultural compatibility to ensure seamless integration of new hires into the organization.

Through its partnership with Globy, Sydecar successfully expanded its engineering team with top-notch talent by implementing this targeted approach. They were also able to achieve significant cost savings and minimize operational inefficiencies.

Robert Half Supports a Financial Firm with Specialized Staffing

A U.K.-based financial firm needed to quickly find senior-level accountants and compliance officers to support new projects in the United States. The company faced tight deadlines, specific regulatory requirements, and a highly competitive hiring landscape. Without an established network in the U.S., sourcing qualified candidates directly would have been time-intensive and costly.

To solve this problem, the firm turned to Robert Half which is well-known for its finance and accounting expertise, as well as a strong network across North America. Robert Half’s consultants sourced candidates with the exact skills needed and relied on their knowledge of U.S. regulatory compliance to ensure a smooth process. Additionally, they streamlined the interview process, quickly connecting the firm with vetted candidates. 

Robert Half’s deep expertise in finance placements led to the discovery of candidates who seamlessly integrated into the firm’s operations and met all regulatory standards. Within weeks, the company successfully hired three senior-level finance professionals, achieving its staffing goals ahead of schedule and ensuring project continuity.

Read further: How to Prevent Fraud and Job Hoppers, How to Hire International Employees Remotely

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Article author

Vit Koval

Co-founder at Globy

A top Global Hiring voice on LinkedIn, co-founder of Globy, and host of Default Global. Using deep expertise in global hiring, remote work, and global business expansion to help companies excel worldwide with innovative strategies.