The 9 Best Recruiting Agencies in NYC in 2025
Are you struggling to find top talent in one of the world's most competitive job markets? New York City's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0% in August 2025, marking a slight increase from the previous month. This makes the job market very competitive. Companies have to fight hard for the best-skilled people while trying to hire carefully. Because of this, working with the best recruiting agencies in NYC is vital for businesses to succeed. The biggest recruiting challenge for recruit
Are you struggling to find top talent in one of the world's most competitive job markets? New York City's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0% in August 2025, marking a slight increase from the previous month. This makes the job market very competitive. Companies have to fight hard for the best-skilled people while trying to hire carefully. Because of this, working with the best recruiting agencies in NYC is vital for businesses to succeed.
The biggest recruiting challenge for recruiters in 2023 was tight talent pools, and this trend continues into 2025. Industry data confirms that organizations using recruitment agencies can significantly reduce their hiring cycles and access passive candidates who aren't visible on job boards. The typical expense for each hire (CPH) in the United States is approximately $4,700, according to recognized benchmarks. This figure is significantly higher for specialized and executive roles in NYC, driving the demand for professional recruitment services.
In this article, we'll explore the 9 top staffing firms New York businesses trust in 2025, complete with specializations, publicly verified ratings, and what makes each agency stand out in Manhattan's fast-paced hiring environment.
What is a Recruiting Agency?
A recruiting agency is a company that specializes in matching employers with qualified job candidates. These NYC staffing agencies handle all the hiring work. This includes finding and checking candidates, scheduling interviews, and making job offers. Instead of spending weeks posting jobs and reading hundreds of resumes, companies hire these agencies to get employees who have already been checked out.
Most agencies work on a payment plan where you only pay if they successfully fill the job. The fee is usually 15% to 30% of the hired person's first-year salary. For top executive or very specialized roles, the fee is usually the highest, between 25% and 30%. Ultimately, using an agency is a key way for companies to find the best talent quickly in a busy market like New York City.
Comparison Table of NYC Recruiting Agencies
Note: Glassdoor ratings are based on current and former employee feedback.
1. Robert Half
Robert Half is a massive, long-established firm, founded in 1948, operating as a significant provider of workers across many different jobs in the New York area. The firm maintains a 3.8/5 Glassdoor rating. Its core services are designed to address a wide array of staffing needs, including Temporary Staffing & Projects for quick, short-term assignments, Direct Hire for permanent job placements, and Contract-to-Hire for positions that start with a trial period.
The firm's primary Placement Strength is its Scale and Volume, leveraging its immense size and resources to quickly source and place numerous candidates. It excels in finding workers for finance, accounting, technology, and administrative roles. However, a key area of caution for clients involves the Candidate Side Clarity; contract employees frequently report receiving very little in the way of benefits, such as a lack of health insurance or Paid Time Off (PTO), even though the hiring employer covers the placement fee.
Companies should choose Robert Half when they need reliability and scale for rapid talent acquisition. With nationwide resources combined with local NYC knowledge, the agency is best suited for companies looking to fill multiple positions fast, particularly those requiring high volume or specific candidates for project-based roles.
2. Betts Recruiting
Betts Recruiting, established in 2009 and holding a strong 4.5/5 rating, is a premier NYC agency specializing in Go-To-Market (GTM) talent, including sales, marketing, and customer success, specifically for tech companies and startups.
The firm offers a range of services, such as the traditional Contingency Search model, a subscription-based Recruiter-as-a-Service (RaaS) for high-growth startups, and the Betts Connect Platform, which provides clients access to a network of over 20,000 vetted, revenue-generating professionals.
Their placement strength lies in their exclusive specialization in sales and marketing within the tech sector, which provides deep industry knowledge to significantly speed up hiring. This focus, combined with the Betts Connect platform, helps clients maintain quality and control costs. Users frequently praise the team's industry expertise and strong relationships.
Consequently, tech companies or startups looking to build excellent sales and marketing teams should choose Betts Recruiting for its specialized knowledge and proprietary technology platforms designed to accelerate GTM role fulfillment.
3. Insight Global
Insight Global is a large, worldwide staffing agency with 25 years of experience and a 4.0/5 Glassdoor rating, serving sectors including IT, healthcare, finance, and engineering. The firm offers a full range of services: Contract Staffing (temporary placements), Contract-to-Hire (trial periods), and Direct Placement (permanent jobs).
Its primary strength is Breadth and Volume, leveraging its global size to quickly source a high number of workers, particularly in IT and healthcare. Companies often choose Insight Global for its wide range of services and ability to provide many flexible workers across different departments.
However, clients should be aware of the "Candidate Side Clarity" cautions, as many job seekers report significant problems, such as being "ghosted" and being placed into companies with "dysfunctional issues". Clients using Insight Global should plan for strict quality control measures concerning candidate experience and retention planning.
4. Atlantic Group
Atlantic Group, founded in New York City in 2006, is a specialized recruiting firm with over 20 years of experience in executive searches, and it holds a 3.9/5 Glassdoor rating. Their core services are highly focused on top-tier positions, including Executive Search to find senior-level leaders (C-suite, VP, Director), Direct Hire, and Interim Leadership placements. They are also adept at handling Confidential Searches for sensitive roles that require discretion.
The firm's primary Placement Strength is its excellence in Executive and Confidential Searches. Atlantic Group utilizes a premium "White-Glove Service" approach, employing industry-expert recruiters to specifically target and find passive, high-level talent. They focus their expertise on demanding sectors such as finance, real estate, and IT. A notable Unique Selling Point of the Atlantic Group is its capacity to offer flexible staffing solutions, including project-based placements and impressively fast turnaround times for urgent executive roles.
Companies seeking senior-level talent or executive positions in New York's most competitive sectors should choose Atlantic Group. Their value proposition lies in their focused approach, deep knowledge of the NYC market history, and specialized service, which collectively make them a perfect fit for filling critical leadership roles with high-caliber candidates.
5. 24 Seven Talent
24 Seven Talent is a specialist company that has been helping people find jobs for over 30 years, focusing on Creative, Marketing, and Technology jobs, mainly in New York City. The company has a good reputation, shown by its 3.9 out of 5 rating on the Glassdoor website.
They offer different ways to hire people: Freelance/Contract Staffing for quick jobs or urgent projects; Full-Time/Direct Hire for permanent positions; and Temp-to-Perm, which means a company can hire a freelancer first to see if they are a good fit before offering a full-time job.
The company's biggest strength is finding the best people for Creative & Digital Talent roles. Their recruiters are true experts in areas like design and advertising, and they have a huge network of creative workers, both freelancers and full-time professionals. They have also been formally recognized for doing great work, winning the 2025 Best of Staffing Award and earning a high 4.5 out of 5 rating for how well they serve their clients.
If your company is in a creative field or you need to build a great marketing team, you should choose 24 Seven Talent. They are recommended because they really understand creative work, have been confirmed to have high client satisfaction, and can connect you with a very large network of both freelance and full-time creative people you need.
6. Career Group Companies
Career Group Companies (CGC) is a well-established firm that has been around for a long time, starting in 1981, which means they have over 40 years of service. The company is well-regarded and has a good rating of 4.0 out of 5 on Glassdoor. They offer many different kinds of hiring services, including Executive Recruiting for top leaders and Temporary Recruiting for short-term help.
The company is special because it uses Specialized Divisions to handle hiring for specific fields, such as Corporate/Administrative support, Creative, Fashion, and Events. Their biggest strength is their Versatility and Consistency, meaning they are a reliable and high-quality company for all different job levels. They use a High-Touch Process where they try hard to find someone who is the right cultural fit for the workplace, which helps the new employee stay with the company for a long time.
Because they are so good at many types of hiring, Forbes recognized CGC in 2025 as one of America's Best firms in three different areas: Executive Recruiting, Professional Recruiting, and Temporary Recruiting. Companies needing support staff, fashion experts, or event specialists should choose Career Group because of their expert teams, four decades of knowledge about the NYC job market, and their proven high standards across all types of placements.
7. Beacon Hill Staffing Group
Beacon Hill Staffing Group (BHSG) is a very large company with more than 30 years of experience and a strong presence across New York City, earning a good 4.1 out of 5 rating on Glassdoor. The company provides Multi-Specialty Staffing services, meaning they have dedicated teams that focus on many different fields.
These fields include Healthcare, Technology (like IT and Cybersecurity), Finance (like Banking and Accounting), Legal, and Administrative support. They are great at High-Volume Staffing, meaning they can handle filling many job openings all at the same time.
The firm's greatest strength is its Scale and Internal Culture. This happy and strong internal team is what allows BHSG to successfully manage large and diverse demands from clients.
Large companies that have a lot of different kinds of jobs to fill will benefit from Beacon Hill's size and its ability to work across many fields at once. Clients should choose them for their large reach, but are advised to check on the candidate experience to make sure the job seekers they bring in are being treated consistently and fairly, which helps with keeping good employees.
8. Three Pillars Recruiting
Three Pillars Recruiting started in 2008 and is known as a special company that focuses only on finding people for fast-growing digital jobs in New York City. The firm has a great reputation, with a high 4.3 out of 5 rating on Glassdoor. They offer different kinds of job searching help: Contingency Search for mid-level jobs (like Vice President and lower) and Retained Search for the biggest leadership jobs (like General Manager, Managing Director, or C-Level executives).
Their main strength is finding the best people for AdTech & Digital Leadership. They are experts at finding hard-to-find talent in special fields like AdTech (advertising technology), MarTech (marketing technology), and SaaS (software that you pay to use). Because they are so specialized, their hiring fee is usually a little higher, between 25% and 30%. The firm has also been noticed by important publications like Adweek and Business Insider. They even do Proactive Talent Mapping, which means they look for top people before a job is officially open.
Companies that work in digital advertising, marketing tech, or new technology sectors should choose Three Pillars. They are the best choice because they have deep, specialized knowledge and can handle both regular and top-tier searches for hard-to-fill, important leadership roles in the digital world.
9. KAS Placement
KAS Placement is a highly specialized company that has been working for over 20 years, focusing only on finding people for sales and marketing jobs in New York City. The company has a strong reputation, shown by its 4.1 out of 5 rating on Glassdoor. Their main services are Sales and Business Development (BD) Recruitment, which means they focus strictly on finding people who will bring in money for the company.
The firm's biggest strength is helping companies get the best Sales Return on Investment (ROI) and Productivity. KAS says they use a Superior Vetting Process, which is a special, personalized way to check candidates to make sure they are of very high quality. They even have data to back this up: they claim that an average of 88% of the people they place end up being in the top 15% for making money and being productive at their new jobs.
The main reason to choose KAS Placement is its focus on making sure sales employees are successful for a long time. Their unique goal is to reduce the number of people who quit sales jobs, and they do this by focusing on personalized, one-on-one interaction. Companies that want to build or grow their sales teams will benefit greatly from KAS Placement because of its focus on money-making roles and its proven success in finding long-term, high-performing employees.
Conclusion
Choosing the right recruiting partner is key to your company's growth. The 9 agencies here are verified market leaders with proven success in New York City. Each offers unique strengths for different hiring needs.
Robert Half and Insight Global offer high-volume solutions (but require checking on contractor experience). Betts Recruiting and Three Pillars are great at specialized tech and sales roles for new and growing companies. Atlantic Group finds executive-level talent for senior jobs. 24 Seven Talent and Career Group focus on creative and professional markets, with Career Group verified as a reliable, award-winning firm. KAS Placement focuses on roles that bring in money, with data showing high candidate success.
The best staffing firm for a New York company depends on their specific needs, industry, job level, and how fast they need to hire. Technology tools like AI recruiters are changing the field by offering quick screening options. This lets agencies focus on complex jobs where human expertise is essential. Future recruiting will likely use a mix of traditional New York headhunters' networks and modern hiring technology.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What do recruiting agencies in NYC typically charge for their services?
Most NYC recruiting agencies charge between 15% and 30% of the hired candidate's first-year salary for permanent placements. Executive search and highly specialized roles typically command the higher end of this range. Some executive search firms charge retainer fees upfront, while others work on contingency and only get paid when successful.
How long does it take for NYC staffing agencies to fill positions?
The average time to fill a new position is approximately 42 days, according to industry data. However, specialized recruiting agencies in NYC can often reduce this timeline by accessing pre-vetted candidate pools and utilizing automation tools to accelerate screening.
Do I pay recruiting agency fees as a job seeker in New York?
No. Reputable recruiting firms are compensated by the employers, not the job seekers. Job seekers should never pay fees to recruitment agencies for placement services in the United States.
What's the difference between NYC headhunters and staffing agencies?
Headhunters typically focus on retained executive search and permanent roles in niche fields, proactively recruiting passive candidates. Staffing agencies handle broader placement services, including temporary staffing, contract roles, and a wide variety of experience levels, from entry-level to specialized professionals.
Should I use multiple recruitment agencies simultaneously for hiring?
Yes, companies often partner with 2-3 specialized recruiting agencies in NYC to access different talent pools and specializations. However, clearly communicate expectations with each agency and avoid sending the same candidates through multiple firms to prevent confusion.