How we rank
What the numbers on this site actually mean.
Each recruitment company is scored on its business model and risk-bearing capacity. We assess how firms structure their fees, whether they offer guarantees, and how they manage the financial risk of a placement. This includes factors like replacement guarantees and fee structures that align the recruiter's incentives with the employer's success.
Beyond the overall score, we re-rank firms for each location and industry. A firm's relevance, experience, and success in a specific market are weighted heavily. This ensures that a local specialist with deep connections can top the list for a particular region, even if a national generalist scores higher overall.
Our editorial team remains independent, with no commercial influence over rankings. We re-score every firm per market, using the same objective criteria each time. This process guarantees that the top spot always reflects genuine fit and performance, not size or marketing budget.
Guarantees, specialisation, and pricing transparency are critical to a successful partnership. We prioritise firms that offer clear fee structures, written scopes, and replacement guarantees, as these reduce risk for employers. Specialisation indicates deeper market knowledge, which translates into better candidate quality and faster hires.