- Michael Page ranked best overall recruiter by a quarter of candidates and employers (24%) around the world
- Hays Group voted the top UK recruiter, with top performing UK-based firms leading in popularity in the global recruitment market
- Generalists performed better than sector specialist firms, as Robert Half wins best recruiter in the investment banking category
Michael Page is the large financial services recruiter of choice among candidates and employers, according to new research by eFinancialCareers, the global financial services careers platform.
When surveying corporates and candidates across all geographies and markets on their ideal recruiter overall, Michael Page received the lion’s share of the votes, with one in four (24%) identifying the firm as the best. This was closely followed by Hays Group (20%), Adecco (16%) and Robert Half (14%).
eFinancialCareers’ study drilled into a range of different areas of recruitment expertise, with Michael Page ranking highly across the board of all categories. This included being voted the firm of choice for women in the industry, chosen as the ideal recruiter by one in five (21%) female candidates and employers.
In other categories, PERSOLKELLY came first place for customer and candidate service, while Allegis was recognised as the best recruiter for market knowledge and mentoring, as well as being considered to work with the best clients and candidates.
Table 1: The global top ten large financial services recruiters
Source: eFinancialCareers, 2024 Ideal Recruiter Report
Winners across different geographies
The top recruiter changed for job seekers and employers around the world, with the majority signalling a preference for working with local firms or players that have an in-depth understanding of their home turf.
UK respondents voted London-based Hays Group as their ideal firm (24%), citing its knowledge of the UK market as one of its winning differentiators. This was also true in APAC (22%) due to Hays’ significant presence in key markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia.
In Europe and the GCC, the most popular recruiter was Michael Page (receiving 29% and 36% of votes respectively), and California-based Robert Half secured first place in North America (36%).
Sectors identify their recruiters of choice
When comparing recruitment firm rankings across sectors, the generalist recruiters performed better than sector specialist firms. Robert Half was ranked the highest for investment banking recruitment, followed by Hays Group and boutique recruiter Dartmouth Partners.
Among technology & quantitative finance specialists, Gravitas Recruitment Group led as ideal recruiter, and Adecco chosen as the optimum recruiter in compliance & risk. Sales & trading professionals echoed the overall majority view, citing Michael Page as their first-choice firm.
Tables 2-5: The top recruiters in investment banking, technology, compliance & risk, sales & trading
Investment banking: Technology & quantitative finance:
Compliance & risk: Sales & trading:
Source: eFinancialCareers, 2024 Ideal Recruiter Report
Peter Healey, CEO of eFinancialCareers, comments: “Recruiters operating within the financial services industry are having to navigate a myriad of challenges now, with oversubscribed roles and the global economy still facing significant uncertainty. Under increased pressure, now more than ever, candidates are prioritising working with recruiters they can trust as well as the firms that possess networks alongside market knowledge that can be leveraged.
Our findings highlight how working with a top recruiter can significantly impact and shape a candidate’s career journey. In the current climate, a high value is placed on personalisation, responsiveness, and clear communication throughout every stage of the process, and recruiters who can offer a tailored, attentive & service-led approach truly stand out.”