Summary

The global recruitment and human resources market experienced significant growth of 37% between 2012 and 2021, despite a 7.6% decline during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In France, the recruitment market is predominantly handled by internal HR departments of companies, however, recruitment agencies continue to play a crucial role, particularly in executive hiring. The executive search market in France faced a 19% drop in recruitment in 2020 compared to 2019 due to the pandemic, but was projected to see an 8% increase in 2021 with 247,000 hires, though still remaining 12% below 2019 levels. Recruitment agencies, falling under NAF codes 78.10Z and 70.22Z, have seen a rise in establishments and workforce from 2007 to 2019, indicating market expansion. Large international firms dominate the French market, providing diversified services including HR consulting alongside traditional recruitment services. Amidst challenges such as the impact of Covid-19 and talent shortages, the function of recruitment agencies is evolving, with a focus on candidate sourcing and client acquisition, as well as offering digital services and long-term HR management. The pricing for recruitment agencies is typically a percentage of the recruit's annual salary, varying from 15% to 30%. Regulatory changes, like the 2005 Borloo law, have opened up competition from temporary employment agencies (ETTs) for permanent and fixed-term contract recruitment. The market also has to adhere to strict non-discrimination laws during the recruitment process. Difficulties in recruiting were noted by French business leaders in 2019, with industry sectors facing the most challenges. The emergence of specialized firms like Teaminside, catering to digital job profiles, exemplifies the market's adaptation to new candidate profiles and skill demands..**Evolving Trends and Dynamics in the Executive Recruitment Sector** In the French recruitment support market, we observe a sustained interest in executive positions against the backdrop of fluctuating unemployment rates. The data demonstrates remarkable resilience among executives regarding job security – they experienced a significantly lower unemployment rate compared to the general working population. This trend points towards a distinct demand cohort within the recruitment market focused on middle management profiles. Between 2016 and 2019, the executive recruitment numbers depicted a robust upward progression, peaking in 2019, with hires escalating between roughly 220,000 to over 280,000 positions filled. Regional insight into the demand for executives illuminates the Ile-de-France as a central hub, accounting for over half of the executive recruitment. Following closely were the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Hauts-de-France regions. Interestingly, despite the economic shrinkage amidst the health crisis in 2020, Brittany not only resisted the downward trend but also displayed an increased recruitment level compared to figures from two years prior. Diving into industry-specific analysis, the services sector was the frontrunner in executive recruitment, with an overwhelming majority of the hires – over 200,000 in 2019. Although all sectors faced a decline during the health crisis, a revival is anticipated in the subsequent years. With respect to functional areas within the organizations, IT, Sales & Marketing, and Research & Development reigned supreme, drawing in more than half of the executive hires. Moreover, it appears that younger executives with one to ten years of experience were the most sought after, indicating a preference for moderately experienced professionals. In contrast, executives with over two decades of experience represented a more modest fraction of the hires. The buoyant market dynamics paint a picture of a diverse and expandable executive recruitment scene in France. Despite temporary setbacks due to external events like the health crisis, the market demonstrates an inherent strength and a capacity for recovery. Market actors are expected to continue adapting to changing trends, seeking to leverage regional advantages, industry-specific demands, and evolving job roles and functions. The figures discussed, ranging from the mid-hundreds of thousands to over 200,000 for hires in various sectors and function categories, underscore the significant scale and the potential of this recruitment segment..### Profiling the Titans of Talent: Key Players in the Recruitment Market Landscape The recruitment market teems with a myriad of players, each vying for dominance in this competitive field. The landscape is populated with firms that range from international giants enjoying vast global presence to innovative startups carving out their niches with specialized services. Understanding these key players helps us grasp the market dynamics and the various offerings they bring to the table. **International Recruitment Firms with Strongholds in France** Several large international firms have cemented their position in the French market. These companies typically bring a wealth of global resources, expertise across multiple sectors, and extensive networks of candidates and clients: - **PageGroup**: Operating through four distinct brands—Page Executive for top-tier executive recruitment, Michael Page for senior and middle management, Page Personnel for entry-level managers and skilled workers, and Page Outsourcing for recruitment process outsourcing—PageGroup offers a full spectrum of recruitment services. - **Hays**: Renowned for its comprehensive recruitment solutions, Hays has established a formidable presence in France, serving various industries with its expertise in recruiting for permanent, contract, and temporary roles. - **Robert Half International**: A pioneer in professional staffing services, Robert Half International is synonymous with excellence in helping companies locate the talent that matches their specific needs. - **Robert Walters**: Catering to a broad client base, Robert Walters is acclaimed for recruiting top talent across professional fields, from finance to technology. - **Hudson Global**: With a strategic focus on talent management, Hudson Global offers recruitment coupled with comprehensive HR consultancy services. **Pioneers in Executive Search** A distinct category within the recruitment landscape is the executive search firms, or headhunters, specializing in the recruitment of high-level executives: - **Korn Ferry**: As a global leader in executive search, Korn Ferry commands respect for its deep insights into organizational strategy and talent acquisition. - **Egon Zehnder**: An esteemed firm known for its tailor-made approach to executive search, Egon Zehnder brings a nuanced understanding of leadership requirements across different sectors. - **Spencer Stuart**: Boasting a long-standing reputation, Spencer Stuart excels in finding and developing leaders who can meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving business environment. **Agile and Specialized Firms** Innovation in the recruitment market is often driven by smaller, more agile firms that specialize in emerging or niche areas: - **Eric Salmon & Partners**: A reputable player that endears itself to those needing bespoke executive search services. - **Alexander Hughes**: With

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  • Number of pages : 30 pages
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  • Last update : 15/05/2023
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Summary and extracts

1 Market overview

1.1. Market overview and definition

The recruitment support market, in which recruitment agencies operate, is only a sub-segment of the overall recruitment market, whose main players in France are still companies' in-house human resources departments. This study focuses in particular on the recruitment agency market.

A recruitment agency is a company whose purpose is to help and support its customers (private companies, the public sector, associations, etc.) in the recruitment (mainly on fixed-term or open-ended contracts) of new employees, managers or administrators. To this end, customers delegate to the recruitment firm all or part of the recruitment process: publication of the offer, identification of candidates, selection, negotiation, signature of contracts, induction and training of the new employee.

In France, these operations primarily concern middle management profiles. The role of these agencies is particularly important in a context where recruitment is difficult for companies, taking on average two and a half months in 2021 compared to two months in 2020.

The scope of recruitment per se excludeshiring operations aimed at filling positions under temporary employment contracts (temping, temporary employment agencies).

In contrast to the situation in Anglo-Saxon countries, the French recruitment market is not outsourced to any great extent. Human resources departments handle the majority of their recruitment, via recruitment campaigns, the career pages of their corporate websites, advertising websites, professional social networks and internal promotion.

1.2 A growing global recruitment and human resources market

The graph below shows the strong growth of the global recruitment and human resources market. Between **** and ****, the market grew by **%. The only year in which the market declined was ****, during the Covid-** pandemic. In that year, the market declined by *.*%.

By ****, the global recruitment and human resources market will be ...

1.3 A growing but polarized French market

The graph below shows the sales of employment agency activities (***), but will see a decline in **** with the Covid-** crisis. By ****, sales in this French market will be close to *.* billion euros. It will then surpass its pre-pandemic level. **% of recruitment takes place via specialized agencies. [***]

Employment agency sales France, **** - ...

1.4 A market impacted by covid-19

Less difficult executive recruitment

In ****, the number of executive recruitments fell by **% compared to ****. Against this backdrop, **% of companies felt that their recruitment processes were easier in **** than in **** (***). However, recruitment difficulties are set to rise again in ****, according to an APEC survey.

Percentage of companies considering that their executive recruitments ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1. The dynamics of executive recruitment in France

The graph below shows changes in the unemployment rate in mainland France.

Unemployment rate France, **** - ****, IN Source: ****

for ****, the unemployment rate is stable and rather low compared to previous years: around *.*% versus *.*% in ****.

However, managers are much less affected by unemployment than other professional categories. In ****, for example, their unemployment ...

2.2 Recruitment processes

In ****, the main recruitment channels used by business owners are above all their personal network (***). Only **% of business owners said they had used a private intermediary, such as a recruitment agency or temporary employment agency.

Main recruitment channels used by company managers France, ****, in

Yet many business owners report having encountered ...

3 Market structure

3.1. The employment-related activities sector in France

In the case of recruitment agencies, this activity can be classified under two NAF codes:

**.**Z "Activities of employment agencies" **.**Z "Business and other management consultancy services"

Activities of labor placement agencies (***)

The NAF **.**Z category includes, according to details provided by INSEE[***] :

personnel search, selection, orientation and placement, including ...

3.2. The main players in the recruitment market

Typology of players

The recruitment support market, in which recruitment agencies play a key role, is only a sub-segment of the overall recruitment market, whose main players in France are still companies' in-house human resources departments.

Recruitment agencies dominate the recruitment support market, which they share with four other categories of ...

3.3 New candidate profiles reshape market structure

The emergence of new candidate profiles and new skills is encouraging the emergence and growth of more specialized players.

The example of Teaminside, a firm specializing in digital professions

Teaminside was set up in **** to specialize in digital professions for companies not looking to recruit permanent staff. The firm was thus ...

4 Offer analysis

4.1. How recruitment agencies work

The challenge for a recruitment agency, when providing services to a client, is to respond as quickly as possible to the client's request, not only to meet the negotiated deadline, but also to be able to allocate its resources to other services. The recruitment process used by recruitment agencies generally consists ...

4.2. Towards diversification

Two different approaches are mainly used to deliver recruitment support services:

Advertising

The use of advertisements presupposes an exchange between the firm and the customer to define the job description and draft a job offer. The advertisement is then published on job sites (***). It may also be published in the press ...

4.3. Pricing methods used

In general, recruitment agencies are paid a percentage of the recruit's annual salary. This percentage usually varies between **% and **%. It can be as high as **% if the recruitment is carried out by a prestigious consultancy. This cost covers the entire recruitment process, from the client's needs to the final candidate.

In ...

5 Regulations

5.1. Consequences of the Borloo law (2005)

Changes in the regulatory framework are crucial to understanding the dynamics of recruitment agency business.

Following the Borloo law in ****, their sector of activity was opened up to competition from ETTs (***)

Temporary employment agencies can now recruit on both permanent and fixed-term contracts, opening up the placement business to the private ...

5.2 Recruitment subject to fairness laws

For any recruitment action, the selection of a candidate must be based solely on criteria linked to the specific needs of the job in question, or to the professional qualities of the person concerned. From reading the CV to the recruitment decision, selection choices must be objective, factual and comply with ...

6 Positioning the players

6.1. Segmentation

(***).

Major international players, mainly foreign, well established in France

PageGroup Hays Robert Half International Robert Walters Hudson Global

Small players with an innovative approach

Euromedica(***) Auvial Mosaïk RH Orientation Durable

Competitors in the recruitment support market include :

Headhunters

Korn Ferry, Egon Zehnder International, Spencer Stuart

Smaller players, such as the ...

List of charts

  • Size of the global recruitment and human resources market
  • Annual executive recruitment
  • Main regions recruiting executives
  • Executive recruitment by business sector
  • Unemployment rate
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Latest news

Adecco launched a CV-free recruitment platform for young people at VivaTech. - 15/06/2022
  • The "Premier job par Adecco et Qapa" platform is based on a different logic: job offers are based on the choices of candidates, who select jobs according to their aptitudes and aspirations.
  • 25-30% of temporary vacancies remain unfilled.
  • The digital temping market has grown 8-fold in two years, and over 8 million candidates are already registered with Qapa.
Adecco: Denis Machuel's plan to regain global leadership in temporary staffing - 21/12/2022
  • Regain global leadership lost to Randstad
  • Simplification of brands (from 60 to 25)
  • Structural savings plan of 150 million euros by 2024
  • Integration of Akka Technologies, an acquisition finalized in 2022 to strengthen Modis, the Swiss group's other engineering specialist.
Temporary work: fratricidal war over permanent contracts - 02/08/2023
  • The Contrat à durée indéterminée aux fins d'employabilité (CDIE) was included in 2018 on an experimental basis in the Avenir professionnel law.
  • In April 2023, the Contrat Durée Indéterminée Intérimaire (CDII) recorded fewer than 51,000 full-time equivalents (FTEs), or 6.6% of temporary employment, compared with more than 55,000 in 2022.
  • At the end of May, 792,600 people were working as temps in France.
  • The temping market in France is worth 30 billion euros a year.
  • Adecco, Randstad and Manpower hold 12 billion euros of this market.

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

PageGroup (Michael Page)
Hays
Adecco Group
Anywhr
CRIT Groupe
Ergalis (Actual Groupe)
Kelly Services France
ManpowerGroup France
MeetYourjob
Proman
Robert Walters
Light Consultants

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