Moving to Europe can be a daunting prospect, especially if you don’t have a job lined up ahead of time. In fact, some countries will require you to get a job offer and a contract before letting you into the country on a long-term basis. That’s where these 18 best European recruitment companies come into play.
Finding a job overseas can be super tricky if you don’t have any contacts or don’t know where to start. Recruitment companies have these connections with local or international companies and can sift and match you with appropriate vacancies for your new location and position.
This is a huge help, especially if you need a job that offers work visa sponsorship. Recruiters can immediately discount any companies that aren’t willing to offer this and save you a lot of time and hassle. Payment-wise, recruiters are paid by the hiring company and get bonuses for placing applicants quickly and often get extra if you make it past your probationary period, so they’re relentless when trying to find you a job!
So, with that in mind, let’s dive in and find out about the 16 best European recruitment companies and find the ones that are going to work best for you!
1. Adecco
First up, we have Adecco, a recruitment company that’s a huge name all around the world. They have a presence across Europe, North and South America, Asia, and the Middle East, so they’re a huge company.
In Europe alone, Adecco is present in 37 different countries. When you consider that there are only 50 countries on the whole continent, that’s a massive percentage.
To make it easier on you, each country has its own personalized Adecco website so you and your recruiter can focus on local job vacancies and work in line with that specific country’s work immigration policies!
2. Randstad
If you’re looking for a European recruitment company that also runs one of the biggest job-searching websites in the world, look no further than Randstad. This Dutch giant also owns Monster.com and is operational in over 39 countries, including all over Europe.
The best thing about signing up for Randstad recruitment is the sheer number of jobs that get posted on Monster every single day. Recruiters at Randstad are the first to see these jobs, so you can get in before anyone else has a chance!
3. Tiger Recruitment
Want more of a temporary job situation while you’re in Europe? Check out Tiger Recruitment which is one of London’s most popular temp recruitment agencies and has jobs both in the US and across Europe.
If you don’t need a permanent role to stay in your European country of choice, temp agencies are a great way of getting more office-based experience and hitting the ground running. A lot of the time, these agencies will need people to start immediately, so if you need a job ASAP, check out Tiger Recruitment.
4. Hays
With offices in the UK, Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in Europe alone, Hays is definitely one of the biggest recruitment companies in the whole world. One of the cool things about signing up with Hays is that you don’t need to fill out lengthy forms or copy out your job history.
Instead, you can use your LinkedIn profile or Indeed profile and they’ll match you up with relevant jobs based on that.
Hays also has a really great mix of temp and permanent roles so if you’re a little bit more flexible, you can definitely find your ideal role here. They also have amazing relationships with a lot of major corporations across the European Union, so it’s well worth signing up!
5. Robert Half
If you’re looking for a role in professional services like accounting, marketing, tech, finance, or admin, you need to check out Robert Half. They specialize in these kinds of office-based roles and have a presence in the UK, Spain, Belgium, and France, so they’re ideal if you’re looking to move to Western Europe.
A good thing about Robert Half is that they also have a huge presence in the US. So, if you’re moving from the US to Europe, you could get the ball rolling before you leave. They also have some great guides and downloadables about salaries in different regions and fields as well as industry-wide research papers!
I‘ve lived abroad for many years and love helping others find work abroad and figure out their “Move Abroad Plan.” Check out my class below to get you started ASAP!
6. EMEA Recruitment
Do you consider yourself to be between middle management and executive level? Well then, you should sign up to EMEA Recruitment.
Located in the Netherlands, Switzerland, the US, and across the EMEA region, EMEA Recruitment specializes in high-end talent, specifically office-based roles like finance, human resources, and operations.
If you don’t like having to have a ton of calls or meetings with your recruiter (and really, who does?), you just submit your CV or resume to EMEA and they’ll send you notifications and alerts when a role that fits your requirement comes through.
7. ManpowerGroup
Despite the rough and ready name, the ManpowerGroup are actually a pretty well-respected recruitment company all across the European Union. There are a few good reasons for this, the main one being that they don’t just match people with appropriate roles, they also make an effort to upskill and educate candidates and companies alike to improve everyone’s chances.
From talent management courses to creating cohesive workforce strategies to helping people carve out their career development plans and focus on their future opportunities, ManpowerGroup are certainly an innovative and full-service European recruitment company.
8. Approach People Recruitment
If you want to cut out the middle-man and basically just want a pre-approved, high-level job board, check out Approach People Recruitment. Running across Europe for almost 25 years, this recruitment company has great relationships with everyone from brand-name businesses and independent start-ups.
You simply upload your CV or resume and apply directly through the Approach People Recruitment website. It’s a pretty chilled out way to explore roles across Europe, no matter where in the world you are, and they have an entire career advice section on their website if you need extra help!
9. Reed
Let’s be honest, Reed is another recruitment company that’s popular all around the world, but especially in Europe. It also has a hugely popular job board website that has postings from all around the European Union and beyond.
By combining the services of a huge recruitment company and an established job board website, you can have the best of both worlds. You can upload your CV or resume and get alerts for matching jobs or you can have a recruiter reach out and find ideal jobs for your situation.
10. Kelly Services
If you’re looking for a job in STEM or education in Europe, Kelly Services is the ideal recruitment company for you. They specialize in these industries and have excellent links to businesses and educational institutions throughout Europe.
Kelly Services can be found in over 30 countries worldwide and has been in the recruitment business for over 70 years. So, it’s safe to say you’re in good hands when you sign up for Kelly Services!
11. Michael Page
Honestly, if you’re looking for big names in the world of recruitment, you have to mention Michael Page in the conversation, Present in over 30 countries worldwide and with a wide range of temp, permanent, and contract roles in dozens of industries, they represent some of the world’s biggest organizations.
Like a few other recruitment companies on this list, you can use your CV or LinkedIn profile to apply for jobs. One of the best things about Michael Page is their job finder tool where they analyze your resume or profile and find jobs that suit your skillset rather than searching by job titles!
12. Euro London Appointments
Can you speak multiple languages and want to cash in on your linguistic abilities? I don’t blame you, speaking multiple languages is a valuable skill! Euro London Appointments is a London-based agency that specializes in multilingual jobs and supports roles in over 80 different languages.
You can also choose between applying directly or working with a dedicated consultant to help you find, apply, and secure the perfect role for you. It’s a cool job board with so many different filters to tailor your search, including by language, of course!
13. Grafton Recruitment
Want to work in manufacturing, construction, or retail? Check out Grafton Recruitment, a Czech company that specializes in non-office-based roles. This is a really useful niche to be in as office jobs can be really competitive but places always need people who can build, create, and sell!
Many countries will have construction and manufacturing in particular on their “in need” jobs lists. These are issued by individual governments and can often lead to quicker approval for your visas!
14. Robert Walters
Want to be in the running for more prestigious and high-level roles? Well, it might be worth checking out headhunting firms as well as recruitment companies. Robert Walters is one of the best headhunting firms in Europe and has placed numerous executives in businesses large and small.
These roles tend to be office-based and while headhunting tends to happen when they contact you, rather than the other way around, it’s worth checking out their website and sending your details and needs across to them!
15. CPL
Looking for a role in STEM? CPL is a great recruitment company with years of experience specializing in science, technology, and engineering. Whether you’re looking for a permanent job, a temp gig, or a contract role to tide you over, CPL has a range of roles to suit you.
They also have great relationships with big brands and institutions all across the European Union, so you can be sure to find a role in your new home!
16. Experis
So, Experis is technically a part of the Manpower Group that I spoke about earlier in this article, but they specialize in IT, tech, engineering, and finance. These are industries that are pretty much always looking to hire, especially in IT and finance as most businesses have both these departments no matter what they do or sell!
If you’re in the wonderful worlds of IT, engineering, finance, or tech, sign up for Experis and get a specialist service that’s got amazing contacts and clients all over the continent!
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Vanessa Wachtmeister is a travel tech professional and the creator of the wealth & wanderlust platform, Wander Onwards. Vanessa is originally from Los Angeles, California, she is a proud Chicana, and she has been living abroad for the last 9 years. Today, she helps people pursue financial and location independence through her ‘Move Abroad’ Master Class, financial literacy digital products, and career workshops.