Top Staffing and Recruiting Agencies in New York City

Like everything in New York City, the job market moves fast.

Whether you’re filling a specialized engineering role, ramping up a creative team, or building out your finance function, the competition for skilled professionals is real. And the cost of a bad hire is worse.

If you’re evaluating recruiting or staffing partners, the challenge is figuring out which ones will understand your business, your culture, and the kind of talent you need.

We put together this shortlist to help you start that process.

We reviewed companies across G2, Trustpilot, and ClearlyRated—focusing on verified client ratings, specialization, and relevance to the New York businesses. Only companies that had at least 100 reviews with a rating above 4.5/5 made the list. 

The list covers firms that fill in-office and hybrid NYC roles as well as one (Near) that can find you remote Latin American hires working in EST.

Quick Comparison

Top NYC Staffing and Recruitment Companies

Near (Hire With Near)

Headquarters: Austin, TX (serves New York City businesses remotely)

Rating: 4.8/5 on G2 (115+ verified reviews)

Services: Full-service remote recruiting—permanent hires across finance, accounting, marketing, sales, operations, engineering, customer support, and more

We’re different from most firms on this list in one meaningful way: every professional we place works remotely from Latin America, but during NYC business hours.

LatAm compensation rates differ significantly from US rates, so our clients typically save 30–70% compared to equivalent NYC-based hires, without sacrificing the quality of talent.

Near is built for permanent team members, not temporary contractors.

We take time to understand your company culture before we start recruiting, screen candidates for communication and cultural fit, and present curated shortlists rather than piles of resumes. Our clients often tell us the hardest part is narrowing down from our shortlist.

Key features:

• Remote-first permanent hiring: We place Latin American professionals who work exclusively for your company, on your schedule, across roles spanning finance, operations, IT & tech, marketing, and more. 84% of placements are mid-level to senior.
• Transparent pricing: No upfront fees. Choose between a one-time placement fee or an ongoing management fee that covers payroll and compliance. You always know exactly what your hire earns.
• Permanence and retention: 80% of our placements stay two or more years. Our 180-day replacement guarantee means if someone doesn’t work out, we’ll find a replacement at no additional cost.

Client experience: “Great experience from start to finish. The team at Near listened carefully to what we needed and delivered candidates that genuinely impressed us. The person we hired has become one of our strongest performers.” — G2

Pricing: No upfront cost. One-time placement fee or monthly management fee (includes payroll and compliance). Salary benchmarking provided.

Beacon Hill

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Headquarters: Boston, MA (with offices in New York City at 104 W 40th St)

Rating: 4.8/5 on ClearlyRated (177 verified NYC client reviews)

Services: Direct hire, executive search, contract, temp, contract-to-hire across finance, legal, IT, marketing/sales, HR, administrative, and clinical/scientific

Beacon Hill is one of the most established multi-discipline staffing firms in New York, with a physical Midtown office and a track record across a wide range of disciplines. Their NYC team earned ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing award in 2025, with a client NPS of 81.4% — well above the industry average of 45%.

They work well for companies that want to consolidate vendor relationships — handling everything from temp admin to executive search within a single agency.

Key features:

• Multi-discipline coverage: Finance, accounting, legal, technology, marketing, HR, administrative, and clinical/scientific roles all under one roof
• Flexible engagement models: Direct hire, executive search, contract, temp, and contract-to-hire
• Local market depth: Physical NYC office with recruiters who know the local talent landscape

Client experience: “Beacon Hill has been a fantastic partner! They aren’t salesy or forceful — they really take the time to understand your needs and focus on providing the best candidates.” — ClearlyRated

Pricing: Not publicly listed.

Insight Global

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Headquarters: Atlanta, GA (with offices in New York City)

Rating: 4.6/5 on ClearlyRated (528 client ratings across 68 locations)

Services: IT, engineering, healthcare, finance, government, and business operations; contract staffing and direct hire

Insight Global is a high-volume staffing firm with strong coverage in technology and IT-adjacent disciplines. They work heavily with enterprise clients and are well-suited to organizations that need to deploy contractors at scale, fill multiple roles simultaneously, or manage variable workforce needs.

Their NYC presence is substantial, and their model prioritizes speed and breadth. Clients who need to fill a large number of contract roles quickly tend to find them effective.

Key features:

• Volume and scale: Designed for enterprise-scale contract staffing and large-scale deployments across multiple disciplines
• Sector breadth: IT, engineering, healthcare, finance, light industrial, and government roles
• Managed workforce solutions: Offers services beyond traditional staffing, including managed delivery programs

Client experience: “There are so many things that Insight Global does well. I would say that my ability to reach out to and receive a response from the highest levels of Insight’s leadership to address issues stands out.” — ClearlyRated

Pricing: Not publicly listed.

Instawork

Headquarters: San Francisco, CA (app-based platform, serves New York City)

Rating: 4.6 on App Store (233 reviews; mix of talent and client)

Services: On-demand flexible staffing for hospitality, food and beverage, warehousing, and light industrial; hourly shifts booked via mobile app

Instawork is a different kind of staffing solution. It’s an app-based platform that allows businesses to fill shifts within hours for temporary and permanent roles across a range of industries, including hospitality, warehousing, retail, and events.

If you run a hotel, event venue, restaurant group, or distribution center in New York and need flexible coverage at scale, it’s worth exploring.

After every shift, businesses rate workers on performance and professionalism. Workers who arrive on time, work hard, and earn positive ratings are rewarded with priority access to shifts and higher pay. Those who don’t will see fewer shifts and can be removed from the platform.

The result is a staffing model that gets better with every shift, helping you build a dependable team of trained professionals.

Key features:

• AI-powered matching: Their system uses AI to match your businesses with workers whose skills, experience, and track record align best with your needs. The result: a 90% worker quality rate and a show rate of 98%.
• Fill rates and speed: Post a shift and get it filled automatically within hours. No phone calls, no back-and-forth.
• Built-in quality control: Workers are rated on role-specific skills, attire, and attitude after every shift. You can save your best workers to a roster and rebook them easily.

Client experience: “Having Instawork means we can say yes to new opportunities and know we have the team behind us to take them on.”

Pricing: Platform-based pricing; not publicly listed.

Apex Systems

Headquarters: Glen Allen, VA (with offices in New York City)

Rating: 4.8/5 on ClearlyRated (1,426 client ratings across 73 locations)

Services: Technology staffing and IT services; software development, infrastructure, digital transformation, cybersecurity, product management; contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire

Apex Systems sits at the intersection of staffing and technology services. They place technical talent but also support larger IT initiatives through managed delivery—useful if you’re running a digital transformation or complex technology program and need both the people and the project structure around them.

Their ClearlyRated client score of 4.8 across more than 1,400 ratings is one of the stronger signals of consistent quality at their scale. Part of ASGN Inc., they have the resources to handle complex, multi-location technology needs.

Key features:

• Deep technical specialization: Software engineering, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, data, and digital transformation roles
• Staffing and managed services: Can provide contract talent or take on broader IT delivery projects
• Enterprise reach: Presence in 70+ North American markets with Fortune 500 client experience

“Our account manager Jordan listens to our needs and stays in tune with us throughout the year, as a true partner.” — ClearlyRated

Pricing: Not publicly listed.

Aquent Talent

Headquarters: Boston, MA (with offices in New York City)

Rating: 4.7/5 on ClearlyRated (295 client ratings across 31 locations)

Services: Creative, design, marketing, UX, web development, content, digital — temporary and permanent placement, plus outsourced team solutions

Aquent Talent describes itself as the world’s largest creative, design, and marketing staffing firm. For companies that live or die by their brand and creative output, they offer one of the deepest talent pools in New York: designers, art directors, UX researchers, copywriters, digital marketers, and more.

They serve both brands and agencies and can handle anything from a single freelance placement to the outsourcing of an entire creative team. Their 10-Year Diamond ClearlyRated award reflects sustained service quality over more than a decade.

Key features:

• Creative and marketing specialization: One of the largest networks of design, UX, content, and digital marketing professionals in the US
• Flexible delivery: Temporary freelance, permanent placement, or full creative team outsourcing
• Brand and agency experience: Comfortable operating in high-pressure, deadline-driven creative environments

Client experience: “Aquent has always been great at understanding the nuance of creative roles and finding people who fit the work and the culture.” — ClearlyRated

Pricing: Not publicly listed.

Anderson Frank International

Headquarters: Part of Frank Recruitment Group (with presence in New York City)

Rating: 4.9/5 on Trustpilot (259 reviews)

Services: ERP and CRM specialist recruiting — SAP, NetSuite, and Salesforce roles; permanent and contract

Anderson Frank International is a niche recruiter focused entirely on enterprise technology platforms — SAP, NetSuite, and Salesforce. If you’re implementing or scaling one of these systems and need people who already understand the platform deeply, they’re worth talking to.

Their Trustpilot score of 4.9/5 across nearly 260 reviews reflects a community of both hiring managers and candidates who found the experience useful. The niche focus is their strength and their limitation: they’re excellent for ERP and CRM roles, but they aren’t a general-purpose agency.

Key features:

• ERP/CRM specialization: Dedicated to SAP, NetSuite, and Salesforce — functional, technical, and leadership roles
• Global reach with US presence: Serves companies across North America and internationally
• Permanent and contract: Full-time hires or project-based contractors for implementations and ongoing support

Client experience: “The recruiter was professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in finding the right match. They understood the SAP ecosystem and didn’t waste my time.” — Trustpilot

Pricing: Not publicly listed.

Actalent

Headquarters: Hanover, MD (with offices in New York City)

Rating: 4.5/5 on ClearlyRated (NYC office, 51 client reviews; 125+ locations nationwide)

Services: Engineering and sciences staffing—software and systems, construction management, environmental/civil, healthcare, clinical research, and laboratory sciences; contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire

Actalent (part of Allegis Group and formerly associated with Aerotek) specializes in STEM talent. Their New York office covers engineering disciplines and life sciences, which makes them particularly relevant for pharma, biotech, medical device, and engineering-heavy companies with a NYC presence.

With 125+ locations, they have the bench depth to handle volume, and their contract-to-hire model works well for companies that want to evaluate technical talent before committing to a permanent offer.

Key features:

• STEM specialization: Engineering, clinical research, lab sciences, environmental and civil, and construction management
• Flexible arrangements: Contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire across technical and scientific disciplines
• Life sciences expertise: Strong track record with pharma, biotech, and healthcare organizations

Client experience: “[We have] partnered with Actalent for the past six years with consistently strong results. They invest the time to understand culture, technical standards, and project demands.” — ClearlyRated

Pricing: Not publicly listed.

Creative Circle

Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA (with offices in New York City)

Rating: 4.5/5 on ClearlyRated (124 verified NYC client reviews)

Services: Creative, marketing, and digital talent — designers, copywriters, art directors, content strategists, and digital marketers; freelance and direct hire

Creative Circle has been placing creative and marketing professionals in New York for years. They work with in-house creative teams, brands, and agencies and have a reputation for understanding what good looks like in creative disciplines.

Their NYC ClearlyRated score of 4.5/5 from 124 local client reviews reflects consistent performance in a city with high expectations. They tend to be a reliable first call when you need a designer, copywriter, or content lead quickly, either for a project or a longer-term role.

Key features:

• Creative specialist focus: Designers, art directors, copywriters, content strategists, UX writers, and digital marketers
• Freelance and permanent: Strong network of available creative professionals for both short-term projects and permanent roles
• Agency and brand fluency: Understands the pace, quality standards, and culture of creative industries

Client experience: “Creative Circle placed us with exactly who we needed within a week. They clearly understood the type of work we do.” — ClearlyRated

Pricing: Not publicly listed.

How to Choose

The right agency depends almost entirely on what you’re hiring for.

• Technology roles: Apex Systems and Insight Global both have depth here, with Apex skewing toward specialized IT and Insight Global toward volume contract staffing.
• Creative and marketing: Aquent Talent and Creative Circle are both strong options. Aquent has a larger overall network; Creative Circle has strong NYC-specific depth.
• ERP and CRM specialists: Anderson Frank is a great choice for SAP, NetSuite, or Salesforce implementations.
• Engineering and life sciences: Actalent was built for this.
• Multi-discipline NYC staffing: Beacon Hill covers the most ground across disciplines with a real local presence.
• Permanent hires in LatAm: Near is the only firm on this list focused on building permanent remote teams with top 1% Latin American professionals, with typical cost savings of 30–70% vs. NYC-based hires.
• Hourly and flexible shifts on short notice: Instawork supplies talent fast for hospitality, events, and warehouse settings.

We’d suggest talking to two or three agencies before committing. Most offer an initial consultation at no cost, which gives you a chance to see whether they actually understand your business before you hand them a search.

If you’re open to building out part of your team remotely with Latin American talent—and want to understand what that looks like in practice—we’d be glad to walk you through how Near works.

‍Schedule a free, no-commitment consultation call with Near today.

Need recruiting help in another city? See our listings for:

• Top Staffing and Recruiting Agencies in Miami
• Top Staffing and Recruiting Agencies in Houston, TX
• Top Staffing and Recruiting Agencies in Los Angeles
• Top Staffing and Recruiting Agencies in San Francisco