Rec2Rec Chicago
Chicago has one of the most active recruitment markets in the US
Finding the right person for it takes more than a database search.
Chicago is the commercial centre of the Midwest and one of America’s most important staffing markets. Professional services, engineering, technology, and manufacturing recruitment all operate at scale here, alongside a financial services sector that sets the pace for the whole region. The agencies doing well in Chicago are serious businesses, and they need serious recruitment professionals.
Raymond George brings a specialist approach to rec2rec in Chicago. We headhunt, we use referrals, and we have the content and network presence to reach talent that is not visible through conventional channels.
Who are you: Client or Candidate?
Thinking about your next staffing role in Chicago?
We know the Chicago agencies genuinely worth joining. Talk to us confidentially.
Need to hire a staffing professional in Chicago?
The best candidates are not on job boards. We find them. Tell us what you need.
How we work: Engaged and Consultancy
We offer two service models. Here is what each one means.
Engaged
Our Engaged service is a retained search. You pay a portion of the fee upfront and we commit our full approach to finding the right person: direct headhunting, a proper map of the relevant talent pool, regular updates, and a shortlist of candidates who have been genuinely assessed. This is the right model for senior hires, hard-to-fill roles, and anything where getting it wrong is costly.
What you get with Engaged:
- An assigned Director and dedicated research team
- Role definition and person specification brief
- Market insights and compensation intelligence review
- Narrative and GTM strategy agreement
- Timelines and review meetings agreed
- Market mapping and candidate identification
- Sourcing and proactive outreach to active and passive candidates
- Candidate screening, evaluation, thorough interviewing and shortlisting
- Regular reporting and market intelligence throughout the search
- Coordination of interviews and feedback management
- Offer negotiation and acceptance facilitation
- Post-placement candidate check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days
Consultancy
Not every hire needs an engaged search. Our consultancy team delivers a traditional contingency service.
Not sure which is right for you?
For recruiters: find your next role in Chicago
If you are a recruiter in Chicago who is good at what you do and wondering whether there is a better place to do it, we should talk. We know the agencies in this city that are genuinely worth moving to. The ones investing in their people, paying well, and building something worth being part of.
We will give you an honest picture of the market. Not a sales pitch, not a list of job specs, but a real conversation about what is available, what it pays, and whether any of it makes sense for where you are in your career.
No spin. Everything is confidential.
We support every candidate with:
- Confidential career consultations with no pressure to commit
- Access to Chicago roles that are not publicly advertised
- Honest salary for your level and sector
- Interview preparation and offer negotiation support
- Guidance through resignation and notice if you decide to move and total compensation benchmarking
For hiring businesses: find your next recruiter in Chicago
The recruitment professionals who will genuinely move your business forward are not sitting on job boards waiting for your advert. They are settled in their current roles and need a reason to move. Finding them, and giving them that reason, is what Raymond George does.
We work with Chicago agencies across professional services, engineering, technology, and beyond to find recruiters who will actually perform in your environment. Not just people with the right keywords on their CV, but the right cultural fit and a track record that holds up to scrutiny.
Let us know what you are looking for and we will be honest about what we can deliver.
What clients get when working with us:
- A dedicated contact who understands the Chicago and Midwest market
- Candidates not visible through job boards or standard sourcing
- Honest advice on brief, salary, and what is realistic to find
- Regular updates and full transparency throughout the search
- National reach across the US for multi-market searches
Sectors we place across
We place recruitment professionals across all major specialisms. In Chicago that includes:
Financial Services
Accounting Finance
Legal
If your sector is not listed, get in touch anyway. We work across more areas than listed.
Why Raymond George?
We know the Midwest market
Chicago is our primary Midwest location and our team understands this market: the firms that are growing, the sectors that are busy, and what top recruitment talent here is really looking for in a move.
We do not work on volume
We are not a high-volume agency. We take on searches we believe we can deliver, and we put people in front of clients we would genuinely back. That means fewer wasted conversations and better placement outcomes.
Part of an international network
Raymond George operates across the UK, US, and Canada. That gives Chicago clients access to a genuinely international talent pool, which matters for agencies that recruit across borders or operate nationally.
Get in touch
Whether you are a recruiter in Chicago who wants an honest conversation about your career, or a business that needs to hire recruitment talent, we would love to hear from you. No obligation. No hard sell.
Frequently asked questions
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What is Rec2Rec?
Rec2Rec is short for Recruitment to Recruitment. We place recruitment and talent acquisition professionals into recruitment businesses. It is all we do, which means we understand this world better than a generalist agency ever could.
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What does your Engaged service involve?
Engaged is our retained search model. You pay a portion of the fee upfront, and we commit our full methodology: direct headhunting, market mapping, ongoing reporting, and a shortlist of candidates who have been properly assessed.
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Do you cover the whole of Illinois, or just Chicago?
Chicago is our primary Midwest focus, but we work across the wider region and regularly support candidates and clients in surrounding areas. We also handle relocations into and out of Chicago.
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I am not actively looking. Is it worth calling?
It is probably the best time to call. We can give you a clear picture of the market, what roles are available, and what they are paying, without any pressure. Everything is completely confidential.
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How do you assess candidates before presenting them?
We have a proper conversation with every candidate, not a quick call from a script. We look at sector experience, billing track record, career motivations, and cultural fit. Clients only see people we would genuinely recommend.