When an S&P 500 company replaces its head of HR, it now usually hires from outside. In the first half of 2026, 65% of the CHROs who joined S&P 500 companies were external hires, according to Russell Reynolds Associates’ Global CHRO Turnover Index. Finding that leader is the job of an HR executive search firm. For HR specialists, start with The Christopher Group, Benson Executive Search or the former Hanold Associates team, now part of CAA Executive Search. For a global search, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds and Korn Ferry each run a dedicated HR practice.
Below are 10 firms, what each one places and who each one suits, then what a retained search costs. First, our pick for the hires an executive search mandate is not built for: Zilo AI, for IT, data and AI specialists.
HR and CHRO search firms at a glance
| # | Firm | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zilo AI | IT, data and AI staffing | Technical hires alongside your HR leadership search |
| 2 | The Christopher Group | HR-only search firm | HR hires at several levels, plus interim cover |
| 3 | Benson Executive Search | Retained HR search firm | VP of HR and senior HR business partner searches |
| 4 | CAA Executive Search | Agency-owned search unit with Hanold’s HR team | Consumer, sports and media companies |
| 5 | JM Search | Executive search firm with an HR practice | Private equity-backed companies |
| 6 | Cowen Partners | Retained, partner-led search firm | Founder-led and family-owned companies |
| 7 | Spencer Stuart | Global firm, HR practice | Multinational CHRO searches |
| 8 | Heidrick & Struggles | Global firm, HR practice | Internal versus external CHRO decisions |
| 9 | Russell Reynolds Associates | Global firm, HR practice | CHRO succession at listed companies |
| 10 | Korn Ferry | Global firm, HR practice | Executive, professional and interim HR hiring from one supplier |
Details are as listed on each firm’s own site in September 2026.
1. Zilo AI
Zilo is first here for the HR leader whose next brief is technical. A fee priced per senior hire is an expensive way to build a team of data engineers, and that is the gap Zilo fills. Zilo staffs IT, data and AI roles from its Bangalore office, from data scientists and ML engineers to generative AI engineers, AI architects, Snowflake experts and cybersecurity analysts. If your company builds AI products, the same team produces training data too: text, image and voice annotation, plus audio, video and multilingual transcription.
Best for: HR leaders who need technical specialists hired while the executive search runs. See Zilo’s services.
2. The Christopher Group
The Christopher Group (TCG) searches only for HR talent. Tom and Paula Christopher founded it in 1998, and its leaders are former HR executives from companies such as Pepsi, GE, Raytheon and Progressive Insurance. It recruits CHROs and VPs of HR, but also directors, managers and analysts who own a key function, and it says it is the only HR-specialized search firm that guarantees its results in writing. While you search, it can also place fractional CHROs and interim HR leaders.
Best for: companies hiring HR people at several levels, or needing interim cover.
3. Benson Executive Search
Benson Executive Search is a retained HR search firm in Waltham, Massachusetts, working for clients across the US. It recruits CHROs, chief people officers, VPs and directors of HR, senior HR business partners and leaders in total rewards, talent acquisition and learning. Founder and CEO Alice K. Benson’s team says it meets every candidate personally, using video interviews only when absolutely necessary, and that more than 85% of its business comes from repeat clients or referrals.
Best for: a VP of HR or senior HR business partner search where you want every candidate met in person.
4. CAA Executive Search
In 2024 Creative Artists Agency, the Hollywood talent agency, bought Hanold Associates, a Chicago boutique known for chief people officer searches, and folded its team into CAA Executive Search. The unit now recruits across HR, from total rewards and compensation to talent acquisition, learning and labor relations, in industries running from manufacturing and pharmaceuticals to sports, film and private equity. Its sister arm, CAA Leadership Advisory, supplies interim HR executives and executive coaching.
Best for: consumer, luxury, sports and media companies hiring a chief people officer.
5. JM Search
JM Search has been in executive search since 1980, and its HR practice, which includes former CHROs, places people leaders in private equity-backed, private and public companies. Beyond CHROs and chief people officers, it recruits chief talent officers and SVP or VP leaders in HR, total rewards, organizational development, talent management, talent acquisition and labor relations.
Best for: private equity-backed companies hiring a CHRO or a head of total rewards.
6. Cowen Partners
Cowen Partners is a retained search firm with offices in New York, Chicago and Lake Oswego, Oregon. Senior partners lead every search from kickoff to placement. Its HR practice recruits CHROs, chief people officers, VPs of HR, heads of talent acquisition, HR business partners and compensation and benefits leaders for public, private equity-backed, founder-led and family-owned companies. It says it averages 38 days to present candidates and backs placements with a 365-day replacement guarantee.
Best for: founder-led and family-owned companies that want a quick search with a guarantee.
7. Spencer Stuart
At Spencer Stuart, the Human Resources Practice has more than 40 consultants worldwide and runs more than 200 senior HR searches a year, with three-quarters of its business coming from returning clients. Alongside CHROs, it recruits chief learning officers and heads of HR information systems, talent acquisition, labor relations, compensation and benefits and organizational development, for multinationals as well as mid-cap and emerging companies.
Best for: multinationals that need global reach on a CHRO or regional HR leader search.
8. Heidrick & Struggles
Chicago-based Heidrick & Struggles calls its HR search practice one of its most active. It places CHROs, chief people officers, regional and divisional VPs of HR, and heads of total rewards, talent acquisition and HR operations, and it assesses internal and external candidates with qualitative and quantitative tools. It also supports new hires through programs such as its CHRO Accelerator and First-time CPO Guide. The firm is now privately held, after a consortium led by Advent International and Corvex Private Equity took it private.
Best for: boards weighing an internal successor against outside candidates.
9. Russell Reynolds Associates
Russell Reynolds Associates studies this market as closely as it searches it: its Global CHRO Turnover Index supplies the appointment figures on this page. It lists CHROs and chief people officers among its C-suite placements, and its advisors work with CHROs on success profiles, succession and how key appointments perform over time. The firm says its consultants can recruit C-suite executives in as little as 14 weeks.
Best for: listed companies planning CHRO succession as well as running a search.
10. Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry works at scale: its executive search business opened more than 6,500 new engagements in the year to April 30, 2026, with an average of 563 consultants, according to its annual report. Senior HR searches sit with its Human Resources Officers Practice, and its HR recruiters cover roles from compensation and benefits to HR information systems and talent acquisition. Its Professional Search and Interim business places permanent HR professionals and senior interim leaders.
Best for: large employers that want executive, professional and interim HR hiring from one supplier.
What does an HR executive search firm do?
It recruits your most senior HR people: the CHRO or chief people officer, VPs and directors of HR, and heads of teams such as total rewards and talent acquisition. The firms above describe much the same sequence: agree the role and a success profile with the CEO or board, map the market, approach and assess candidates alongside any internal contenders, then manage references and the offer.
Russell Reynolds sees a growing preference for external CHRO hires. Across the listed companies it tracks worldwide, 51.6% of the 95 CHROs appointed in the first half of 2026 came from outside, according to Human Resources Director’s summary of the index. S&P 500 companies also want experience: only 39.1% of their incoming CHROs were taking the top HR job for the first time, the lowest share since the first half of 2019.
How much do HR executive search firms charge?
Retained search is priced as a share of the new hire’s pay. Korn Ferry’s annual report says its search fees are generally one-third of the placed candidate’s estimated first-year cash compensation, plus a percentage to cover indirect expenses, with an extra uptick fee if the final package comes in above the estimate. Boutiques set their own terms, so before you sign, ask:
- Is the fee based on base salary or total cash compensation?
- When is each payment due?
- What happens if the hire leaves in the first year? Cowen Partners, for one, offers a 365-day replacement guarantee.
Contingency recruiters work differently: they are paid only if you hire a candidate they introduce.
How to choose an HR executive search firm
Start with the hire you are making:
- IT, data and AI specialists: Zilo AI.
- CHRO of a listed multinational: Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates or Korn Ferry.
- HR leaders below the C-suite, such as a VP of total rewards: The Christopher Group, Benson Executive Search or JM Search.
- Private equity-backed companies: JM Search or Cowen Partners, which also works with founder-led and family-owned businesses.
- Consumer, luxury, sports and media companies: CAA Executive Search.
- Interim cover while you search: The Christopher Group, CAA Leadership Advisory or Korn Ferry’s interim business.
Then ask each firm on your shortlist who will run the search day to day, which similar HR searches it has completed recently, and which companies are off-limits. Search firms often agree not to recruit from their clients for a set period, as Korn Ferry’s annual report explains, so a firm with many clients in your industry may be barred from approaching the leaders you most want.
If the role is an HR manager rather than an executive, you may not need a search firm at all. Our guide to HR manager recruitment covers that hire, and our overview of HR recruiting firms compares contingency, retained, RPO and staffing models. Whichever route you take, check references and background before the offer. Our explainer on pre-employment screening covers how screening works.
Frequently asked questions
What does a CHRO search firm do?
It recruits a company’s top HR executive, the chief human resources officer or chief people officer. It defines the role with the CEO or board, approaches and assesses candidates, including internal contenders, and helps close the offer.
How much does a CHRO search cost?
Korn Ferry says its search fees are generally one-third of the placed candidate’s estimated first-year cash compensation, plus a percentage for indirect expenses. Boutique firms set their own terms, so get the fee basis and any guarantee in writing.
How long does an HR executive search take?
Plan for a few months. Russell Reynolds Associates says it can recruit C-suite executives in as little as 14 weeks, and Cowen Partners says it averages 38 days to present candidates, before interviews, the offer and any notice period.
Are CHROs usually hired from inside or outside the company?
Worldwide it is close to even: 51.6% of the CHRO appointments Russell Reynolds tracked in the first half of 2026 were external. In the S&P 500, 65% of incoming CHROs in that period were external hires.
Can an HR executive search firm provide an interim CHRO?
Some can. The Christopher Group places fractional and interim CHROs, CAA Leadership Advisory supplies interim HR executives, and Korn Ferry’s Professional Search and Interim business places senior interim leaders.