Recruitment agencies to acquire in the South East
Updated 9 November 2026
Looking to acquire a recruitment agency in the South East? Firmbase ranks 893 recruitment agencies using public company information to help buyers prioritise firms for research and potential outreach. The Approach Score ranks firms using public signals including director age and tenure, ownership, business scale, financial strength and recent changes. These firms are not listed for sale, and the ranking does not indicate that an owner is considering a sale.
The median firm has 10 staff and has been in business for 12 years; 10 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector. Looking beyond the South East? Explore the full UK list of recruitment agencies.
893
Firms
UK 5,841
18%
Every director 55+
UK 17%
36%
Held 75%+ by one person
UK 37%
12
Median years in business
UK 10
10
Median headcount
UK 12
£500k to £1m
Median turnover band
UK £500k to £1m · includes our estimates
10 firms owned by 3 groups that have bought several firms in this sector. That is 1% of this list, against 1% across the UK.
Towns with the most firms
- Southampton 93 firms
- Reading 75 firms
- Brighton 69 firms
- Portsmouth 68 firms
The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order
| Rank | Firm | Approach Score | The facts behind the score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thema Eastleigh, Hampshire | Approach Score 84/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08350852 · Companies House |
| 2 | Blackfox Solutions Maidenhead | Approach Score 83/100 |
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Company no. 07197471 · Companies House |
| 3 | Gainpath Agencies Camberley, Surrey | Approach Score 82/100 |
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Company no. 04180901 · Companies House |
| 4 | Redcurrant Jobs Woking, West Sussex | Approach Score 82/100 |
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Company no. 07745778 · Companies House |
| 5 | HR Business Consultants Godalming, Surrey | Approach Score 81/100 |
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Company no. 07860293 · Companies House |
| 6 | Sorted Healthcare Fleet, Hampshire | Approach Score 81/100 |
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Company no. 12584252 · Companies House |
| 7 | Venus Recruitment Crowthorne | Approach Score 81/100 |
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Company no. 09108585 · Companies House |
| 8 | PT Recruitment Reading, Berkshire | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 03690685 · Companies House |
| 9 | Kevin Theobald Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 07908504 · Companies House |
| 10 | Sussex Staffing Bexhill-on-SEA, East Sussex | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 09371289 · Companies House |
| 11 | Nadiamed Healthcare Slough, Berkshire | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 09041566 · Companies House |
| 12 | Esift Farnborough, Hampshire | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 06746739 · Companies House |
| 13 | Horizon Executive Search Horsham, West Sussex | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 06119800 · Companies House |
| 14 | Eleos Advisory Oxford A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 11639593 · Companies House |
| 15 | Bathson Dartford, Kent | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 06544568 · Companies House |
| 16 | Paskpartnership Camberley, Surrey | Approach Score 78/100 |
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Company no. 06943336 · Companies House |
| 17 | Snap Care Peacehaven, East Sussex | Approach Score 77/100 | We hold older figures than Companies House
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Company no. 04140483 · Companies House |
| 18 | Aston Fisher Reading, Berkshire | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 08554448 · Companies House |
| 19 | Amber Employment Services Woking, Surrey | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 06129522 · Companies House |
| 20 | Premier Nursing Arundel | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 05851764 · Companies House |
| 21 | E Personnel Recruitment Surrey | Approach Score 77/100 | We hold older figures than Companies House
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Company no. 03172565 · Companies House |
| 22 | Jackson Crane Maidstone, Kent | Approach Score 77/100 | We hold older figures than Companies House
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Company no. 03371772 · Companies House |
| 23 | Valued Hire Group Thames Ditton, Surrey | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 02744198 · Companies House |
| 24 | Lall Kent | Approach Score 76/100 |
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Company no. 04044725 · Companies House |
| 25 | Easi Recruitment Sevenoaks, Kent | Approach Score 76/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08516844 · Companies House |
868 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.
You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 893 for £799 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.
Buy the list of all 893 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.
What's in the file
One row per firm, in Approach Score order, as Excel + CSV.
It holds the facts behind each score, points for each part of the score, financials with dates, publicly available contact details, where identified, director names and named shareholders.
Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.
How this list is filtered
- 5 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
- Registered office in the South East.
How this list is built
The Approach Score ranks firms mainly on public Companies House information about owner tenure and age, ownership, size, financial strength and recent register changes.
Firms with higher scores appear first in each list.
Use the ranking to order research, then check each business directly.
What it does not mean
No firm here is for sale, and the score says nothing about any owner's plans.
At least 95% of the firms where we hold directors had them checked in or after November 2026.
What we do not cover
Regulatory information is not included in this list. Buyers should check the relevant register as part of their due diligence. Check conduct requirements with the Fair Work Agency or Northern Ireland's Employment Agency Inspectorate. For work needing gangmaster licensing, check the Fair Work Agency's public register of licensed labour providers.
Why age bands but no people's names
Age bands come from the month and year of birth on Companies House. This page shows no exact ages and no people's names. Both come with the purchased list. The band edges from 45 to 65 are the ages where the score changes. A row shows no age bands when a director's surname is in the firm's name, its group's name or its website. Those directors' ages still count towards the score.
Is this your firm?
You can ask us to take it off every acquisition page, and out of every list we sell after that. Give us your name and work email, and we send you a link to confirm. If your email address is on the firm's own website domain, the firm comes off once you confirm. If it is not, a person reviews your request first. A list already sold stays with its buyer.
To have personal data erased, see our privacy policy.
Other areas
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The standard Firmbase list
Buy the list of all 893 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.