Top 10 Recruitment Agency in Malaysia for Your Business

The top recruitment agencies in Malaysia help businesses source suitable candidates, reduce internal hiring workloads and reach professionals who may not actively apply through public job advertisements. If your business needs to hire employees but lacks the manpower or resources to handle hiring, it may be a wise choice to partner with an external recruitment agency.

However, not every agency offers the same support. Some focus on specialist professional roles, while others are better suited to contract staffing, executive search, multilingual hiring or complete recruitment process outsourcing.

This guide compares 10 established agencies, evaluating each based on local presence, service range, specialist expertise and suitability for Malaysian employers. The ranking is an editorial assessment rather than an official industry league table.

Top 10 Recruitment Agencies in Malaysia at a Glance

How Were These Recruitment Agencies Selected?

The agencies were assessed according to five factors:

• Malaysian Presence: An established local operation serving Malaysian employers.
• Service Range: Coverage of permanent recruitment, executive search, contract staffing, payroll or outsourcing.
• Industry Expertise: Access to recruiters specialising in particular functions or sectors.
• Hiring Suitability: Relevance to professional, senior, high-volume or flexible staffing needs.
• Regional Reach: Ability to support cross-border hiring or workforce expansion.

The outcome of any recruitment project will also depend on the experience and responsiveness of the consultant assigned.

1. PERSOL Malaysia

PERSOL Malaysia is a recruitment agency in Malaysia that has more than 30 years of local experience, six locations in Malaysia and over 250 recruitment professionals. It forms part of an Asia-Pacific network spanning 13 markets and more than 80 offices.

The business previously operated under the PERSOLKELLY name before adopting the unified PERSOL brand on 31 July 2025. Its broad workforce model suits employers that want to consolidate recruitment, staffing and outsourced support under one provider.

Core Strengths and Services

• Permanent Recruitment: Sources, screens and evaluates candidates for specialist, professional and long-term positions.
• Contract Staffing: Supplies temporary or project-based employees without expanding permanent headcount.
• Payroll Outsourcing: Supports payroll processing and related employee administration.
• Business Process Outsourcing: Builds and manages teams for customer service, administration and other operational functions.
• Regional Workforce Solutions: Coordinates recruitment and workforce support across Asia-Pacific.
• Executive Search: Identifies senior managers, executives and harder-to-reach candidates.

Ideal For: Companies seeking an end-to-end partner for permanent employees, contractors, payroll and regional workforce support.

2. Adecco Malaysia

Adecco Malaysia provides permanent recruitment, temporary staffing and workforce outsourcing. Its Malaysian website states that it has more than 23,000 associates and over 300 employees.

The company is particularly relevant to employers managing seasonal demand, temporary absences or project-based workforce requirements. Its outsourcing options can cover complete activities, departments and projects.

Core Strengths and Services

• Temporary Staffing: Provides workers for short-term cover, seasonal demand and temporary assignments.
• Contract Recruitment: Sources candidates for fixed-term projects and defined periods of work.
• Permanent Recruitment: Recruits for long-term professional, operational and support roles.
• Activity Outsourcing: Manages functions such as field sales, merchandising or customer support.
• Department Outsourcing: Provides employees and oversight for complete departments.
• Project-Based Outsourcing: Handles staffing, training and workforce delivery for defined projects.

Ideal For: Seasonal recruitment, temporary cover, project teams, outsourced departments and fluctuating workforce requirements.

3. Manpower Malaysia

Manpower Malaysia offers contract staffing, temporary hiring, permanent recruitment, executive search, recruitment and payrolling, RPO and multilingual hiring.

Its language-recruitment services cover Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Thai and other Asian or European languages, making it relevant to BPO, customer service and shared services employers.

Core Strengths and Services

• Volume Staffing: Supports employers recruiting multiple operational or support employees.
• Multilingual Recruitment: Sources bilingual and native-speaking candidates.
• BPO and Shared Services Hiring: Recruits customer service and regional support teams.
• Recruitment and Payrolling: Combines sourcing with payroll administration and workforce support.
• Train and Deploy: Prepares candidates for specific client requirements before placement.
• Permanent and Executive Recruitment: Sources professional, management and leadership candidates.

Ideal For: BPO companies, shared services centres and employers building multilingual or operational teams.

4. EPS Malaysia

EPS Malaysia is a recruitment and outsourcing provider established in 1993. Its services include permanent recruitment, executive search, contract staffing, staff augmentation, managed services and RPO.

Its local market experience and outsourced workforce support may appeal to companies that need additional capacity without building a large internal recruitment team.

Core Strengths and Services

• Permanent Recruitment: Sources professionals for long-term appointments.
• Executive Search: Conducts targeted searches for senior specialists and leaders.
• Contract Staffing: Provides temporary and project-based workers.
• Staff Augmentation: Adds specialists to client teams while managing contractual administration.
• Managed Services: Takes responsibility for defined workforce or operational activities.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing: Supports multiple stages from sourcing to onboarding.

Ideal For: Malaysian SMEs, technology teams and companies seeking staff augmentation, contract staffing or workforce outsourcing.

5. RGF International Recruitment

RGF International Recruitment focuses primarily on permanent recruitment across Asian markets, covering staff and specialist positions through to management and C-suite appointments.

The company states that it operates 24 offices across Asia with more than 900 recruitment consultants. RGF entered a new chapter under Fullcast Holdings on 1 April 2026 while retaining its regional and Japan-linked recruitment focus.

Core Strengths and Services

• Asia-Focused Recruitment: Sources permanent talent across Asian employment markets.
• Japanese Company Support: Works with Japanese businesses and employers needing regional expertise.
• Japanese-Speaking Talent: Recruits candidates able to work with Japanese stakeholders.
• Professional Recruitment: Covers specialist and managerial positions.
• Executive Search: Identifies senior managers and C-suite candidates.
• Cross-Border Hiring: Uses its regional network to support multi-market searches.

Ideal For: Japanese companies, multinational employers and businesses seeking permanent candidates with regional or Japanese-language experience.

6. Hays Malaysia

Hays Malaysia specialises in professional recruitment across accountancy and finance, banking, construction, engineering, human resources, insurance, legal, life sciences, marketing, procurement, supply chain, sales and technology.

Its consultants are organised by professional discipline, helping employers assess technical requirements, salary expectations and candidate career paths within specialist functions.

Core Strengths and Services

• Specialist Recruitment: Assigns consultants to defined professional disciplines.
• Finance Hiring: Recruits accountants, auditors, analysts, finance managers and senior financial leaders.
• Technology Hiring: Covers software development, data, cybersecurity and infrastructure.
• Engineering and Technical Recruitment: Supports hiring across engineering, construction, procurement and supply chain.
• Salary Insights: Publishes market benchmarks and workforce research for compensation planning.

Ideal For: Employers recruiting finance, engineering, technology, legal, life sciences or supply-chain professionals.

Read more: 10 Best AI Agents to Automate Your Marketing Workflow

7. Michael Page Malaysia

Michael Page Malaysia focuses heavily on experienced professionals, managers and senior appointments across a broad range of business functions. Its model is more aligned with selective professional searches than large entry-level campaigns.

The agency states that many consultants have previous experience in the sectors for which they recruit, which can help when assessing technical capability and commercial experience.

Core Strengths and Services

• Mid-to-Senior Recruitment: Concentrates on experienced specialists, managers and heads of department.
• Executive Search: Conducts targeted searches for leadership appointments.
• Contract Recruitment: Sources professionals for temporary, interim and fixed-term positions.
• Sector Expertise: Uses consultants with knowledge of defined industries and functions.
• Passive Candidate Access: Maintains relationships with professionals who may not be actively applying.

Ideal For: Companies recruiting experienced professionals, department heads, managers and senior executives.

8. Robert Walters Malaysia

Robert Walters Malaysia offers professional recruitment, executive search, contract hiring and recruitment process outsourcing across major corporate functions.

Its main differentiator is the range of RPO models available. Employers can outsource most of their recruitment function, obtain temporary project support or transfer selected hiring stages to an external team.

Core Strengths and Services

• Full RPO: Manages most or all of an employer’s permanent recruitment process.
• Project RPO: Adds recruitment capacity for an expansion, programme or peak hiring period.
• Modular RPO: Handles selected stages while the employer retains overall control.
• Executive Search: Uses targeted and confidential outreach to identify senior leaders.
• Talent Advisory: Helps improve candidate attraction and recruitment delivery.

Ideal For: Companies considering full, project-based or modular recruitment process outsourcing.

9. Randstad Malaysia

Randstad Malaysia provides professional recruitment and workforce solutions across accounting and finance, banking, engineering, human resources, IT, manufacturing, property, sales, marketing and shared services.

The agency also publishes salary reports, workforce research and employer-brand studies, helping employers assess whether pay, flexibility or workplace reputation is affecting recruitment.

Core Strengths and Services

• Shared Services Recruitment: Recruits for finance operations, HR, technology, compliance and business-support teams.
• Professional Recruitment: Covers major corporate and technical functions.
• Senior Hiring: Sources experienced specialists, managers and business leaders.
• Employer Brand Research: Studies the factors that influence where candidates want to work.
• Salary Insights: Publishes market information for compensation and workforce planning.

Ideal For: Shared services centres and companies seeking recruitment support with salary or employer-brand insights.

10. JAC Recruitment Malaysia

JAC Recruitment Malaysia was established locally in 1994 and has offices in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang. Its wider international network operates across Asia, Europe and the United States.

Its Japanese roots, language capabilities and experience with Japanese companies make it especially relevant to Japan-linked employers and manufacturers inside and outside the Klang Valley.

Core Strengths and Services

• Malaysian Office Coverage: Recruits through offices in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang.
• Japanese Business Expertise: Works with Japanese companies and candidates familiar with Japanese corporate environments.
• Manufacturing Recruitment: Covers engineering, industrial, automotive, semiconductor and supply-chain roles.
• Regional Search: Sources professionals with experience across Asian markets.
• Shared Services Hiring: Recruits multilingual, BPO and corporate-support professionals.

Ideal For: Japanese companies, manufacturers and employers hiring in Kuala Lumpur, Johor or Penang.

Which Recruitment Agency Should Your Company Choose?

The right agency depends on the role, hiring volume and level of support required.

For End-to-End Workforce Support

Choose PERSOL for permanent recruitment, contract staffing, payroll and outsourcing under one provider.

For Specialist or Senior Hiring

Consider Hays for discipline-specific professional roles and Michael Page for experienced specialists, managers and executives.

For Recruitment Process Outsourcing

Robert Walters suits employers seeking full, project-based or modular RPO.

For Shared Services and Workforce Insights

Randstad is relevant to shared services centres and employers that value salary or employer-brand research.

For Japanese and Regional Recruitment

JAC suits Japanese companies and manufacturers, while RGF focuses on Asia-based permanent hiring and Japanese-speaking talent.

For Flexible, Multilingual or Outsourced Workforces

Adecco suits temporary and outsourced workforce needs, Manpower supports multilingual and higher-volume hiring, and EPS offers staff augmentation and managed services.

Shortlist two or three agencies, then compare consultant experience, fees, screening, communication and replacement terms.

Making the Right Choice of Agency For Your Hiring Needs

Malaysia has recruitment agencies serving almost every hiring model, from permanent placements to flexible staffing and complete recruitment process outsourcing.

PERSOL takes first position because it offers one of the broadest combinations of recruitment, staffing, payroll and workforce outsourcing. Hays and Michael Page are strong options for specialist recruitment, while Robert Walters stands out for RPO.

Adecco and Manpower are more suitable for flexible, multilingual or high-volume staffing. JAC Recruitment and RGF have clear advantages for Japanese and regional hiring, while EPS provides a local option for staffing, augmentation and managed workforce support.

This guide on recruitment agency in Malaysia is brought to you by Content.com.my, the leading content marketing agency in Malaysia that supports local business and talents.