# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for recruiting agencies (small businesses) on 2026-09-24

## In short

On 2026-09-24, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best recruiting agencies for small businesses". It named 13 brands; the first six, in order, were Robert Half, US, Express Employment Professionals, Insperity, Justworks and TriNet.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best recruiting agencies for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-09-24 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 13 |
| Sources cited | 9 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-24 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/recruiting-agencies-small-businesses-2026-09-24
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-24 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> For a small business, the real question is usually "which model do I want" before "which brand." Here's who I'd actually name, roughly in the order I'd try them:
> 
> **1. Robert Half** - The default first call for most small businesses hiring accounting, finance, admin, legal, or IT roles. Huge candidate database, local offices in most US metros, and they do temp, temp-to-hire, and direct hire, so you can start someone contract and convert if they work out. Contingency fees run ~20-25% of first-year salary (industry range is 20-35%). Temp-to-hire is the underrated play here - you de-risk the hire and can avoid the full placement fee.
> 
> **2. Express Employment Professionals** - Franchise model, ~870 locally-owned offices, which means you get an owner who actually knows your town's labor market. Best for hourly, light industrial, warehouse, skilled trades, admin, and front-line roles - the stuff Robert Half is overpriced for. Because franchisees set their own terms, this is where you have the most negotiating room.
> 
> **3. Insperity or a PEO (Justworks, TriNet)** - Not a recruiting agency, but if you're hiring 3+ people a year and also drowning in payroll/benefits/compliance, a PEO bundles

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Half | mentioned |
| 2 | US | mentioned |
| 3 | Express Employment Professionals | mentioned |
| 4 | Insperity | mentioned |
| 5 | Justworks | mentioned |
| 6 | TriNet | mentioned |
| 7 | Hunt Club | mentioned |
| 8 | Dover | mentioned |
| 9 | 1840 & Company | mentioned |
| 10 | GoGloby / Near | mentioned |
| 11 | Near | mentioned |
| 12 | Workable | mentioned |
| 13 | Breezy | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.pin.com/blog/best-recruiting-agencies-2026/ (other)
- https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/services/best-recruiting-firms/ (other)
- https://www.hireinsouth.com/post/robert-half-pricing (other)
- https://www.dover.com/blog/dover-vs-robert-half-startup-recruiting (vendor)
- https://valuablerecruitment.com/blog/recruitment-agency-fees (other)
- https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/services/best-recruitment-process-outsourcing-companies/ (other)
- https://www.hirewithnear.com/blog/11-best-recruitment-process-outsourcing-rpo-companies (other)
- https://www.business.com/reviews/insperity-peo-services/ (other)
- https://gogloby.com/insights/best-recruitment-agencies-for-startups/ (vendor)

The question page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/recruiting-agencies/small-businesses

Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.