# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for recruiting agencies (small businesses) on 2026-10-08

## In short

On 2026-10-08, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best recruiting agencies for small businesses". It named 10 brands; the first six, in order, were Robert Half, Express Employment, Express Employment Professionals, LaSalle Network, Insight Global and Insperity.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best recruiting agencies for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-10-08 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 10 |
| Sources cited | 13 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-08 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/recruiting-agencies-small-businesses-2026-10-08
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-08 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> Honest framing first: "best recruiting agency" depends almost entirely on what you're hiring, and the generic "top 10 agencies" listicles are mostly SEO content with affiliate incentives. For a small business, the bigger decision is *which model* you use - traditional contingency agency, on-demand/RPO, or a PEO that bundles recruiting. Here's who I'd actually name in each.
> 
> ## If you want a traditional agency (pay a fee when they place someone)
> 
> **1. Robert Half** - the safest default for accounting, finance, admin, legal, and IT roles. Huge candidate database, offices in most US metros, and they handle temp, temp-to-perm, and direct hire. Downside: it's the expensive end - permanent placement fees commonly run 15-25% of first-year salary and can reach 30-35%, and pricing is quote-only so you can't comparison-shop without a sales call. ([hireinsouth.com](https://www.hireinsouth.com/post/robert-half-pricing), [remotepeople.com](https://remotepeople.com/providers/robert-half-review/))
> 
> **2. Express Employment Professionals** - the one I'd name for hourly, light industrial, warehouse, clerical, and seasonal hiring. It's a franchise model, so you're really hiring your local owner-opera

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Half | mentioned |
| 2 | Express Employment | mentioned |
| 3 | Express Employment Professionals | mentioned |
| 4 | LaSalle Network | compared |
| 5 | Insight Global | mentioned |
| 6 | Insperity | mentioned |
| 7 | TriNet | mentioned |
| 8 | Zoho | mentioned |
| 9 | Zoho Recruit | mentioned |
| 10 | Breezy | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.hireinsouth.com/post/robert-half-pricing (other)
- https://remotepeople.com/providers/robert-half-review/ (other)
- https://www.g2.com/products/express-employment-professionals (review)
- https://expresspros.com/EugeneOR/Employers/Client-Testimonials.aspx (other)
- https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/services/staffing-agencies/ (other)
- https://ghost.pin.com/rpo-guide-recruiters/ (other)
- https://www.dover.com/blog/what-is-rpo-recruitment-process-outsourcing-recruiting (vendor)
- https://gobrightwing.com/flexsolutions/small-business/ (other)
- https://stealthagents.com/alternatives/recruiting-agency-alternative (other)
- https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/insperity-announces-changes-to-recruiting-services-program-to-support-small-and (other)
- https://trinet.com/insights/recruitment-process-outsourcing (vendor)
- https://capterra.com/resources/best-recruiting-software-for-small-business-reviews-analysis (review)
- https://www.apps365.com/blog/recruiting-companies/ (other)

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

Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection.

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.