A role to fill, candidates to convince and, for an agency, client companies to win: advertising should bring the right profiles, within the rules for job ads.
Google PartnerSuperMalter (top 10%)61 five-star reviews on Malt and LinkedIn100+ clients
Recruitment In The EU, In Numbers
Recruitment and temporary work agencies: their official figures from Eurostat, then the month when jobs, temp work and recruiters are searched for most on Google.
Recruitment And Placement
NACE code 78.10
Activities of employment placement agencies
44,307companies in the EU
Eurostat publishes no final figure for this country.
Most searched month: October
Temporary Work Agencies
NACE code 78.20
Temporary employment agency activities
31,895companies in the EU
Eurostat publishes no final figure for this country.
105.9 people per company on average
€170.0 billion in turnover
Most searched month: June
Source: Eurostat, enterprises by NACE activity (dataset sbs_ovw_act), EU-27, NACE codes 78.10 and 78.20, 2024 data updated on 30 September 2026.See the raw data. People per company: calculated from the number of people employed and the number of companies published by Eurostat.
Source: US Census Bureau, Economic Census 2022 (dataset ecnbasic), United States, establishments with paid employees, NAICS codes 56131 and 561320, 2022 data updated on 24 October 2023. An establishment is a single site: a company with 3 sites counts 3 times. See the table. Employees per establishment: calculated from the number of employees and of establishments published by the US Census Bureau. Each card uses the North American classification code or codes whose official title matches its NACE code; where there is no exact match, the card says so.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Counts, with and without employees, June 2026, Canada, NAICS codes 561310 and 561320, released on 14 August 2026. Statistics Canada counts locations: a company with 10 stores and a head office counts 11 times. Without employees, only locations that are incorporated or earn more than C$30,000 in business revenue are counted. See the tables with employees and without employees. Each card uses the North American classification code or codes whose official title matches its NACE code; where there is no exact match, the card says so.
Source: INEGI, National Statistical Directory of Economic Units (DENUE) 05/2026, Mexico, active establishments except agriculture, SCIAN codes 56131 and 561320 (SCIAN Mexico 2023), released on 20 May 2026. DENUE counts establishments with premises, homes included: a trade carried out at the customer's site with no premises of its own (painter, plumber) or by street vendors is left out, as are rural localities under 2,500 inhabitants. People employed include the owner. See the methodology. Each card uses the North American classification code or codes whose official title matches its NACE code; where there is no exact match, the card says so.
Source: e-Stat, 2021 Economic Census for Business Activity, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan, privately owned establishments as of 1 June 2021, JSIC codes 911 and 912 (Japan Standard Industrial Classification, revision 13), data updated on 30 September 2026. An establishment is a single site: a company with 3 sites counts 3 times. People engaged include owners. See the table. People per establishment: calculated from the number of people engaged and of establishments published by e-Stat. Each card uses the Japanese classification code or codes whose official title matches its NACE code; where there is no exact match, the card says so.
Source: Nomis, UK Business Counts (extract from the Inter-Departmental Business Register), United Kingdom, enterprises and local units live in March 2026, SIC 2007 codes 7810 and 7820 (UK classification, identical to NACE down to 4 digits), data updated on 24 September 2026, retrieved on 16 October 2026. The register only counts businesses registered for VAT or PAYE. A local unit is a site: a company with 3 sites counts 3 local units. See the tables enterprises and local units. Data source: Office for National Statistics, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Google Search Calendar
Index 100 = the most searched month of each line. Searches in the United Kingdom, in English, from October 2025 to September 2026.
Jobs
Temporary Work
Recruitment Agencies
100500
Recruitment AgenciesJobsTemporary Work
OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep
Most searched month: jobs in January, temporary work in June, recruitment agencies in October. Jobs: January brings 1.7 times the searches of December.
Source: Google Ads Keyword Planner, monthly search volumes in the United Kingdom, in English, from October 2025 to September 2026, retrieved on 14 October 2026 from Théo Maupilé's Google Ads account. Searches measured: “jobs”, “jobs near me”, “job vacancies”, “part time jobs”, “temp agency”, “temp jobs”, “temp agencies near me”, “recruitment agency”, “recruitment agencies near me”, “headhunter” and “executive search”. Method: each line adds up its searches, then takes the value 100 in its highest month. Google rounds the volumes it returns: the line shows the rhythm of demand, not an exact volume.
See the chart data
Month
Jobs
Temporary Work
Recruitment Agencies
October 2025
83
89
100
November 2025
72
81
83
December 2025
59
78
59
January 2026
100
96
99
February 2026
83
87
99
March 2026
83
91
88
April 2026
72
86
83
May 2026
73
83
72
June 2026
83
100
76
July 2026
82
97
71
August 2026
73
78
59
September 2026
84
83
71
The Price Of A Click At The Top Of Google
What advertisers paid to appear at the top of the results, for the most searched query of each line, in the United Kingdom.
Jobs “jobs near me”€0.10 to €1.69
Temporary Work “temp jobs”€0.12 to €1.85
Recruitment Agencies “recruitment agencies near me”€0.33 to €1.73
Source: Google Ads Keyword Planner, top of page bid, low range and high range, in euros, in the United Kingdom, retrieved on 14 October 2026 from Théo Maupilé's Google Ads account. According to Google, the range runs from the 20th to the 80th bid out of 100: about 6 bids in 10 fall between the two amounts. It is an observed range, not a price list: the price of each click is set in an auction.
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Recruitment · United Kingdom
Where Is Your Audience?
Your audience moves from one app to the next within the same day: they search on Google, watch YouTube, browse Discover and Gmail, scroll Instagram and Facebook, ask ChatGPT for advice. Tap an app to see where your ad meets them, and what the ad platforms measure in your industry.
Your audienceRecruitmentUnited Kingdom · 8 apps · 5 moments
GGoogleIllustration
recruitment agency
SponsoredYYour brandRecruitment Agency · Your BrandQualified candidates for your key roles, shortlisted within 3 weeks.
YYouTubeIllustration
The right person, at the right timeAd · Your brand
Up nextHow agency recruitment works
SponsoredRecruitment Agency · Your Brand
DDiscoverIllustration
The right person, at the right time
YYour brand · SponsoredRecruitment Agency · Your Brand
MGmailIllustration
YSponsoredYour brandRecruitment Agency · Your BrandQualified candidates for your key roles, shortlisted within 3 weeks.
WWebsites and appsIllustration
The right person, at the right timeYYour brandLearn more
FFacebookIllustration
YYour brandSponsored
Qualified candidates for your key roles, shortlisted within 3 weeks.
The right person, at the right time
Recruitment Agency · Your BrandLearn more
IInstagramIllustration
YYour brandSponsored
The right person, at the right time
Learn more→
CChatGPTIllustration
how much does a recruitment agency charge for a senior role?
Here are the points to compare before you choose, based on your situation.
SponsoredYYour brandRecruitment Agency · Your BrandQualified candidates for your key roles, shortlisted within 3 weeks.
Searchinggoogle.com · Google app
GGoogle
They type their need in their own words. This is when intent is at its clearest: your ad answers a question they have just asked.
18,100searches a month for “recruitment agency”, in the UK
Searches a month in your industry, in the UK
“recruitment agency”18,100
“jobs”246,000
“temp agency”1,300
Source: Google Keyword Planner, searches in the United Kingdom, in English, monthly average from October 2025 to September 2026, estimated and rounded by Google, pulled on 14 October 2026.
In Your Industry
For finance, real estate and professional services, Google puts the Search Network first: it reaches people actively searching for your services, which suits offers this specific.
They watch a video they chose. Your ad plays before or during that video, or shows up in their suggestions: your brand gets known before the need is put into words.
6 sthe bumper format: a short message your audience sees in full
They browse the feed of articles and videos the Google app suggests. Your ad slips in as one card among the others: they discover your offer before they even look for it.
3 feedsa single Demand Gen campaign places your ad in Discover, in Gmail and in YouTube’s feeds
They read an article or use an app. Your banner shows next to the content: your brand stays top of mind, and people who already visited your site see you again.
Millionsof websites and apps where a Display campaign can show your ad, on top of YouTube
They catch up with friends, groups and their local area. Your ad slots into that feed, or into Marketplace when they look for something nearby.
35.2 to 41.5 millionpeople aged 18 and over reachable in the UK on Facebook
The whole country’s audience, platform by platform
Instagram31.1 to 36.6 million
Facebook35.2 to 41.5 million
Source: Meta, audience size estimate from the Marketing API, one platform at a time (reach optimisation), aged 18 and over, United Kingdom, pulled on 16 October 2026. A Meta estimate, best read as an order of magnitude.
They scroll their feed, stories and reels to unwind. The image takes the first step: your offer gets discovered here, and people who already visited your site find you again.
31.1 to 36.6 millionpeople aged 18 and over reachable in the UK on Instagram
The whole country’s audience, platform by platform
Instagram31.1 to 36.6 million
Facebook35.2 to 41.5 million
Source: Meta, audience size estimate from the Marketing API, one platform at a time (reach optimisation), aged 18 and over, United Kingdom, pulled on 16 October 2026. A Meta estimate, best read as an order of magnitude.
They ask their question and read a full answer. The ad appears below that answer when the topic of the conversation matches what you offer: the need is already detailed, constraints included.
31European countries in the expansion announced by OpenAI, France and Spain included
I'm Théo, a freelance Paid Media specialist with 100+ clients on Google Ads & Meta Ads. In recruitment, a campaign often speaks to two audiences: candidates and, for a recruitment or staffing agency, the companies that give it their roles. Each audience gets its own message, page and tracking, and the budget follows what leads to a hire. My standard: ads that describe the job as it really is and follow each platform's rules. I work directly with you.
The 3 Paid Media Projects For Recruitment
Job Ads That Follow The Law
In France, a job offer published to the public must be dated, and the Labour Code forbids stating an upper age limit or the sex and family situation of the candidate, apart from the exceptions it sets (articles L5332-1, L5331-2 and L1142-1). In Spain, advertising job offers that do not match the real conditions of the job is a serious offence (article 15.5 of the law on social order offences). Every ad and every application page follows these rules.
Two Audiences, Two Messages
A recruitment or staffing agency looks for candidates and for companies that give it their roles. A company that hires directly also works on its employer brand. Each audience has its own words, page and tracking, and the budget is read audience by audience.
Applications That Lead To A Hire
On a hard-to-fill role, every good profile counts, and on a common role, applications can arrive in large numbers. A form that asks for availability, area and the role wanted, then tracking up to the interview and the hire, moves the budget toward the ads that really hire.
The Method, Applied To Recruitment
1
Audit Of Roles And Areas
Roles to fill, hiring areas, what candidates really search for and the demand calendar, role by role.
2
Compliant Job Ads
Every offer reviewed with you before it runs: dated, true to the job, the pay and the location, and open to every candidate, whatever their age or sex.
3
One Campaign Per Audience
Google Search on job titles, Meta in the Employment special ad category for candidates, and separate campaigns for an agency's client companies.
4
Tracking Up To The Hire
From the click to the application, then to the interview and the hire when you share them with me: the budget follows the ads that hire.
Frequently Asked Questions About Recruitment Marketing
Do Job Ads Have Special Rules On Meta And Google?
Yes. On Meta, an ad that offers a job and reaches Europe, the US or Canada is declared in the Employment special ad category: the age range is generally fixed from 18 to 65+, all genders are included, a city is targeted with a radius of at least 15 km in Europe, and lookalike audiences as well as demographic or behaviour targeting are turned off. On Google Ads, similar limits (age, gender, parental status, marital status, postcode) apply to employment ads in the US and Canada. In France and Spain, the law protects candidates from discrimination based on age or sex, so I set up targeting in the same spirit on both platforms.
When Should You Launch A Recruitment Campaign?
Before the peak: the calendar above shows that in the UK, jobs are searched most in January. Campaigns ramp up a few weeks before. For an urgent role, the campaign starts as soon as the offer is ready, with the budget focused on Google Search, where candidates are already looking.
What About Recruitment And Staffing Agencies?
The method stays the same, with a second audience: the companies that give you their roles. I prefer separate campaigns for them, each with its own page and tracking (meeting request, signed agreement). Temporary work agencies have one more rule. In France, their ads and job offers must state their name and that they are a temporary work agency (article L5332-3 of the Labour Code). In Spain, leaving out their identification as a temporary work agency and their authorisation number from their advertising is an offence (article 18.1.b of the law on social order offences).
How Do You Hire For A Hard-To-Fill Role?
By reaching profiles who already have a job, before they start looking. On Meta, the offer is shown to a broad audience in your area, and the job title and the visual do the sorting. On Google, Search captures people who are already looking, and dynamic remarketing, built from a catalogue of roles (title, location, salary), shows each visitor the offers they viewed on your site. My recommendation is to start with the hardest role to fill, then widen once the first applications confirm the message.
What Happens After You Click
1
7 Questions
A short form: your website, your budget, your goal. Two minutes is all it takes.
2
A 20-Min Call
You walk me through what has already been done, your goals and your challenges. Then we look at how we can work together.
3
Your Access And My Onboarding
You give me access to your accounts, and I send you my onboarding document to go into the detail of your business, your market and your positioning.
4
Building Your Strategy
We start building your strategy from everything you have shared with me.
5
Our Day-To-Day Communication
I adapt to your team's tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail or Google Chat for the roadmap and project follow-up. WhatsApp is kept for urgent requests.
Slack
Microsoft Teams
Gmail
Google Chat
WhatsApp
Let's Talk About Your Hiring
You walk me through what has already been done, your goals and your challenges. Then we look at how we can work together.
