Market size of the executive search industry worldwide 2012-2020

The market size of the executive search industry increased considerably between 2012 and 2020. In 2020, the global executive search industry was estimated to be worth 18 billion euros, eight billion euros more than in 2012. In 2019, the world’s leading executive search firm in terms of revenue was Korn Ferry, with nearly two billion U.S. dollars in revenue.

How did Korn Ferry perform in 2020?

Korn Ferry is a global management consulting firm based in California, the United States, that is highly skilled at placing long-term executive hires. In 2020, Korn Ferry generated revenues close to two billion U.S. dollars – a revenue value that has been increasing annually since 2015. The majority of fee revenue generated by the executive search segment of Korn Ferry was from North America.

How has the executive search industry in the U.S. changed over time?

Between 2011 and 2020, the market size of the executive search industry in the United States fluctuated greatly. After an initial decline and subsequent increase, the market size of this industry remained somewhat steady for about five years, before another sharp decline in 2020. This decrease can largely be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the market size of the U.S. executive search industry is forecasted to increase again in 2021.