HRO Today has announced the winners of its 2025 Baker's Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ranking for Recruitment Process Outsourcing providers, with Cielo securing the top position in this year's evaluation. The rankings are determined through a comprehensive analysis of client feedback across three critical subcategories: service breadth, size of deals, and quality of service. This year's results were compiled from over 450 usable surveys completed by 335 different client companies of the ranked RPO providers.
The methodology employs a predetermined algorithm that weights questions and categories based on their importance, calculating scores in all three subcategories as well as an overall composite score. Following Cielo in the top five rankings are Korn Ferry, KellyOCG+Sevenstep, PeopleScout, and Hudson Talent Solutions. The complete list of winners is available through HRO Today.
HRO Today collects feedback annually through an online survey distributed directly to buyers via the publication's mailing lists and indirectly through service providers. The rankings are unique in that they are based solely on feedback from buyers of the rated services, with no influence from HRO Today staff opinions. Only organizations earning the highest ratings from their customers across all three evaluation categories qualify for inclusion in the prestigious Baker's Dozen ranking.
The significance of these rankings extends beyond mere recognition, as HR leaders increasingly rely on the Baker's Dozen results when selecting HR service providers. The rankings provide an objective, data-driven assessment of provider performance that helps organizations make informed decisions about their RPO partnerships. The comprehensive nature of the evaluation, covering multiple dimensions of service delivery, offers valuable insights into which providers are delivering exceptional client experiences in the competitive RPO marketplace.
As part of SharedXpertise Media, HRO Today and HRO Today Global maintain the broadest and deepest reach in the HR industry, with their magazines, research, e-newsletters, events, and social networks targeting senior-level HR decision-makers. The Baker's Dozen rankings represent one of six different categories where HR leaders consistently turn to HRO Today's evaluations when making critical provider selection decisions. Additional information about the publication and its research methodology can be found at SharedXpertise.
For HR vendors, these rankings serve as a critical market indicator of competitive positioning and client satisfaction. The Baker's Dozen results directly influence purchasing decisions among senior HR leaders who rely on this objective data when evaluating RPO providers. The methodology's focus on three specific subcategories—service breadth, deal size, and service quality—provides vendors with clear areas for performance improvement and competitive differentiation.
The 2025 results highlight Cielo's dominance in client satisfaction, followed closely by established players Korn Ferry and KellyOCG+Sevenstep. This ranking system creates market transparency that benefits both buyers seeking reliable partners and vendors aiming to demonstrate their value proposition. As organizations continue to outsource recruitment functions to optimize talent acquisition, these satisfaction rankings will play an increasingly important role in shaping the RPO vendor landscape and driving service quality improvements across the industry.
