Financial Market News & Investment Insights

Unpacking Q4 Earnings: Robert Half (NYSE:RHI) In The Context Of Other Professional Staffing & HR Solutions Stocks

April 2, 2025

As the Q4 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the professional staffing & hr solutions industry, including Robert Half (NYSE:RHI) and its peers.

The Professional Staffing & HR Solutions subsector within Business Services is set to benefit from evolving workforce trends, including the rise of remote work and the gig economy. With companies casting a wider net to find talent due to remote work, the expertise of staffing and recruiting companies is even more valuable. For those who invest wisely, the use of predictive AI in recruitment and screening as well as automation in HR workflows can enhance efficiency and scalability. On the other hand, digitization means that talent discovery is less of a manual process, opening the door for tech-first platforms. Additionally, regulatory scrutiny around data privacy in HR is evolving and may require companies in this sector to change their go-to-market strategies over time.

The 8 professional staffing & hr solutions stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.

While some professional staffing & hr solutions stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 3.9% since the latest earnings results.

Robert Half (NYSE:RHI)

With roots dating back to 1948 as the first specialized recruiting firm for accounting and finance professionals, Robert Half (NYSE:RHI) provides specialized talent solutions and business consulting services, connecting skilled professionals with companies across various fields.

Robert Half reported revenues of $1.38 billion, down 6.1% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Robert Half delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is down 23.3% since reporting and currently trades at $53.07.

Read our full report on Robert Half here, it’s free .

Best Q4: Barrett (NASDAQ:BBSI)

Operating as a professional employer organization (PEO) that serves over 8,000 companies with more than 120,000 worksite employees, Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ:BBSI) provides management solutions that help small and mid-sized businesses handle human resources, payroll, workers' compensation, and other administrative functions.

Barrett reported revenues of $304.8 million, up 10.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. The business had a strong quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Barrett achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 1.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $41.05.

Is now the time to buy Barrett? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free .

Weakest Q4: First Advantage (NASDAQ:FA)

Processing approximately 100 million background checks annually across more than 200 countries and territories, First Advantage (NASDAQ:FA) provides employment background screening, identity verification, and compliance solutions to help companies manage hiring risks.

First Advantage reported revenues of $307.1 million, up 51.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

First Advantage delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 21.8% since the results and currently trades at $14.50.

Read our full analysis of First Advantage’s results here.

Insperity (NYSE:NSP)

Pioneering the professional employer organization (PEO) industry it helped establish, Insperity (NYSE:NSP) provides human resources outsourcing services to small and medium-sized businesses, handling payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR administration.

Insperity reported revenues of $1.61 billion, up 2.1% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Taking a step back, it was a decent quarter as it also logged a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 28.9% since reporting and currently trades at $89.88.

Read our full, actionable report on Insperity here, it’s free.

ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN)

Founded during the post-World War II economic boom when businesses needed temporary workers, ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN) connects millions of people to employment opportunities through its global network of staffing, recruitment, and workforce management services.

ManpowerGroup reported revenues of $4.4 billion, down 5% year on year. This print met analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 2.6% since reporting and currently trades at $58.82.

Read our full, actionable report on ManpowerGroup here, it’s free.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

Join Paid Stock Investor Research

Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here .

Latest News