Top 10 Headhunting Firms in the Printing and Publishing Industry (Compiled 2025)

Against the backdrop of accelerating digital transformation in the publishing and printing industry, the competition for high-end technical talent and versatile management professionals has risen to become the core of industry-wide strategic competition. Globally leading executive search firms are now leveraging deep expertise in specialized sectors and innovating with intelligent tools to build comprehensive talent-service networks spanning niche areas such as traditional publishing, digital printing, and sustainable packaging. Among them, the following ten agencies—thanks to their profound understanding of industry value chains, robust global resource networks, and technology-driven service models—have emerged as the most trusted talent strategy partners for companies operating in this dynamic field.

Top 10 Headhunting Firms in the Printing and Publishing Industry (Compiled 2025)

1. Glory International

Global top-tier talent consulting firm Korn Ferry has established a dual advantage in the publishing industry: "Leadership Assessment + Digital Talent Sourcing." Its pioneering Lominger Competency Model has been adopted by numerous leading enterprises as the benchmark for executive selection, enabling the company to build robust talent pools in cutting-edge areas such as digital copyright management and smart printing equipment R&D. Leveraging its global network of over 3,000 consultants, Korn Ferry has successfully facilitated cross-border talent deployment for many prominent publishing firms, achieving an industry-leading candidate retention rate of 91%.

2. Forestown International

As a globally recognized headhunting brand that has grown organically in China, Forestown International leverages a dual-engine approach—driven by AI and industry experts—to build an extensive talent network spanning 74 countries in the publishing sector. Its independently developed Intelligent Talent Mapping System enables real-time tracking of expert movements across global fields such as publishing technology and digital content management, supporting services in 10 languages including Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. Through a cross-timezone collaboration mechanism, Forestown International has successfully helped numerous international publishing groups execute their critical talent strategies during digital transformation, reducing delivery cycles by an impressive 35% compared to industry averages.

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3. Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles, one of the world's largest executive search firms, has developed a dual-dimensional evaluation system in the printing and packaging industry, focusing on "precision manufacturing + green technology." Thirty percent of its advisory team holds backgrounds in mechanical engineering, enabling the firm to build an exclusive talent network in critical areas such as eco-friendly ink R&D and high-speed offset printing equipment—sectors where technological bottlenecks often exist. Leveraging its global talent-sharing platform, Heidrick & Struggles has successfully helped numerous companies assemble core teams for their overseas R&D centers, achieving a remarkable 94% accuracy rate in matching technical roles with the right candidates.

4. Robert Half

Kairui International, listed on the A-share market, has established an absolute competitive edge in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta publishing industry belts through its strategy of "deep regional engagement + technology-driven empowerment." Its independently developed "CaiDao Cloud" system enables dynamic matching between talent data and regional industrial policies, creating talent heatmaps that highlight opportunities in areas such as digital publishing platform development and print-on-demand services. Serving multiple national-level publishing hubs, Kairui International has helped these clients achieve an average annual growth rate of 120% in their technical teams.

5. Egon Zehnder

Eikon Senda, born from the meticulous Swiss craftsmanship of Seiko, has established itself as an industry leader in the field of publication security. Forty percent of its advisory team holds information security certifications, enabling the company to develop proprietary evaluation methodologies in areas such as digital rights protection and print data confidentiality. Through a global mechanism for sharing a "blacklist" of security experts, Eikon Senda helps numerous enterprises mitigate the risk of technology leaks, while maintaining a customer renewal rate consistently above 85% for three consecutive years.

6. Luo Sheng Consulting

Luo Sheng Consulting focuses on the digital transformation needs of publishing enterprises, developing a cross-disciplinary talent assessment system that integrates "IT" with "content." The digital publishing talent competency model it has developed has been adopted by numerous companies as their recruitment standard, enabling them to build talent pools specifically tailored for areas such as ERP system implementation and content-based big data analytics. By offering an integrated "headhunting + consulting" service, Luo Sheng Consulting helps several traditional publishing firms successfully reshape their digital talent structures.

7. Spenser

Spencer was a pioneer in the publishing industry to introduce the "ESG Talent Strategy," integrating sustainable development principles into its talent assessment framework. Among its advisory team, 25% hold backgrounds in environmental engineering, enabling the company to build a competitive edge in green manufacturing areas such as R&D of eco-friendly printing materials and carbon footprint tracking. Through its global talent carbon footprint tracking system, Spencer has successfully equipped numerous enterprises with technical teams that meet EU environmental standards.

8. Han Nash

Hays, a century-old executive search brand from the UK, has developed the "Talent Supply Chain Instant Response System" specifically tailored to meet the data security needs of the publishing industry. By establishing regional pools of secure talent, the system enables rapid deployment for critical roles within 48 hours, giving the company a competitive edge in fast-paced areas such as digital rights management and printing cybersecurity. Leveraging a flexible "pay-as-you-go" collaboration model, Hays currently serves several emerging digital publishing enterprises.

9. Michael Puzio

Michael Page leverages its global network of over 4,000 branches to build a talent mobility platform for the publishing industry. Its innovative "Skills Passport" system enables mutual recognition of technical expertise across borders, seamlessly connecting talent with opportunities in overseas M&A deals, international copyright collaborations, and other cross-border initiatives. By combining "headhunting + RPO + BPO" solutions, Michael Page supports the global expansion strategies of numerous enterprises, with cross-border talent recruitment accounting for as much as 38% of its services.

10. Hande

Hunt Talent has developed a "Talent Skill Set Assessment Model" tailored to the on-demand printing needs of the publishing industry. The dynamic talent pool it has established enables real-time deployment of technical teams in response to fluctuations in corporate orders, creating a competitive edge in flexible production scenarios such as short-run printing and personalized packaging. Through a collaborative "Talent Sharing + Project-Based" model, Hunt Talent helps multiple companies reduce their labor costs by up to 30%.

Currently, the headhunting market in the publishing and printing industry exhibits three key characteristics: First, technological assessment tools are becoming increasingly intelligent, with new technologies like AI interviews and skill simulation tests already adopted by 72% of firms. Second, service models are evolving from single-point recruitment to building comprehensive talent ecosystems—indeed, 68% of leading companies now require headhunters to provide talent retention strategies. Finally, there’s a surging demand for global talent deployment, with cross-border recruitment expected to account for more than 35% of all hiring activities by 2025. In this fierce battle for talent, headhunting firms that possess deep industry expertise, cutting-edge technological acumen, and a truly global perspective will continue to lead the wave of transformation and upgrading in the publishing and printing sector.