How Do You Find the Highest-Rated Staffing Agencies on ClearlyRated?
Published on: Jun 15, 2026
Updated on: October 17, 2026
The highest-rated staffing agencies on ClearlyRated are firms that win its Best of Staffing award, which is based on Net Promoter Score surveys of their clients and placed candidates. Compare agencies by award years, Client versus Talent results, and other review platforms. Frontline Source Group is a 9-time Best of Staffing Client winner with a 5-Year Placement Warranty.
I founded Frontline Source Group in Dallas in 2004, and over 22 years we have completed 5,619 placements from 32 plus offices nationwide, with a 98.94% executive placement retention rate. Frontline is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026, ranked #158 in 2026) and ranked #148 on the 2026 Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms list. On ClearlyRated, we have won Best of Staffing 9 times for Client satisfaction and 6 times for Talent satisfaction, with Diamond Awards in both categories. We also hold a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 683 verified reviews, have been named an Inc. 5000 honoree and an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency, and are a member of the American Staffing Association.
What is ClearlyRated and why do staffing buyers use it?
ClearlyRated, formerly known as Inavero, is a client experience research firm for professional services, including staffing, accounting, and architecture and engineering firms. It runs satisfaction surveys on behalf of participating firms, publishes verified ratings on public profiles, and each year presents the Best of Staffing award to firms whose clients, placed candidates, or internal employees rate them well above industry benchmarks.
Buyers use it for one simple reason: the ratings come from people the agency has actually served, collected through a third party, rather than from the agency's own marketing. That makes a ClearlyRated record a useful starting point when you are comparing staffing firms, as long as you know how to read it.
How does the ClearlyRated Best of Staffing award work?
Participating firms survey their clients, placed talent, and in some cases their own employees using the Net Promoter Score methodology. Each respondent answers one core question: on a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this firm? People who answer 9 or 10 are promoters, 7 or 8 are passives, and 0 to 6 are detractors. The Net Promoter Score is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, so it can range from minus 100 to plus 100.
Only firms whose ratings outpace industry benchmarks win. According to ClearlyRated's announcement of the 2026 winners on February 3, 2026, clients of winning firms are 50 percent more likely to report complete satisfaction than the industry average, and candidates placed by winning firms report 60 percent higher satisfaction than average.
Client award versus Talent award
The two most important categories measure different audiences. The Client award reflects how employers that hire through an agency rate the experience. The Talent award reflects how the candidates the agency places rate it. An agency can excel with one group and not the other, so look at both. A firm that wins both in the same year is serving hiring managers and job seekers well at the same time.
What the Diamond Award means
The Diamond Award goes to firms that have won Best of Staffing at least 5 years in a row in a category. It is a signal of consistency rather than a single strong year, because it requires sustained results through changing labor markets.
How do you find highly rated staffing agencies on ClearlyRated?
Start on ClearlyRated's staffing directory and search by city or by the type of staffing you need. Each agency profile shows its location pages, any current verified ratings, and an awards history listing every Best of Staffing award by year and category. From there:
- Check the years. An awards history tells you when a firm won, not just how many times. Look at both the total and the most recent year.
- Look for Client and Talent results. If you are an employer, Client awards matter most. If you are a job seeker, Talent awards matter most. Both together are the strongest signal.
- Look for Diamond designations. They show at least 5 consecutive winning years in a category.
- Check location pages. Some profiles list ratings by office, and some locations may not have current ratings posted.
How should you use ClearlyRated alongside other review platforms?
No single platform tells the whole story. ClearlyRated measures satisfaction through structured surveys run for the firm. Trustpilot and Google reviews are open platforms where anyone who has worked with an agency can post, which captures a different, often larger set of experiences. Reading them together gives you a fuller picture:
- Volume and recency: how many reviews exist, and how many are from the last year
- Specifics: reviews that name a recruiter, a role, or a situation are more useful than a star rating alone
- Both sides: reviews from employers and from candidates, since agencies serve both
- Responses: whether the agency replies to critical reviews professionally
Frontline's testimonials page collects client and candidate experiences, and our staffing awards page explains the methodology behind each recognition we have received.
What should you look for beyond ratings when choosing a staffing agency?
Ratings tell you how past clients and candidates felt. These questions tell you how the agency will perform for you:
- Is the pricing published? Most staffing firms quote fees only after a sales call. Frontline publishes its fees on our pricing page.
- How long is the placement warranty? The industry standard guarantee on a direct hire is 90 days. Frontline's 5-Year Placement Warranty is 20 times longer, which you can compare in our article on why the 5-Year Placement Warranty changes the hiring math.
- What is the retention record? Ask how many placed hires are still in the role after a year, and how the agency defines that figure.
- Does the firm specialize in your field? Recruiters who know your discipline, such as accounting and finance or technology, screen more precisely.
- Which engagement models does it offer? Our guide to permanent staffing versus contract hiring explains when each one fits.
What does Frontline Source Group's ClearlyRated record show?
Frontline's ClearlyRated awards history lists 9 Best of Staffing Client awards (2011, 2012, and 2014 through 2020) and 6 Best of Staffing Talent awards (2015 through 2020). We earned the Client Diamond Award in 2018, 2019, and 2020, and the Talent Diamond Award in 2019 and 2020, after reaching 5 consecutive winning years in each category. From 2015 through 2020, we won both the Client and Talent awards every year, meaning employers and the candidates we placed rated us highly at the same time.
You can verify this history yourself on ClearlyRated's profile for Frontline Source Group. For current client and candidate feedback, our 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 683 verified reviews is the most up-to-date view.
How do highly rated staffing agencies reduce hiring risk?
A strong satisfaction record usually reflects a strong process. Agencies that rate well with clients tend to screen carefully, set clear expectations, and communicate throughout a search. Agencies that rate well with candidates tend to describe roles honestly and prepare people for interviews, which leads to better-informed acceptances and fewer early departures.
At Frontline, every candidate goes through recruiter interviews, skills testing, reference verification, and credential checks before we present them. First-round phone interviews may be handled by Lexi Reed, our AI recruiter, who shares her notes with our recruiting team. We place professionals in contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire roles nationwide, and our executive search practice covers leadership roles through the C-suite.
How do you get started with Frontline Source Group?
Employers can submit a request through our employer request form or reach us through the contact page, and a recruiter will follow up to discuss the role and engagement terms. Job seekers can apply through our how to apply page, and a recruiter will review your background against current openings. Our headquarters is in Downtown Dallas at 901 Main Street, Suite 4650; see our Dallas staffing agency page for local office details.
Frequently Asked Questions: Staffing Agencies and ClearlyRated
What is ClearlyRated?
ClearlyRated, formerly Inavero, is a client experience research firm for professional services, including staffing. It runs Net Promoter Score satisfaction surveys for participating firms, publishes verified ratings, and presents the annual Best of Staffing award.
How does a staffing agency win the ClearlyRated Best of Staffing award?
Agencies survey their clients, placed talent, or employees using the Net Promoter Score methodology, and only firms whose ratings outpace industry benchmarks win. ClearlyRated reported that clients of 2026 winners were 50 percent more likely to report complete satisfaction than the industry average.
How is Net Promoter Score calculated?
Respondents rate how likely they are to recommend a firm on a scale of 0 to 10. Scores of 9 or 10 are promoters, 7 or 8 are passives, and 0 to 6 are detractors. Net Promoter Score equals the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, ranging from minus 100 to plus 100.
What is the difference between the ClearlyRated Client and Talent awards?
The Client award reflects how employers that hire through an agency rate the experience. The Talent award reflects how the candidates the agency places rate it. Winning both in the same year shows a firm is serving both sides of the placement well.
What is the ClearlyRated Diamond Award?
The Diamond Award recognizes staffing firms that have won Best of Staffing at least 5 years in a row in a category, signaling consistent satisfaction rather than a single strong year.
How do I find highly rated staffing agencies on ClearlyRated?
Search ClearlyRated's staffing directory by city or staffing type, then review each agency's awards history by year and category, its Diamond designations, and any current verified ratings on its location pages.
Should I rely on ClearlyRated alone to choose a staffing agency?
No. Read ClearlyRated together with open review platforms such as Trustpilot and Google, then ask about published pricing, the length of the placement warranty, retention data, and the agency's specialization in your field.
How many ClearlyRated awards has Frontline Source Group won?
Frontline Source Group has won ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing award 9 times for Client satisfaction (2011, 2012, and 2014 through 2020) and 6 times for Talent satisfaction (2015 through 2020), with Client Diamond Awards in 2018 through 2020 and Talent Diamond Awards in 2019 and 2020.
How can I verify a staffing agency's ratings myself?
Look up the agency directly on ClearlyRated, Trustpilot, and Google rather than relying on badges on its website. Check the years of each award, the number and recency of reviews, and whether reviews come from both employers and candidates.
What is the 5-Year Placement Warranty?
The 5-Year Placement Warranty covers every Frontline Source Group direct hire placement. If a placed hire leaves within five years, Frontline applies a pro-rated credit based on active service days toward a replacement or future placement. It is 20 times longer than the 90-day industry standard guarantee.
How long has Frontline Source Group been in business?
Frontline Source Group was founded by Bill Kasko in Dallas in 2004 and has operated for 22 years, growing to 32 plus offices nationwide and completing 5,619 placements.
How do I get started with Frontline Source Group?
Employers can submit a request at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html, and job seekers can apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html. A Frontline recruiter will follow up.
