Most staffing and recruiting agencies in Canada change hands at a multiple of their normalized earnings, typically EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), adjusted for owner add-backs. The multiple itself depends on your size, location, growth trajectory, and how much the business depends on you, the owner.
Staffing and recruiting agencies are valued on the mix of temporary and permanent placement revenue, client and candidate relationships, and repeat order flow. Recurring temp or managed-services revenue, repeat clients, and recruiters who stay lift value; one-off permanent placements, client concentration, and founder-led billing weigh it down.
Pushes the number up
- Recurring temp or managed-services revenue
- Repeat clients with steady order flow
- Recruiters and account managers who stay on
- A diversified client and sector mix
Pulls the number down
- Reliance on one-off permanent placements
- Concentration in a few clients
- Founder holds the key relationships
- High recruiter turnover
You put in your numbers. We show you two things.
Market data: Sector-specific transaction multiples based on aggregated business transaction reports. Updated quarterly.
Peer benchmarks: Estimates from verified owners in your sector and size range. See what similar businesses are worth, and compare your own expectations against market data and transaction multiples.
Takes about three minutes.
No pitch. No account required. Just your numbers in, and market context out.
Get My InsightsStaffing and recruiting agencies are valued as a multiple of normalized EBITDA. The temp vs. permanent mix, client diversity, and founder dependence all move the number. Clariva shows the benchmark range for your size and province.
Higher for agencies with recurring temp or managed-services revenue and repeat clients; lower for those reliant on one-off permanent placements. Enter your numbers to see your range.
Recurring temp and managed-services revenue is steadier than one-off permanent placements, and buyers reward that predictability with a stronger offer.
No. The estimate is for benchmarking and context only, and does not replace a formal business valuation. For a transaction, work with an M&A advisor or a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV).
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Not financial advice. Clariva is a data aggregation and compilation tool. All ranges shown on this platform are derived from publicly available transaction data and anonymized user submissions, and are provided for informational and benchmarking purposes only. Nothing on this platform constitutes a formal business valuation, financial advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell. Consult a qualified M&A advisor, Chartered Business Valuator (CBV), or legal counsel before making any financial or transactional decisions. Individual data is never shared or sold. Anonymized, aggregated insights may be used for industry research. You can request deletion of your data at any time by emailing tanner@clariva.ca.