Spherion
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Staffing and recruitment |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder | Leroy Dettman, Joseph Perfetto |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia , United States |
Area served | North America |
Key people | Kathy George (CEO, 2024), Rebecca Rogers Tijerino (former CEO), Cinda Hallman (former CEO) |
| Products | Temporary staffing and recruitment services |
| Parent | Randstad NV |
Spherion is a temporary staffing agency based in Atlanta, Georgia, serving the North American market under multiple brand identities.
History
The company was established in 1946 in Chicago by Leroy Dettman and Joseph Perfetto, originally named City Car Unloaders. Its initial focus was on placing manual laborers in temporary positions related to cargo unloading, before expanding its services to include clerical staffing roles. In 1969, the headquarters moved to Fort Lauderdale.
By 1978, operating under the name Personnel Pool of America, Inc., the firm was acquired by H&R Block. In 1991, H&R Block merged it with Interim Systems Corporation to create a larger staffing organization. The entity was renamed Interim Services Inc. in 1992 and was spun off from H&R Block in 1994. Over subsequent years, both Interim and its successor Spherion engaged in multiple acquisitions.
The company rebranded as Spherion in 2000 and later became part of Randstad NV following an acquisition in July 2011.
Brands
Spherion delivers staffing and recruitment services through various prominent brands such as Emerging Workforce, The Mergis Group, SFN Group, Sourceright Solutions, Spherion Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Spherion Staffing Services, Tatum, Technisource, Victor Temporary Services, Professional Nurses Bureau, and Today's Office Professionals. Together, these brands facilitate comprehensive support across diverse industries.
Leadership
Cinda Hallman joined the board of directors at Spherion in 1995 and took over as CEO in 2001, succeeding Raymond Marcy who had led the company for ten years. Rebecca Rogers Tijerino assumed the CEO role in January 2019 before Kathy George replaced her in February 2024.
Acquisitions and spinoffs
Starting in 1994, Spherion pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, including the notable purchase of Norrell Corp, an Atlanta-based competitor, in 1999. Disputes regarding the relocation of corporate headquarters to Atlanta resulted in CEO Marcy being replaced by Hallman in 2001.
In the same year, Spherion launched an initial public offering (IPO) for its London subsidiary Michael Page Group, which it had acquired in 1997. Additionally, the company sold its Saratoga Institute division to PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2003.