Compare Hong Kong Recruitment Agencies: Licence, Service and Sector

Give each agency one row. Run an official licence search, record the placement-type filter used, and retain the returned result with the query. Use a dated provider source for each service or sector statement. Enter Unknown when a source gives no answer.

Use the Hong Kong recruitment agency directory to form a longlist. Then apply the same evidence fields to each agency. The resulting table compares source support and mandate fit; it does not rank providers.

Set one hiring mandate

Write the role, employer sector, work location, employment arrangement, and result you expect from an agency. Name the work the agency should perform before it introduces a candidate. Keep role family and employer sector in separate fields.

Choose one date for the comparison. Provider pages and official records can change, so place an access date beside each source. Use the same mandate and date rules for each row.

Start with these fields:

Mandate field	Entry
Role	Job title or role family
Employer sector	HSIC title and code chosen for the employer activity
Work location	Hong Kong location stated in the mandate
Employment arrangement	Wording from the mandate
Agency work requested	Deliverable and decision point
Evidence cut-off	Date used for source checks

Bind each row to licensed identity

The Labour Department says an employment agency needs a licence or Certificate of Exemption before it undertakes job-placement business. It tells employers and job seekers to check for a valid licence before using the service. Use the Employment Agencies Portal guidance for this step.

Search the legal or business name from the agency’s proposal in the licensed employment agency search. The form accepts English and Chinese names and addresses, contact fields, a placement-type filter, region, district, and location. Record each input, the selected filter, the returned result, and the check date.

Keep a brand-name mismatch in the Unknown column until the agency identifies the entity shown in the official search that will provide the job-placement service. Use the separate licence-checking guide for a focused licence and candidate-charge check.

The Labour Department states that its licensed-agency list helps the public ascertain licence validity and locate licensed agencies. It restricts the portal information to those stated purposes in its Statement of Purpose. Use other evidence for service scope and sector focus.

Record the placement filter and returned result

The Labour Department search offers five placement-type filter choices: Foreign Domestic Helpers, Local Domestic Helpers, Imported Workers, Office Staff / Executive Search, and Other Non-office Workers. Select the portal filter, then retain the query and returned result together. Record the filter as query evidence.

Keep the search filter apart from the provider’s service wording. For the service-type column, cite a current provider page or written proposal that states the work offered for your mandate. Save the page title or document name, source address, quoted wording, and access date.

Do not fill a service gap from the agency name, a directory category, or another provider’s description. Enter Unknown when the source names no service or uses a broad label without a work scope. Ask the agency to state the work and deliverable in writing.

The Labour Department advises employers to clarify service coverage before payment and put agreed terms in a service agreement signed by both parties. See its guidance for employers. Keep that service agreement beside the comparison row when the employer makes an appointment.

Normalize sector focus with HSIC

Use one sector vocabulary across the shortlist. The Census and Statistics Department defines Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification Version 2.0 as a framework that classifies economic units by the nature of their major economic activities. It uses a five-level hierarchy from Industry Section to Industry Sub-class and provides a code-and-title search tool.

Choose the HSIC level that fits the mandate. A broad search may need an Industry Section, while a narrow employer activity may need a Division or Group. Record both the code and title.

HSIC labels the employer activity in this comparison. It does not establish an agency’s recruiting capability. Attach a current provider source that names the sector and states relevant agency work. Keep the sector-focus field as Unknown when the provider source does not support the claim.

Keep role function outside the sector field. A role title can occur across several employer sectors. Record the role family under the mandate and use HSIC for the employer’s economic activity.

Record evidence and unknowns

Use one evidence note for each factual entry. The note should carry the source type, page or document title, address, relevant wording, and access date. Preserve the provider’s wording instead of upgrading a broad statement into a narrow specialism.

Comparison field	Evidence to record	Unknown when
Licensed identity	Portal query, result name, address, date	Proposal identity does not match the result
Placement-type filter	Selected filter, full query, retained returned result, check date	Filter or returned result was not retained
Service type	Current provider page or written proposal	Source gives no work scope
Sector label	HSIC code and title used for the mandate	Employer activity has no chosen code
Sector-focus claim	Provider wording, source address, date	Provider gives no sector support
Mandate fit	Matching work and sector evidence	Evidence does not answer the mandate

Treat an unknown as a question. Write the gap in plain terms and ask the agency for a dated source or written answer. Keep the answer attached to the row.

Compare rows without ranking

Sort the rows by agency name. Check each row against the mandate in the same order: licensed identity, selected placement-type filter with retained result, sourced service wording, sector label, sector evidence, then unknowns.

Remove a row from the working shortlist when the hiring team cannot resolve the licensed identity. Keep other gaps visible and decide whether the mandate can proceed with them. Record the source-backed reason for inclusion or removal without assigning points, stars, or an ordered place.

Do not infer quality, reach, candidate access, or placement outcomes from a licence, selected search filter, sector page, office location, or directory entry. The Labour Department limits its licensed-list purpose to licence validity and location. Ask for evidence tied to the mandate and preserve any unanswered point as Unknown.

Common questions

Does a valid employment agency licence prove sector expertise?

The Labour Department’s Statement of Purpose says the licensed-agency list helps the public ascertain licence validity and locate licensed agencies. Record sector evidence from a provider source under a separate field.

Is Office Staff / Executive Search an industry sector?

The Labour Department uses Office Staff / Executive Search as one placement-type filter choice in its agency search. The Census and Statistics Department uses HSIC codes and titles to classify employer economic activity. Keep the selected search filter and HSIC sector in separate columns.

Can a directory category establish an agency’s service type?

No. Copy service wording from a current provider page or written proposal and keep its source address and date. Enter Unknown when the provider gives no work scope for the mandate.

Should a hiring team use the narrowest HSIC code?

Use the level that matches the employer activity and hiring mandate. The HSIC framework runs from Industry Section to Industry Sub-class, so record the code and title at the chosen level.

Can two agencies returned through the same placement filter have different service evidence?

Yes. The portal filter records how you narrowed the search; it does not supply an agency-level service claim. Retain each returned result, then record each provider’s service wording and sector support from its own dated source. Leave unsupported fields as Unknown.