Executive search firms:Which brands are most popular in search?
In August 2026, Korn Ferry was the most searched among executive search firms worldwide, with an estimated 110K branded searches and 59.1% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
Korn Ferry59.1%Heidrick & Struggles17.8%
Spencer Stuart17.8%
Russell Reynolds5.3%
Egon Zehnder—
Follow executive search firms and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Share of SearchLeaderboard
Compare the firms that recruit senior leaders. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Russell Reynolds. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Korn Ferry | Heidrick & Struggles | Spencer Stuart | Russell Reynolds | Egon Zehnder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 56.3% | 20.6% | 16.9% | 6.2% | — |
| Nov 2025 | 58.4% | 17.6% | 17.6% | 6.4% | — |
| Dec 2025 | 63.2% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 5.7% | — |
| Jan 2026 | 58.1% | 21.3% | 14.2% | 6.4% | — |
| Feb 2026 | 57.6% | 17.3% | 17.3% | 7.7% | — |
| Mar 2026 | 58.5% | 17.5% | 17.5% | 6.4% | — |
| Apr 2026 | 61.2% | 15% | 18.4% | 5.5% | — |
| May 2026 | 58.4% | 17.6% | 17.6% | 6.4% | — |
| Jun 2026 | 63.3% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 5.7% | — |
| Jul 2026 | 63.3% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 5.7% | — |
| Aug 2026 | 59.1% | 17.8% | 17.8% | 5.3% | — |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — |
This month’s ranking, August 2026
| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 59.1% | 110K | -18.5% | -4.2 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 17.8% | 33.1K | 0% | +2.3 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 17.8% | 33.1K | 0% | +2.3 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 5.3% | 9.9K | -18.2% | -0.4 points | |
| —, not measured this month | — | — | — | — |
59.1%
Held 1st. 110K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -4.2 points.
17.8%
Held 2nd. 33.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.3 points.
17.8%
Held 3rd. 33.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.3 points.
5.3%
Held 4th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
—
Not measured this month. — estimated branded searches, — vs prior month. Share —.
Compare search popularity between leading brands
- Korn Ferry vs Spencer Stuart: compare search popularity
- Korn Ferry vs Russell Reynolds: compare search popularity
- Heidrick & Struggles vs Spencer Stuart: compare search popularity
- Heidrick & Struggles vs Russell Reynolds: compare search popularity
- Spencer Stuart vs Russell Reynolds: compare search popularity
- Compare any of these brands
Which brand is most popular in search among executive search firms worldwide?
4 brands
In August 2026, Korn Ferry was the most searched among executive search firms worldwide, with an estimated 110K branded searches and 59.1% estimated Share of Search within this set. Heidrick & Struggles is in 2nd place, 41.3 percentage points behind at 17.8% Share of Search.
| Brand | Share of Search | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | 56.3% → 59.1% | 63.3%Jun 2026 | 56.3%Oct 2025 | 1st |
| Heidrick & Struggles | 20.6% → 17.8% | 21.3%Jan 2026 | 15%Apr 2026 | 2nd |
| Spencer Stuart | 16.9% → 17.8% | 18.4%Apr 2026 | 14.2%Jan 2026 | 3rd |
| Russell Reynolds | 6.2% → 5.3% | 7.7%Feb 2026 | 5.3%Aug 2026 | 4th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Korn Ferry’s estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide increased from 56.3% to 59.1%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Heidrick & Struggles’ estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide decreased from 20.6% to 17.8%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Spencer Stuart’s estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide increased from 16.9% to 17.8%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Russell Reynolds’ estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide decreased from 6.2% to 5.3%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Korn Ferry’s estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide peaked at 63.3% in June 2026 and was lowest at 56.3% in October 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Heidrick & Struggles’ estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide peaked at 21.3% in January 2026 and was lowest at 15% in April 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Spencer Stuart’s estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide peaked at 18.4% in April 2026 and was lowest at 14.2% in January 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Russell Reynolds’ estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide peaked at 7.7% in February 2026 and was lowest at 5.3% in August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Egon Zehnder held steady: its estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for executive search firms worldwide in August 2026?
4 changes
In August 2026, Heidrick & Struggles gained estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide, from 15.5% to 17.8%.
In August 2026, Spencer Stuart gained estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide, from 15.5% to 17.8%.
In August 2026, Korn Ferry lost estimated Share of Search among executive search firms worldwide, from 63.3% to 59.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Russell Reynolds worldwide fell 33.1% over 11 measured months, from 14.8K to 9.9K in August 2026.
See your own brand in this picture
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to your campaigns, spend and outcomes, so you can see what moved your numbers, not just that they moved.