Brandwave

Hays vs Robert Walters:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Robert Walters had more branded searches than Hays among Wellington recruitment agencies in New Zealand. Robert Walters had about 320 branded searches, while Hays had 140. Robert Walters made up 20.9% of all Wellington recruitment agency searches we track, and Hays accounted for 9.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about Wellington recruitment agencies, Robert Walters appeared in four of the five answers and Hays in two. Robert Walters was mentioned before Hays in three out of four answers.

Among Wellington recruitment agencies in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Robert Walters, about 2 searches for every 1 for Hays

Robert Walters 320 searchesHays 140 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Robert Walters, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Hays in 2

Robert Walters in 4 of 5Hays in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Robert Walters, named ahead of Hays in 3 of 4 answers

Robert Walters first in 3Hays first in 1

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Top Wellington recruitment agencies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Robert Walters was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Hays was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Robert Walters was listed before Hays in three out of four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Beyond Recruitment1st
  2. Robert Walters2nd
  3. Archway Recruitment3rd
  4. Hays4th
  5. Trade Assist5th
  6. McLaren Recruitment6th
  7. Key Skills Recruitment7th
  8. Madison Recruitment8th
  9. Alpha Recruitment–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Beyond Recruitment4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Robert Walters4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Archway Recruitment2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Hays2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Trade Assist2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Key Skills Recruitment2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Madison Recruitment1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • McLaren Recruitment1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Alpha Recruitment0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about Wellington recruitment agencies

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Hays or Robert Walters more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Hays and Robert Walters by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine Wellington recruitment agencies we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Hays and Robert Walters among Wellington recruitment agencies in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Robert Walters, Hays. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthBeyond RecruitmentRobert WaltersMadison RecruitmentArchway RecruitmentHaysMcLaren RecruitmentTrade AssistAlpha RecruitmentKey Skills Recruitment
Oct 202524.4%19.5%13.4%14.6%10.4%6.7%3%3.7%4.3%
Nov 202522.8%17.9%15.9%13.8%11.7%6.2%3.4%4.1%4.1%
Dec 202521.6%25.5%14.7%9.8%10.8%6.9%4.9%2.9%2.9%
Jan 202623.2%18.3%16.2%12%9.9%9.9%3.5%3.5%3.5%
Feb 202624%19.2%16.2%9%12.6%8.4%4.2%3.6%3%
Mar 202620.2%24.2%13.6%12.1%8.6%8.6%4.5%4%4%
Apr 202621.7%21.1%15.1%11.2%11.2%7.9%3.3%3.3%5.3%
May 202621.9%26.2%14.8%9.8%9.8%8.2%2.7%3.3%3.3%
Jun 202623.5%22.9%12.4%14.7%8.2%6.5%2.4%4.1%5.3%
Jul 202622.6%27.1%13%13.6%6.2%8.5%1.7%2.8%4.5%
Aug 202620.8%20.1%17%11.9%6.9%9.4%5.7%3.1%5%
Sep 202626.1%20.9%12.4%10.5%9.2%7.2%5.9%3.9%3.9%

How has the Hays and Robert Walters comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for New Zealand Wellington recruitment agencies in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Hays overtook McLaren Recruitment to rank 5th among Wellington recruitment agencies in New Zealand, with 9.2% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Robert Walters gained share of searches among Wellington recruitment agencies in New Zealand, from 20.1% to 20.9%.

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hays’ and Robert Walters’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Hays

2 branded search terms

  • hays
  • hays temp agency

Robert Walters

1 branded search term

  • Robert Walters

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among Wellington recruitment agencies

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