Korn Ferry's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Korn Ferry (KFY) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Korn Ferry vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 2,988M vs 52,448M combined for tracked competitors (5.4% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+2.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (-0.1%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Korn Ferry generated 6.9% revenue growth year over year in Q1 2026, vs 4.9% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 9.1% net margin compares with 7.0% for the peer group.
- Scale: Korn Ferry ranks #1 of 4 companies by market capitalization in the Employment Agencies industry, holding 99.0% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Korn Ferry accounted for 5.5% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 5.4% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.33M compares with $0.35M for the peer group (1.0x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
KFY Sales vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Korn Ferry reported revenue growth of 6.86 % year on year in Q1 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 4.92 %.
With a net margin of 9.09 %, Korn Ferry achieved higher profitability than its competitors (7.04 %).
Korn Ferry generated 5.52 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 5.42 % a year earlier.
Korn Ferry vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Korn Ferry and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Korn Ferry's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Employment Agencies industry grew revenue 5.1% year over year, combined, vs 6.9% for Korn Ferry. Korn Ferry's share of combined industry revenue moved from 44.44% to 45.21%, a gain of 0.76 percentage points.
Korn Ferry's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Competitors combined (8) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (4) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (2) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 87.50 % (7 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
KFY Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
KFY Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
KFY Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
KFY Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manpowergroup Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Robert Half Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Willis Towers Watson Plc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Korn Ferry's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Publicly Traded Peers of Korn Ferry
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | 3,661.55 | 2,987.72 |
| Aon Plc | 58,202.19 | 17,603.00 |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | 27,458.34 | 10,102.00 |
| Robert Half Inc | 3,687.29 | 5,294.07 |
| Manpowergroup Inc | 2,702.75 | 18,717.80 |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | 1,257.86 | 1,218.13 |
| SUBTOTAL | 98,374.72 | 57,138.87 |
Sign in to see all competitors of Korn Ferry.
Sources: Korn Ferry's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Korn Ferry versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Korn Ferry's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Willis Towers Watson | Named by the company | 85% |
| Criteria | Named by the company | 85% |
| McKinsey | Named by the company | 85% |
| SHL | Named by the company | 85% |
| Ernst & Young | Named by the company | 85% |
| Prevue Hire | Named by the company | 85% |
| Textio | Named by the company | 85% |
| Deloitte | Named by the company | 85% |
| Mercer | Named by the company | 85% |
| SkillSoft | Named by the company | 85% |
| AON | Named by the company | 85% |
| Fuel 50 | Named by the company | 85% |
| Russell Reynolds Associates | Named by the company | 85% |
| Egon Zehnder | Named by the company | 85% |
| Predictive Index | Named by the company | 85% |
| Spencer Stuart | Named by the company | 85% |
| Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Hyperion Defi inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Aon Plc | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Korn Ferry's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Korn Ferry's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | Consulting 23.96 % |
| Aon Plc | Risk Capital 70.80 % |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | Health Wealth and Career 52.45 % |
| Robert Half Inc | Contract talent solutions 55.93 % |
| Manpowergroup Inc | Reportable subsegments 10.25 % |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | On-Demand Talent 15.53 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Korn Ferry's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | 3,662 | 333,265 | 31,554 |
| Aon Plc | 58,202 | 293,383 | 65,650 |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | 27,458 | 210,021 | 32,765 |
| Robert Half Inc | 3,687 | 365,108 | 7,916 |
| Manpowergroup Inc | 2,703 | 736,921 | 4,102 |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | 1,258 | 550,693 | 44,458 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 94,713 | 348,905 | 37,364 |
Korn Ferry's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Aon Plc | Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Other Than United Kingdom and Ireland 16.91 % |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | US 40.71 % |
| Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc | US 92.91 % |
| Resources Connection Inc | United States 80.30 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Korn Ferry's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 4 companies in Korn Ferry's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Korn Ferry ranks #1 of 4 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 98.99 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 9,800, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korn Ferry | 3,662 | 98.99 % |
| 2 | Gee Group Inc | 25 | 0.68 % |
| 3 | Syra Health Corp | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 4 | Click Holdings Limited | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Korn Ferry's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
Korn Ferry's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korn Ferry | 3,662 | 0.43 % |
| 2 | Gee Group Inc | 25 | 17.30 % |
| 3 | Syra Health Corp | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 4 | Click Holdings Limited | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Korn Ferry's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Korn Ferry's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Employment Agencies industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (4 companies). See the full Employment Agencies industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | - | 43.43 % (avg) | - |
| Operating Margin | 12.88 % | industry median | +11.9 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 17.23 % | 4.46 % (avg) | +12.8 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 2.85 % | 0.79 % (avg) | +2.1 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Korn Ferry's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Employment Agencies industry average (4 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Employment Agencies industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 13.6x | 38.9x | -25.4x |
| EV / EBITDA | 6.1x | 4.0x | +2.1x |
| P/B | 1.9x | 2.0x | -0.2x |
| Return on Equity | 14.50 % | industry aggregate | 0.37 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 7.57 % | 8.68 % (avg) | -1.11 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Korn Ferry's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 8.12 % | 11.93 % | 3.63 % | -15.73 % | 44.54 % | -0.67 % | -3.27 % | 5.44 % |
| Operating Margin | 9.91 % | 7.24 % | 10.64 % | 5.36 % | 16.88 % | 7.13 % | 11.86 % | 13.07 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 6.22 % | 4.90 % | 6.62 % | 2.70 % | 10.85 % | 4.67 % | 7.18 % | 7.65 % |
| P/E | 20.1x | 27.0x | 14.7x | 49.2x | 13.7x | 18.7x | 15.5x | 13.2x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Korn Ferry's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Korn Ferry's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Korn Ferry is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Korn Ferry's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Korn Ferry's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Korn Ferry falls in the Cash Cow quadrant: relative market share of 145.15x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 6.9% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Korn Ferry's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Low | Industry HHI of 9,800 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 2.85 % vs industry average 0.79 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Korn Ferry's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Korn Ferry's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Korn Ferry's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Korn Ferry falls in the Medium attractiveness / High strength cell: Invest / Grow.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Korn Ferry's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Market leader by capitalization in its industry (#1 of 4, 98.99 % share).
- Operating margin 11.9 points above the industry median.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+2.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Korn Ferry's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | 1.08 | 2.13 | 0.20 |
| Aon Plc | 0.05 | 1.06 | 1.66 |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | 0.40 | 1.15 | 0.78 |
| Robert Half Inc | 0.26 | 1.52 | - |
| Manpowergroup Inc | 0.08 | 1.07 | 0.62 |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | 0.77 | 1.61 | - |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Korn Ferry's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | Q2 2026 | +6.9 % | +3.1 % |
| Aon Plc | Q2 2026 | +2.2 % | -4.9 % |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | Q2 2026 | +9.1 % | -30.4 % |
| Robert Half Inc | Q2 2026 | -2.4 % | -35.8 % |
| Manpowergroup Inc | Q2 2026 | +7.6 % | - |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | Q3 2025 | +15.9 % | +22.8 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +5.0 % | +4.5 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Korn Ferry's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | Q2 2026 | +126.4 % | -20.7 % |
| Aon Plc | Q2 2026 | - | +14.1 % |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | Q2 2026 | - | +1.7 % |
| Robert Half Inc | Q2 2026 | +0.3 % | -52.9 % |
| Manpowergroup Inc | Q2 2026 | +8.7 % | -67.0 % |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | Q3 2025 | +21.3 % | -15.4 % |
Korn Ferry's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | 7.32% | 9.04% | 14.50% |
| Aon Plc | 7.60% | 9.54% | 42.34% |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | 5.38% | 8.65% | 20.04% |
| Robert Half Inc | 4.08% | 6.85% | 9.18% |
| Manpowergroup Inc | 1.21% | 3.11% | 5.06% |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | 8.51% | 12.39% | 20.49% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Korn Ferry's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Korn Ferry | 13.48 | 1.23 |
| Aon Plc | 15.02 | 3.31 |
| Willis Towers Watson Plc | 18.19 | 2.72 |
| Robert Half Inc | 31.99 | 0.70 |
| Manpowergroup Inc | 25.82 | 0.14 |
| Heidrick and Struggles International Inc | 34.11 | 1.03 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 16.18 | 1.72 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.