cd114bef2e343
Skip to main content
Search jobs
Please select an auto suggested location.
  • Candidates
  • Employers
  • About Us
    Making work mean more

    Adecco is the world leader in workforce solutions.We help individual achieve lifelong employabiity and empower business to optimise their talent, with innivative service across permanent, temporary, managed and outsource recruitment.

    Who we are
    • Our history
    • Our values
    • Our purpose & impact
    • Services
    • Expertise
    • About us
    What we're proud of
    • Environmental sustainability
    • Social mobility
    • Equity,diversity & inclusion
    • Community support
    • Team wellbeing
    • See more
    Work with us
    • Careers
    • Life at Adecco
    • See career opportunities
    • Sample text
    • Sample text
    • Sample text
  • Insights
  • Branch Locations
    Employers

    Want to speak with an adecco recruiterface to face?


    With over 60 Adecco branches throughout the UK, applying and interviewing for roles in person has never been easier!.


    Find your nearest branch here.

    Local office
    • England
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Nothern Ireland
    • See all local offices
    Specialist offices
    • Public Sector
    • Engineering
    • Technology
    • Life sciences
    • See all specialist offices
    Head office

    Visit Adecco UK's head office for face-to-face guidance on our market-leading services and a warm welcome.We'll attend ll your recruitment needs at our central London headquarters.

    • Sample text
    • Sample text
    • Sample text
  • Contact
    Contact us

    At adecco we're here to help in any way we can.


    Whether you're a candidate enquirinng about new roles in your area or an employer looking to partner with the UK's leading recruiting agency,the information you need is just a few click or a phone call away

    Employers
    03330433871
    Candidates
    03330433871
    Chat now

    FAQs

    Head to our FAQs page for answers to any question you may have.

    FAQs
    Our locations
    • Local offices
    • Specialist offices
    • Head offices
    • See all locations
    • Sample text
    • Sample text
    • Sample text
  • Explore
    Candidates
    Job description CV tips & guides FAQs
    Graduate resources Money & Legal Career guides
    Employers
    Management tools Downloadable guides Reports
    Government guidelines Blog Why hire with Adecco?
    • Sample text
    • Sample text
    • Sample text
  • Register/Login
Job Saved
You can check all your saved jobs here.
You have reached the maximum number of jobs you can save. To save a new job, please remove one before.

YouAreHere

  1. About Us
  2. Who we are
  3. Our history
Share

Our History

60 years of unparalleled support

Adecco was created in 1957, when two of the world’s leading recruitment firms joined forces. For more than six decades, we’ve matched quality candidates with growing companies, helping our clients become best-in-class employers and navigate the changing world of work.

Fit for the future of work

The nature of work is constantly evolving. From the very beginning, we’ve helped businesses adapt to new practices and priorities, and ready their workforce for what’s to come.

Today, we’re still at the forefront – leading innovations and initiatives that maximise talent for now and the next generation.

Talk to our team

THE BEGINNING

Adia SA is founded in 1957 by Henri Lavanchy in Lausanne, Switzerland and rapidly expands into new territories. Ecco is founded in Lyon, France by Philippe Foriel-Destezet in 1964.

EXPANSION CONTINUES

Adia continues worldwide expansion whilst Ecco focuses on its home market to become France’s market leader. Temporary staffing becomes the world’s third-fastest growing industry.

JOINING FORCES

In 1996 Adia and Ecco - two of the world’s top three personnel services firms - merge to form Adecco, placing around 250,000 people in work every day.

GOING INTERNATIONAL

Adia expands overseas and begins a phase of acquisitions, tripling in size and gaining a presence in more than a dozen countries.

TAKING THE LEAD

With sales tipping $1 billion, Adia becomes the European leader in the people solutions field.

flag

1970

chat

1980

rocket

1957

building

1980

handshake

1990

WORLD LEADER

With the acquisition of the MPS Group, the Adecco Group becomes the world leader in professional staffing.

BEYOND STAFFING

The Adecco Group acquires Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions, Canada’s market leader in career transition, talent and leadership development and combines this with the Adecco Group subsidiary Lee Hecht Harrison, the global leader in career transition and talent mobility.

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC

Adecco acquires Olsten Staffing of New York and becomes the No. 1 recruitment company in the US with revenues of €11.6 billion.

CONSOLIDATION

With an increasing demand for professional and expert services, Adecco consolidates its businesses under three dedicated global divisions to deliver our services.

MAKING THE FUTURE WORK FOR EVERYONE

Staying true it’s global purpose, the Adecco Group ecosystem continues to diversify via the acquisition of General Assembly - The leading global source for training and up/reskilling in high-demand fields like data-science, technology, design, and business.

target

2000

statistics

2010

cup

2018

world

2000

group

2015

diagram
diagram_tab
rocket

1957

flag

1970

building

1980

chat

1980

handshake

1990

target

2000

world

2000

statistics

2010

group

2015

cup

2018

THE BEGINNING

Adia SA is founded in 1957 by Henri Lavanchy in Lausanne, Switzerland and rapidly expands into new territories. Ecco is founded in Lyon, France by Philippe Foriel-Destezet in 1964.

GOING INTERNATIONAL

Adia expands overseas and begins a phase of acquisitions, tripling in size and gaining a presence in more than a dozen countries.

EXPANSION CONTINUES

Adia continues worldwide expansion whilst Ecco focuses on its home market to become France’s market leader. Temporary staffing becomes the world’s third-fastest growing industry.

TAKING THE LEAD

With sales tipping $1 billion, Adia becomes the European leader in the people solutions field.

JOINING FORCES

In 1996 Adia and Ecco - two of the world’s top three personnel services firms - merge to form Adecco, placing around 250,000 people in work every day.

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC

Adecco acquires Olsten Staffing of New York and becomes the No. 1 recruitment company in the US with revenues of €11.6 billion.

WORLD LEADER

With the acquisition of the MPS Group, the Adecco Group becomes the world leader in professional staffing.

CONSOLIDATION

With an increasing demand for professional and expert services, Adecco consolidates its businesses under three dedicated global divisions to deliver our services.

BEYOND STAFFING

The Adecco Group acquires Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions, Canada’s market leader in career transition, talent and leadership development and combines this with the Adecco Group subsidiary Lee Hecht Harrison, the global leader in career transition and talent mobility.

MAKING THE FUTURE WORK FOR EVERYONE

Staying true it’s global purpose, the Adecco Group ecosystem continues to diversify via the acquisition of General Assembly - The leading global source for training and up/reskilling in high-demand fields like data-science, technology, design, and business.

diagram

1957:
THE BEGINNING

Adia SA is founded in 1957 by Henri Lavanchy in Lausanne, Switzerland and rapidly expands into new territories. Ecco is founded in Lyon, France by Philippe Foriel-Destezet in 1964.

rocket

1970:
GOING INTERNATIONAL

Adia expands overseas and begins a phase of acquisitions, tripling in size and gaining a presence in more than a dozen countries.

flag

1980:
EXPANSION CONTINUES

Adia continues worldwide expansion whilst Ecco focuses on its home market to become France’s market leader. Temporary staffing becomes the world’s third-fastest growing industry.

building

1980:
TAKING THE LEAD

With sales tipping $1 billion, Adia becomes the European leader in the people solutions field.

chat

1990:
JOINING FORCES

In 1996 Adia and Ecco - two of the world’s top three personnel services firms - merge to form Adecco, placing around 250,000 people in work every day.

handshake

2000:
CROSSING THE ATLANTIC

Adecco acquires Olsten Staffing of New York and becomes the No. 1 recruitment company in the US with revenues of €11.6 billion.

target

2000:
WORLD LEADER

With the acquisition of the MPS Group, the Adecco Group becomes the world leader in professional staffing.

world

2010:
CONSOLIDATION

With an increasing demand for professional and expert services, Adecco consolidates its businesses under three dedicated global divisions to deliver our services.

statistics

2015:
BEYOND STAFFING

The Adecco Group acquires Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions, Canada’s market leader in career transition, talent and leadership development and combines this with the Adecco Group subsidiary Lee Hecht Harrison, the global leader in career transition and talent mobility.

group

2018:
MAKING THE FUTURE WORK FOR EVERYONE

Staying true it’s global purpose, the Adecco Group ecosystem continues to diversify via the acquisition of General Assembly - The leading global source for training and up/reskilling in high-demand fields like data-science, technology, design, and business.

cup

Want to be part of the future of recruitment?

Join us

Want to be part of the future of recruitment?

Join us
Find a Branch
You must use an auto-suggested or Geolocated location value
  • Jobseekers
  • Job Search
  • Search By Job Type
  • Candidate Registration
  • FAQs
  • Temporary Jobs
  • Featured Employers
  • Amazon Jobs
  • Serco Jobs
  • Atos Jobs
  • Southern Water Jobs
  • Encirc Jobs
  • Cambridge University Jobs
  • Cazoo Jobs
  • Uber Jobs
  • Walkers Jobs
  • Crown Jobs
  • Job Sectors
  • Search By Industry
  • Admin & Office
  • Banking
  • Customer Service
  • Catering
  • Engineering
  • FMCG
  • Financial Services
  • Human Resources
  • Insurance
  • IT & Telecoms
  • Legal
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Procurement
  • Public Sector
  • Retail
  • Sales
  • Social Care
  • Travel and Tourism
  • All Jobs
  • Popular Branch Locations
  • Southend-on-Sea
  • London
  • Andover
  • Kettering
  • Romford
  • Maidenhead
  • Liverpool
  • Aylesbury
  • Dundee
  • Harlow
  • View All
  • Candidate Blog
  • CV Templates & Tips
  • Cover Letters
  • Interview Questions
  • Resignation Letter Tips
    • Employer Solutions
    • Services by Industry
    • Permanent
    • Temporary
    • Managed Service Provider
    • Industrial Outsourcing
    • HR Outsourcing
    • Recruitment Process Outsourcing
    • Employer Blog
    • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Find a Branch
  • Modern Slavery Act Statement
  • Gender Pay Gap Reporting
Adecco logo

Social

Terms | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Security | Complaints Policy | Candidates Security & Phishing | Corporate Governance UK & Ireland Report | Sitemap

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Security
  • Complaints Policy
  • Candidates Security & Phishing
  • Corporate Governance UK & Ireland Report
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UK