Spherion
Spherion is a North American staffing and temporary-work agency brand with roots dating to 1946 and ownership by Randstad since 2011. A North American staffing and workforce-solutions business formerly known as SFN Group and later acquired by Randstad.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Spherion was a North American staffing and workforce-solutions company whose history began in Chicago in 1946 as City Car Unloaders. Founded by Leroy Dettman and Joseph Perfetto, the original business placed manual laborers into temporary jobs, especially cargo-loading work. It later expanded into clerical and administrative placements, establishing the basic temporary-staffing model that became central to the company. The business moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1969. By 1978 it operated as Personnel Pool of America, Inc., and that year it was acquired by H&R Block. H&R Block subsequently acquired Interim Systems Corporation in 1991 and combined it with Personnel Pool, creating a larger staffing-services operation. The combined business adopted the name Interim Services Inc. in 1992 and was spun off from H&R Block in 1994. After the spin-off, Interim Services pursued an acquisition-led expansion strategy. The company acquired staffing and professional-services businesses in several segments and, in 1997, acquired the London-based Michael Page Group. In 1999 it acquired Norrell Corp., an Atlanta-based staffing rival. The expansion broadened the company's geographic reach and service mix beyond traditional temporary labor, including office staffing, professional recruitment, information-technology staffing, healthcare placements, and recruitment-process outsourcing. The company changed its name to Spherion in 2000. The period around the Norrell acquisition also involved a strategic debate over corporate headquarters and management direction. Raymond Marcy, who had led the business for more than a decade, was replaced as chief executive by Cinda Hallman in 2001. Spherion subsequently completed an initial public offering of its London-based Michael Page Group subsidiary in 2001 and sold the Saratoga Institute to PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2003. Spherion operated through multiple brands and specialist units, including Spherion Staffing Services, The Mergis Group, Tatum, Technisource, Sourceright Solutions, and other regional or professional staffing names. The portfolio reflected the company's attempt to serve both high-volume temporary staffing customers and employers seeking specialized recruiting, professional placement, or outsourced workforce-management services. The business also used the SFN Group name in its corporate history and brand architecture, which is the source of the supplied SFN Group identification. Randstad N.V. acquired Spherion in July 2011. Following the acquisition, Spherion ceased to exist as an independent publicly traded company and its operations and brands were integrated into Randstad's broader staffing and human-capital-services organization. Later leadership references associated with the Spherion business include Rebecca Rogers Tijerino, who became chief executive in January 2019, and Kathy George, who replaced her in February 2024. Because the historical Spherion entity was acquired and absorbed into Randstad, it is best treated as a defunct standalone corporate brand rather than an independent current company.
History
Spherion traces its origins to City Car Unloaders, a Chicago temporary-work company established in 1946 by Leroy Dettman and Joseph Perfetto. The original operation supplied manual laborers for temporary cargo-loading work. Over time, it added temporary clerical assignments and moved toward the broader staffing model that later characterized the company. The business relocated to Fort Lauderdale in 1969. In 1978 it was known as Personnel Pool of America, Inc. and was acquired by H&R Block. H&R Block expanded the operation in 1991 by acquiring Interim Systems Corporation and combining it with Personnel Pool. The combined company became Interim Services Inc. in 1992 and was spun off by H&R Block in 1994. Following the spin-off, Interim Services pursued a significant acquisition strategy. It acquired multiple staffing and professional-services businesses, including the Atlanta-based Norrell Corporation in 1999. The company had also acquired the London-based Michael Page Group in 1997; an initial public offering of Michael Page took place in 2001. These developments helped extend the business beyond traditional temporary labor into professional recruitment and specialized workforce services. Interim Services adopted the Spherion name in 2000. A disagreement over relocating the corporate headquarters from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta was associated with a change in leadership: Cinda Hallman replaced Raymond Marcy as chief executive in 2001. In the same year, the company completed an initial public offering of Michael Page Group. Spherion later sold the Saratoga Institute to PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2003. The organization operated under numerous brands and service names. Its portfolio included Spherion Staffing Services, Spherion Recruitment Process Outsourcing, The Mergis Group, Tatum, Technisource, Sourceright Solutions, Emerging Workforce, SFN Group, Victor Temporary Services, Professional Nurses Bureau, and Today's Office Professionals. The portfolio reflected a mix of general temporary staffing, professional recruitment, specialist placement, and outsourced recruitment services. Randstad N.V. acquired Spherion in July 2011. The acquisition integrated Spherion into a larger international staffing group and ended its period as an independent public company. Later leadership information records Rebecca Rogers Tijerino as chief executive from January 2019 and Kathy George as her successor from February 2024. The available source does not conclusively describe whether Spherion continues as a standalone operating company or only as a brand within Randstad, so its current status remains uncertain.
- 2024
Kathy George becomes CEO
[1]Kathy George replaces Rebecca Rogers Tijerino as chief executive in February.
- 2019
Rebecca Rogers Tijerino becomes CEO
[1]Rebecca Rogers Tijerino assumes the chief executive role in January.
- 2011
Acquisition by Randstad
[1]Randstad N.V. acquires Spherion in July, incorporating the business into its international staffing group.
- 2003
Saratoga Institute is sold
[1]Spherion sells the Saratoga Institute to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
- 2001
Michael Page public offering and leadership transition
[1]Cinda Hallman replaces Raymond Marcy as chief executive, while Michael Page Group is taken public through an initial public offering.
- 2000
Spherion name introduced
[1]Interim Services changes its corporate name to Spherion.
- 1999
Norrell is acquired
[1]The company acquires Atlanta-based staffing rival Norrell Corporation.
- 1997
Michael Page Group is acquired
[1]Interim acquires the London-based Michael Page Group, expanding its professional recruitment portfolio.
- 1994
Spin-off from H&R Block
[1]Interim Services is separated from H&R Block and begins an acquisition-led period as an independent company.
- 1992
Name changes to Interim Services
[1]The combined staffing organization adopts the name Interim Services Inc.
Products and positioning
A broad-based staffing and workforce-solutions provider serving employers that need temporary, professional, specialist, and recruitment-process services. The brand developed from manual-labor placement into a multi-brand employment-services platform. A multi-brand staffing and workforce-solutions provider serving employers across temporary labor, administrative staffing, professional recruitment, technology, healthcare, and outsourced recruiting.
Temporary and general staffing
Spherion Staffing Services
The core Spherion service line supplied workers for temporary and flexible employment assignments. Its historical roots were in manual labor placement, but the business later expanded to clerical, administrative, and other general staffing needs for employers. It served employers seeking workforce support across administrative, office, light industrial, and related employment categories. A principal operating brand for temporary, contract, and direct-hire recruitment. It served employers seeking workforce support across administrative, office, light industrial, and related employment categories.
Recruitment process outsourcing
Spherion Recruitment Process Outsourcing
A service offering centered on outsourcing some or all recruitment activities to a specialist provider. It represented Spherion's move beyond individual temporary placements toward managed workforce and employer recruitment solutions.
Professional recruitment
The Mergis Group
The Mergis Group was one of Spherion's specialist staffing and professional-recruitment brands. It formed part of the company's multi-brand approach to serving employers seeking more specialized personnel than those supplied through general temporary staffing. A specialist recruitment brand associated with professional and executive-level staffing. It represented Spherion's move beyond high-volume temporary labor into more specialized candidate search and placement services. The Mergis Group was one of Spherion's specialist staffing and professional-recruitment brands, associated with professional and executive-level staffing. It formed part of the company's multi-brand approach to serving employers seeking more specialized personnel than those supplied through general temporary staffing, representing a move beyond high-volume temporary labor into more specialized candidate search and placement services.
Professional staffing
Tatum
Tatum operated as a professional staffing and recruitment brand within the broader Spherion portfolio, helping extend the company into higher-skill and specialist employment categories. A professional staffing brand focused on accounting, finance, and related business professionals, supporting contract, interim, and recruitment needs. Tatum operated as a professional staffing and recruitment brand within the broader Spherion portfolio, focused on accounting, finance, and related business professionals, supporting contract, interim, and recruitment needs. It helped extend the company into higher-skill and specialist employment categories.
Technology and technical staffing
Technisource
Technisource was a specialist brand associated with technical and technology-oriented staffing, serving organizations seeking information-technology professionals and project-based workforce support. Its inclusion in Spherion's portfolio reflected the company's strategy of addressing distinct professional labor markets through separate brands. A technology-oriented staffing and recruiting brand serving organizations seeking information-technology professionals and project-based workforce support.
Recruitment services
Sourceright Solutions
Sourceright Solutions was among the recruitment and workforce-services names operated within the Spherion family. The brand was associated with sourcing and related employer recruitment support rather than a consumer product. Sourceright Solutions was a workforce-solutions brand associated with outsourced recruiting and talent-sourcing services. It addressed employers looking to delegate or supplement parts of their recruiting process rather than simply fill individual vacancies.
Staffing services · 1946
Temporary staffing
The company's foundational service was placing workers into temporary and contract assignments. It initially focused on manual labor and later broadened into office, clerical, industrial, and other workforce categories for employers needing flexible staffing capacity.
Brand decisions
2011
Acquisition by RandstadM&ABackground
Spherion was operating as a diversified staffing company with temporary, professional, and workforce-outsourcing activities.
Action taken
Randstad N.V. acquired Spherion in July 2011.
Aftermath
Spherion became part of Randstad, ending its period as an independent company. The available material does not specify the transaction value or detailed integration plan. Spherion ceased to operate as an independent publicly traded company and its activities were integrated into Randstad's global staffing group.
2003
Sale of Saratoga InstituteM&ABackground
Spherion reviewed and reshaped the mix of businesses held within its broader staffing-services portfolio.
Action taken
The Saratoga Institute was sold to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Aftermath
The sale reduced Spherion's portfolio of non-core or adjacent operations, although the available source does not provide further transaction details.
2000
Rebrand from Interim Services to SpherionStrategyBackground
The company had expanded beyond its earlier temporary-labor identity through acquisitions and specialist staffing businesses.
Action taken
Interim Services changed its name to Spherion and operated through multiple specialist and regional brands.
Aftermath
Spherion became the principal corporate identity under which the group's staffing and workforce brands were organized.
1994
Continue as an independent staffing company after the H&R Block spin-offStrategyBackground
After being separated from H&R Block, Interim Services entered an independent phase characterized by acquisitions and expansion across staffing and professional recruitment.
Action taken
The company operated independently and pursued additional businesses, including the later acquisition of Norrell and the development of a broader multi-brand portfolio. The company acquired additional staffing businesses, including Michael Page Group in 1997 and Norrell Corp. in 1999.
Aftermath
The expansion established the organizational and brand base that later operated under the Spherion name. The acquisitions expanded the company's geographic presence and professional-recruitment capabilities while contributing to debate over its headquarters and management direction.
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