HAYS PLC

Active
Company number 02150950Public limited companyIncorporated 1987

Key figures

£403,600,000-13.5%
Net assets 2025/26
-14.3%
Average annual change 2020/21–2025/26
0250 m500 m750 m1 bn2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/252025/26

HAYS PLC files its accounts at Companies House on paper. The figures here are for the whole group, taken from its annual financial report in the structured ESEF format (published on the FCA National Storage Mechanism, collected by filings.xbrl.org).

Ratios

2025/26

Sector comparison

SIC 70100

Where the company stands among the 25,710 active companies whose first SIC code is 70100 (Activities of head offices).

Turnover£6,421,200,000
Higher than 99% · median £16,967,000 among 2,112 that publish turnover
Net assets£403,600,000
Higher than 96% · median £388,830
Total assets£1,636,100,000
Higher than 97% · median £1,308,696
Cash£111,800,000
Higher than 98% · median £49,040
Company age39.3 years
Older than 90% · median 16.6 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. NSG HOLDING (EUROPE) LIMITED£335.6bn
  2. BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (2012) LIMITED£68.8bn
  3. ASTRAZENECA TREASURY LIMITED£48.3bn
  4. BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO P.L.C.£48.1bn
  5. ASTRAZENECA UK LIMITED£42.3bn
  6. NATIONAL GRID PLC£39.3bn
  7. RIO TINTO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED£39.2bn
  8. BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (1998) LIMITED£34.1bn
  9. GLAXOSMITHKLINE HOLDINGS LIMITED£25.2bn
  10. BRITISH-AMERICAN TOBACCO (HOLDINGS) LIMITED£24.7bn

Positions are approximate. Figures come from each company's latest accounts; money and employee figures are compared only with companies that filed accounts in pounds for a period ending in the last two and a half years and are not dormant, so those groups are smaller than 25,710. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: HAYS PLC

What kind of company is it?

HAYS PLC is a public limited company registered with Companies House under company number 02150950. It was incorporated on 28 Jul 1987. Its status is active. The registered office is in London (EC2V). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is activities of head offices (70100).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2025/26 (period ending 30 Jun 2026); the company files group accounts. Turnover was £6,421,200,000. Loss for the year was £58,200,000. Net assets were £403,600,000, down 13.5% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £111,800,000. Total assets were £1,636,100,000 and total liabilities £1,232,500,000. Figures are available for 6 financial years (2020/21–2025/26).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 25,710 active companies whose first SIC code is 70100: By turnover it ranks higher than 99% of the 2,112 that publish turnover (median £16,967,000). By net assets it ranks higher than 96% of them (median £388,830). By total assets it ranks higher than 97% of them (median £1,308,696). By cash it ranks higher than 98% of them (median £49,040). It is older than 90% of them (median age 16.6 years).

Does it supply the public sector?

The company is named as a supplier in 24 public contract award notices from 11 public sector buyers since 2017. Contracts awarded to it alone have a combined published value of £6.8m. Its most frequent buyer is East Hampshire District Council (8 contracts). 1 of the awards is shared with other suppliers, typically framework agreements.

What do public registers and reports show?

It appears on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors (Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker, Skilled Worker).

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 31 Dec 2026. The next confirmation statement is due by 24 Oct 2027.

Dividends

from the accounts
2025/26

Dividends paid in the financial year: £7,000,000.

History
2025/26£7,000,000
2024/25£47,800,000
2023/24£83,300,000
2022/23£165,100,000
2021/22£186,400,000
2020/21£0
Filed accounts2020/21–2025/26
2021/222022/232023/242024/252025/26
Turnover6,588,900,0007,583,300,000—6,607,000,0006,421,200,000
Profit for the year154,200,000138,300,000-4,900,000-7,800,000-58,200,000
Cash at bank and in hand296,200,000145,600,000121,800,000168,500,000111,800,000
Total assets2,077,400,0001,904,000,0001,778,200,0001,769,100,0001,636,100,000
Total liabilities1,281,200,0001,233,700,0001,220,600,0001,302,400,0001,232,500,000
Net assets / total equity796,200,000670,300,000557,600,000466,700,000403,600,000
Dividends paid186,400,000165,100,00083,300,00047,800,0007,000,000

A dash (—) means no accounts were filed for that year or the item is not in the accounts; 0 is a zero stated in the accounts. Small companies usually file only a balance sheet, so the profit and loss account is often missing.

Public contracts

24 contracts

HAYS PLC is named as a supplier in 24 public contract award notices from 11 public sector buyers since 2017. The 23 contracts awarded to it alone with a published value add up to £6.8m. 1 award is shared with other suppliers and not counted in that total.

Contracts per year
Main buyers11
East Hampshire District Council
8 contracts · £832.9k
West Sussex County Council
5 contracts · £494k
NATIONAL WEALTH FUND LIMITED
2 contracts · £4.8m
UK EXPORT FINANCE
2 contracts · £279.1k
COMPETITION AND MARKETS AUTHORITY
1 contract · £175k
Contracts
  1. Hays - Temporary Programme Director‡West Sussex County Council · £118,494 · runs until Nov 2026
  2. Provision of the recruitment of a temporary programme director‡West Sussex County Council · £118,494 · runs until Nov 2026
  3. Interim Project Manager (1)East Hampshire District Council · £93,188 · runs until Nov 2026
  4. For the provision of the recruitment of various payroll vacancies‡West Sussex County Council · £52,000
  5. Payroll Back Fill Project - Hays‡West Sussex County Council · £105,000
Show 19 more
  1. Interim Project Manager (2)East Hampshire District Council · £93,187 · runs until Nov 2026
  2. Interim recruitment of Programme Manager‡East Hampshire District Council · £142,800
  3. Recruitment ServicesGENOMICS ENGLAND LIMITED · £11,880
  4. C0883 - Contingent LabourNATIONAL WEALTH FUND LIMITED · £500,000
  5. Implementing Oracle - Programme Resourcing‡West Sussex County Council · £99,999
  6. Temporary Recruitment- HaysCOMPETITION AND MARKETS AUTHORITY · £175,000
  7. Agency Staff MemberGovernment Legal Department · £21,762
  8. IFRS 17 Data SpecialistUK EXPORT FINANCE · £123,929
  9. Head of AuditUK EXPORT FINANCE · £155,128
  10. Interim Head of PlanningEast Hampshire District Council · £240,000
  11. CON 2357-4 Contingent LabourNATIONAL WEALTH FUND LIMITED · £4,300,000
  12. Interim Staff‡West Lancashire Borough Council · £70,000
  13. Interim Accountant EHCSEast Hampshire District Council · £51,350
  14. Interim Project AccountantEast Hampshire District Council · £70,000
  15. Awarded ContractEast Hampshire District Council · £65,000
  16. Awarded ContractEast Hampshire District Council · £77,350
  17. DCMS Finance and BDUK Permanent Recruitment - (CCS Framework RM6002 - Lot 4)DEPARTMENT FOR DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA & SPORT · shared by 5 suppliers, up to £230,000 in total
  18. GB-Sheffield: Recruitment agency‡British Business Bank · £70,000
  19. LGPS Central Recruitment‡Wolverhampton City Council · £16,000

From contract award notices on Contracts Finder (since 2016) and Find a Tender (since 2021), published by the Cabinet Office under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Values are as published by the buyer and usually cover the whole contract term; the total leaves out awards shared between several suppliers, where the published figure is a ceiling for all of them, placeholder values and single figures of £1 billion or more. Notices marked ‡ do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name. Contracts below the publication thresholds and those of devolved buyers that publish elsewhere are not included.

Statutory reporting

Payment practices1 Jul 2017 – 31 Dec 2017

No payments to suppliers were reported for this period.

View the latest report on GOV.UK

Figures the company reported itself to the government's Check payment practices service, Gender pay gap service and Modern slavery statement registry (Open Government Licence v3.0). Only large companies and employers with 250 or more staff have to report, so most companies have nothing here.

Registers and licences

Sponsor licence‡
Licence type and rating
Worker (A rating)
Routes
Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker, Skilled Worker

On the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, which lists organisations licensed to sponsor workers from overseas.

Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Care Quality Commission, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Entries marked ‡ come from lists that do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name.

History

7 events
  1. Financial year 2025/26 endedAccounts: turnover £6.4bn, net assets £403.6m
  2. Financial year 2024/25 endedAccounts: turnover £6.6bn, net assets £466.7m
  3. Financial year 2023/24 endedAccounts: net assets £557.6m
  4. Financial year 2022/23 endedAccounts: turnover £7.6bn, net assets £670.3m
  5. Financial year 2021/22 endedAccounts: turnover £6.6bn, net assets £796.2m
  6. Financial year 2020/21 endedAccounts: turnover £5.6bn, net assets £871.8m
  7. Company incorporatedPublic limited company

Dates as recorded at Companies House: incorporation, name changes, officer appointments and resignations, current persons with significant control, and the end of each financial year with figures in the database. Former persons with significant control are not listed.