Recent Staffing & HR Acquisitions in Canada
Acquisition Volume in Staffing & HR in Canada by Year
Last 5 years
Deals from 2019 through 2026 show acquisition activity across Canada — notably Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia — focused on IT staffing, HR consulting, payroll/ employer‑of‑record services and tech-enabled hiring platforms.
Both private‑equity-backed roll-ups and strategic buyers are active: Cornell Capital LLC and TorQuest Partners invested in S.i. Systems, which has continued add‑on M&A, while national professional services firms such as MNP and platform buyers like Raise, JobGet and 24 Seven pursued capabilities in payroll, marketplaces, ATS and sector‑specific talent solutions. Smaller regional deals (construction staffing, frontline retail hiring and executive search) show continued appetite for local footprint expansion.
What Stands Out
- IT staffing consolidation: S.i. Systems completed multiple add‑on acquisitions (xiBOSS, Eagle Professional Resources, Annex Consulting Group) and was itself acquired by Cornell Capital LLC and TorQuest Partners in 2022.
- Tech‑enabled platform moves: Buyers are acquiring marketplace and ATS capabilities — Raise acquired Murmur (2026) and JobGet acquired Wirkn (2024) to strengthen supplier networks and frontline hiring technology.
- Consultancies and payroll/EOR expansion: MNP added HR consultancies in British Columbia (2024); Vensure Employer Solutions acquired Canadian Payroll Services (2023) to broaden payroll and employer‑of‑record services.
- Geographic focus: Transactions cluster in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia, reflecting a mix of national roll‑ups and province‑level strategic buys.
-
January 23, 2026
- Buyer
- Raise
- Target
- Murmur
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Raise, a workforce deployment and staffing firm, has acquired Murmur, a technology-enabled supplier marketplace founded in 2023, to integrate supplier marketplace capabilities into its contingent workforce offerings. The deal aims to modernize supplier management, reduce supplier sprawl, and deepen Raise's technology-enabled, vendor-neutral approach to sourcing and supplier networks.
-
September 11, 2025
- Buyer
- Faber Connect (Faber Technologies, Inc.)
- Target
- Prime Staffing
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Faber Connect (Faber Technologies, Inc.) has acquired Prime Staffing, a long-established construction staffing firm based in Edmonton, Alberta. The acquisition gives Faber immediate access to Alberta’s large pool of skilled tradespeople and allows the company to run Prime Staffing’s operations through its software, driving cost reductions and faster integration.
-
- Buyer
- Phelps
- Target
- Canadian Executive Search Practice of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
- Seller
- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Canada
- Type
- Divestiture
Phelps has acquired Gallagher’s Canadian Executive Search Practice from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., expanding Phelps’ national footprint and adding teams operating in Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal. The acquired team will retain local leadership while integrating into Phelps’ national, bespoke executive search platform and strengthening the Panorama network’s North American presence.
-
February 12, 2025
- Buyer
- 24 Seven
- Target
- CORE Resources
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
24 Seven, a New York–based marketing, creative and digital talent solutions firm, has acquired Toronto-based CORE Resources, a provider of technology talent solutions serving Canada's financial services sector. The deal expands 24 Seven's capabilities in fintech and technical staff augmentation, adding expertise in network security, full-stack development, and capital markets technology.
-
June 18, 2024
- Buyer
- JobGet
- Target
- Wirkn
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Quebec, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
JobGet, the Boston-based app-first hiring platform, has acquired Wirkn, a Montreal-founded recruiting platform focused on mall, retail and restaurant hiring. The deal (closed May 24) brings Wirkn’s network of more than 17,000 mall, retail and restaurant locations and its ATS capabilities into JobGet’s frontline-hiring ecosystem; Wirkn’s CEO will remain as an advisor and the brand will continue for the foreseeable future. Terms were not disclosed.
-
- Buyer
- MNP
- Target
- Clear Choice HR Consulting, The Jouta Performance Group
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
MNP has acquired two Vancouver-based HR consulting firms, Clear Choice HR Consulting and The Jouta Performance Group, adding roughly 15 team members to its HR consulting practice. Founders AJ Beaudry and Cori Maedel will join MNP as partners as the firm expands its HR management, talent, and leadership offerings nationwide.
-
December 14, 2023
- Buyer
- Vensure Employer Solutions
- Target
- Canadian Payroll Services
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Vensure Employer Solutions has acquired Canadian Payroll Services (CPS) to expand its presence in the Canadian market and broaden its employer-of-record, payroll and benefits offerings. CPS will continue servicing its clients while gaining access to Vensure's broader HR/HCM technology, managed services and global BPO capabilities.
-
- Buyer
- Cornell Capital LLC, TorQuest Partners
- Target
- S.i. Systems ULC
- Seller
- Quad‑C Management
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Cornell Capital and TorQuest Partners have completed an investment to acquire S.i. Systems, one of Canada’s largest IT staffing firms, from Quad‑C Management. The transaction will keep S.i. Systems headquartered in Calgary and support the company's growth plan to expand its IT staffing capabilities and geographic footprint across Canada and into the U.S.
-
September 7, 2022
- Buyer
- S.i. Systems ULC
- Target
- xiBOSS Corporation
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
S.i. Systems ULC, Canada’s largest IT staffing company, has acquired xiBOSS Corporation, a Toronto-based IT staffing firm. The deal brings xiBOSS's ~15-person team into S.i. Systems to create larger centers of excellence for financial and technology clients and expand S.i. Systems' presence across Ontario; terms were not disclosed.
-
January 5, 2022
- Buyer
- S.i. Systems ULC
- Target
- Eagle Professional Resources
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
S.i. Systems ULC has acquired Eagle Professional Resources, an Ottawa-headquartered IT staffing firm. The deal expands S.i. Systems' national footprint and creates a larger Canadian IT staffing platform; terms were not disclosed.
-
July 1, 2021
- Buyer
- Equus Workforce Solutions
- Target
- Agilec
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Equus Workforce Solutions acquired Ontario-based workforce services provider Agilec effective July 1, 2021, expanding Equus' North American footprint. Agilec will continue to operate under its name and retain key leaders, while the combined company extends workforce development and vocational rehabilitation services across the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Ontario, Canada.
-
January 6, 2021
- Buyer
- S.i. Systems ULC
- Target
- Annex Consulting Group
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
S.i. Systems ULC has completed the acquisition of Annex Consulting Group, an IT staffing and consulting firm based in Vancouver. The deal expands S.i. Systems' presence in British Columbia, creating what the companies say is the largest IT staffing firm in the province; terms were not disclosed.
-
December 18, 2020
- Buyer
- Goldman Sachs Group Inc (Merchant Banking Division)
- Target
- People Corporation
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Manitoba, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s merchant banking division entered into an arrangement agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of People Corporation for $15.22 per share in cash, valuing the equity at about $1.13 billion. The transaction is supported by People Corporation’s board and comes after a strategic alternatives review by an independent directors’ special committee.
-
April 30, 2019
- Buyer
- Engage2Excel Group (E2E Group), Comvest Partners
- Target
- Rideau, Inc.
- Industry
- Staffing & HR
- Location
- Quebec, Canada
- Type
- Addon
Engage2Excel Group, a portfolio company of Comvest Partners, has acquired Rideau, Inc., a Montreal-based provider of employee recognition solutions, as an add-on to bolster its career experience platform. The deal brings Rideau's Vistance analytics and learning platform, multiple international offices, and industry expertise into E2E Group to expand capabilities for employee recognition, engagement and retention.
Track M&A activity that matters to you
Get real-time deal alerts, build buyer lists with AI, and access our full acquisition database. Start your free trial today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of buyers are active in Canadian Staffing & HR M&A?
Private equity firms, strategic staffing companies, national consultancies and tech‑first platforms are all active. Examples from the recent deals include Cornell Capital LLC and TorQuest Partners (PE), strategic consolidator S.i. Systems, national adviser MNP, and platform buyers such as JobGet and Raise.
Which subsectors are most frequently targeted?
IT staffing, HR consulting and payroll/employer‑of‑record services appear frequently, along with executive search, frontline/retail hiring and construction staffing. Deals on the page include transactions by S.i. Systems, Phelps, 24 Seven, Faber Connect and Vensure Employer Solutions.
Are these transactions national or regional in scope?
Both. Some deals expand national footprints (for example, S.i. Systems and Phelps), while others are regionally focused — such as Faber Connect acquiring Edmonton’s Prime Staffing (Alberta) or MNP adding Vancouver‑based HR consultancies.
How are buyers using technology in acquisitions?
Buyers are acquiring ATS, supplier‑marketplace and app‑first hiring capabilities to scale sourcing and frontline recruitment. Notable examples: Raise acquired Murmur for supplier marketplace capabilities, JobGet acquired Wirkn for frontline/retail hiring reach, and 24 Seven added fintech/tech talent capabilities through CORE Resources.