Friends & Company in Baltimore: A staffing agency focused on small business and nonprofit placement

Friends & Company is a small staffing firm that places temporary and direct-hire workers across Baltimore, with a particular emphasis on nonprofits, social enterprises, and small businesses that need flexibility without the overhead of large national recruiters.

What Friends & Company actually does

The agency operates as a generalist placement service, meaning it works across multiple industries and skill levels rather than specializing in one sector. It fills both temporary assignments and permanent positions. The firm maintains a candidate pool it draws from and actively recruits for openings its clients post. Unlike large staffing chains, it positions itself as a local operator that understands Baltimore's nonprofit ecosystem and smaller employers who may not have dedicated HR departments.

Services and fee structure

Friends & Company charges clients a placement fee, typically a percentage of the first-year salary for permanent placements. This structure differs from temp work, where employers usually pay an hourly rate markup. For permanent placements, fees generally fall between 15 and 25 percent of annual salary, though this should be confirmed directly as rates vary by role and industry.

The agency handles sourcing, screening, and initial interviews, reducing the time a small employer spends on recruitment. It also manages candidate onboarding paperwork and maintains contact during the first 90 days, the window when most bad placements surface.

Temporary assignments are billed at an hourly rate; the markup above candidate wages covers the agency's payroll processing and overhead. Verify current rates with the agency, as these adjust seasonally and by skill level.

How Friends & Company compares to other Baltimore staffing options

Kelly Services and Staffmark operate in Baltimore as large national networks with broader geographic reach and deeper pools in IT and healthcare. They excel when a small business needs 10 temporary warehouse workers on short notice or a hospital system requires travel nursing across multiple states. Their scale means faster turnaround on volume placements.

Friends & Company's advantage lies in relationships. A nonprofit director or small manufacturer working with the agency gets a recruiter who knows the organization's culture and constraints. A candidate placed through Friends & Company is less likely to be shuffled between competing client accounts. This matters most to employers hiring for roles that require cultural fit or local knowledge, and to candidates seeking employers rooted in Baltimore rather than regional branches.

Choose Friends & Company if you are a nonprofit, small business, or social enterprise looking for permanent hires where long-term retention depends on alignment with your mission. Choose a national chain if you need high-volume temporary labor, specialized credentials (nursing, engineering licensing), or placement outside Maryland.

Who it suits and who it does not

This agency suits nonprofits with annual operating budgets under $10 million, small manufacturers and food businesses, and growing startups that hire 1 to 3 people per year. It works well for candidates with 5 to 15 years of experience seeking local positions; the personal approach often uncovers roles never posted on job boards.

It is not ideal for companies hiring 50+ people at once, roles requiring specialized certifications, or candidates seeking positions outside the Baltimore region. It also does not serve as a temp-to-perm broker in the way some larger agencies do, meaning if you need to "try out" a candidate for three months before hiring, confirm that Friends & Company offers that option.

What to expect on a first visit

Employers typically call or email with a job description and hiring timeline. The agency asks about role requirements, culture, and what success looks like in the first six months. It then runs a search from its candidate database and actively recruits if needed. For candidates, the process starts with a resume, a phone screen, and an in-person or video interview. Friends & Company shares feedback and arranges interviews with employers.

Hours, location, and logistics

Friends & Company operates standard business hours; confirm current hours before visiting. The office is located within Baltimore city limits, making it accessible via public transit and parking on local streets. Meetings are typically by appointment, particularly for initial employer consultations, so calling ahead prevents delays.

Friends & Company fills a niche between DIY hiring and corporate recruitment firms. For Baltimore nonprofits and small employers tired of national chains, it offers local accountability and cultural continuity that generalist placement requires.