Business	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business	Business CDI Corp. and its subsidiaries (the “ Company ” or “ CDI ”) are providers of solutions based on skilled technical and professional talent. CDI’s business is comprised of four segments: Enterprise Talent, Specialty Talent and Technology Solutions, Engineering Solutions and Management Recruiters International (MRI). The Company provides to clients engineering and information technology solutions encompassing managed, project and talent services. CDI's clients are in multiple industries, including energy, chemicals, infrastructure, aerospace, industrial equipment, technology, as well as municipal and state governments, and the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense. CDI has offices and delivery centers in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, CDI provides recruiting and staffing services through its global MRINetwork^® of franchisees. On March 20, 2017, the Company announced that it had initiated a process to identify and evaluate strategic alternatives to maximize stockholder value. As part of that process, it engaged an investment banking firm as financial advisor to assist it in exploring a potential sale of the Company. Strategic alternatives will be evaluated in combination with the Company’s ongoing transformation that focuses on disciplined operations and sales effectiveness. There can be no assurance that the process described above will result in the consummation of any transaction or, if a transaction is undertaken, as to its terms, structure or timing.

Business

CDI Corp. and its subsidiaries (the “ Company ” or “ CDI ”) are providers of solutions based on skilled technical and professional talent. CDI’s business is comprised of four segments: Enterprise Talent, Specialty Talent and Technology Solutions, Engineering Solutions and Management Recruiters International (MRI). The Company provides to clients engineering and information technology solutions encompassing managed, project and talent services. CDI's clients are in multiple industries, including energy, chemicals, infrastructure, aerospace, industrial equipment, technology, as well as municipal and state governments, and the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense. CDI has offices and delivery centers in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, CDI provides recruiting and staffing services through its global MRINetwork^® of franchisees.

On March 20, 2017, the Company announced that it had initiated a process to identify and evaluate strategic alternatives to maximize stockholder value. As part of that process, it engaged an investment banking firm as financial advisor to assist it in exploring a potential sale of the Company. Strategic alternatives will be evaluated in combination with the Company’s ongoing transformation that focuses on disciplined operations and sales effectiveness. There can be no assurance that the process described above will result in the consummation of any transaction or, if a transaction is undertaken, as to its terms, structure or timing.