Revenue Recognition

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition

Note C—Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenues from three segments: contract talent solutions, permanent placement talent solutions, and Protiviti. Revenues are recognized when promised goods or services are delivered to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Service revenues, as presented on the Consolidated Statements of Operations, represent services rendered to customers less variable consideration, such as sales adjustments and allowances. Reimbursements, including those related to travel and out-of-pocket expenses, are also included in service revenues, and equivalent amounts of reimbursable expenses are included in costs of services.

Contract talent solutions revenues. Contract talent solutions revenues from contracts with customers are recognized in the amount to which the Company has a right to invoice when the services are rendered by the Company’s engagement professionals. The substantial majority of engagement professionals placed on assignment by the Company are the Company’s legal employees while they are working on assignments. The Company pays all related costs of employment, including workers’ compensation insurance, state and federal unemployment taxes, social security, and certain fringe benefits. The Company assumes the risk of acceptability of its employees to its customers.

The Company records contract talent solutions revenue on a gross basis as a principal versus on a net basis as an agent in the presentation of revenues and expenses. The Company has concluded that gross reporting is appropriate because the Company (i) has the risk of identifying and hiring qualified employees, (ii) has the discretion to select the employees and establish their price and duties, and (iii) bears the risk for services that are not fully paid for by customers. Fees paid to time management or vendor management service providers selected by clients are recorded as a reduction of revenues, as the Company is not the primary obligor with respect to those services.

Permanent placement talent solutions revenues. Permanent placement talent solutions revenues from contracts with customers are primarily recognized when employment candidates accept offers of permanent employment. The Company has a substantial history of estimating the financial impact of permanent placement candidates who do not remain with its clients through the 90-day guarantee period. These amounts are established based primarily on historical data and are recorded as liabilities. Fees to clients are generally calculated as a percentage of the new employee’s annual compensation. No fees for permanent placement talent solutions services are charged to employment candidates.

Protiviti revenues. Protiviti’s consulting services are generally provided on a time-and-material basis, fixed-fee basis, or unit basis. Revenues earned under time-and-material arrangements and fixed-fee arrangements are recognized using a proportional performance method. Revenue is measured using cost incurred relative to total estimated cost for the engagement to measure progress towards satisfying the Company’s performance obligations. Cost incurred represents work performed and thereby best depicts the transfer of control to the customer. Protiviti’s consulting services generally contain one or more performance obligation(s) which are satisfied over a period of time. Revenues are recognized over time as the performance obligations are satisfied, because the services provided do not have any alternative use to the Company, and contracts generally include language giving the Company an enforceable right to payment for services provided to date. Unit-based revenues are recognized when the service has transferred to the customer. Revenue is recognized based on unit price multiplied by the number of units delivered and based on specific terms outlined in contracts.

The Company periodically evaluates the need to provide for any losses on these projects, and losses are recognized when it is probable that a loss will be incurred.

The following table presents the Company’s revenues disaggregated by functional specialization and segments (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2024		2023		2022
Contract talent solutions
Finance and accounting	$	2,454,119	$	2,811,093	$	3,185,183
Administration and customer support	741,468		816,409		1,042,634
Technology	634,062		710,156		857,261
Elimination of intersegment revenues (a)	(471,777)		(442,326)		(552,231)
Total contract talent solutions	3,357,872		3,895,332		4,532,847
Permanent placement talent solutions	487,204		567,486		725,155
Protiviti	1,950,761		1,929,699		1,980,140
Total service revenues	$	5,795,837	$	6,392,517	$	7,238,142

(a)Service revenues for finance and accounting, administrative and customer support, and technology include intersegment revenues, which represent revenues from services provided to the Company’s Protiviti segment in connection with the Company’s blended business solutions. Intersegment revenues for each functional specialization are aggregated and then eliminated as a single line.

Payment terms in the Company’s contracts vary by the type and location of the Company’s customer and the services offered. The term between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant.

Contracts with multiple performance obligations are recognized as performance obligations are delivered, and contract value is allocated based on relative stand-alone selling values of the services and products in the arrangement. As of December 31, 2024, aggregate transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that were unsatisfied for contracts with an expected duration of greater than one year was $180.1 million. Of this amount, $169.7 million is expected to be recognized within the next 12 months. As of December 31, 2023, aggregate transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that were unsatisfied for contracts with an expected duration of greater than one year was $117.7 million.

Contract liabilities are recorded when cash payments are received or due in advance of performance and are reflected in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. The following table sets forth the activity in contract liabilities from December 31, 2022, through December 31, 2024 (in thousands):

	Contract
	Liabilities
Balance as of December 31, 2022	$	21,983
Payments in advance of satisfaction of performance obligations	47,719
Revenue recognized	(44,862)
Other, including translation adjustments	(266)
Balance as of December 31, 2023	$	24,574
Payments in advance of satisfaction of performance obligations	44,138
Revenue recognized	(44,086)
Other, including translation adjustments	(621)
Balance as of December 31, 2024	$	24,005