Hays is on the verge of a major expansion in the US, and aims to be in the top three staffing companies within the sectors it enters within five years, according to the man in charge of its US operations.

John Faraguna, managing director of Hays’ global health and social care division, told Recruiter that while it was “not realistic” for Hays to become “a significant player across the board” in the US, the company could make a significant mark in particular niche markets. “We don’t have to be unique but one of the few,” he said.

The revelation follows Hays’ first venture into the US last month, when it opened an office in New Jersey to service the pharmaceutical sector.

“We have got a pretty strong story from being in pharma elsewhere in the world, where we are the leaders or one of the leaders,” said Faraguna. Faraguna said Hays’ pharma operation was “in the space between contingency and search” and focused on positions in the $80k to $200k range. “Some are more and some are less but that’s our sweet spot,” he said.

And following Hays’ entry into the pharma sector, Faraguna said the company was actively considering other sectors.

“We are currently running a pilot to gauge client and candidate interest within the financial services sector,” said Faraguna. This would be serviced from the New Jersey office, he added.

“In the next couple of months we will have that information, and we will know whether we are going to enter it or not,” he said.

And he revealed that in addition to pharma and financial services, other sectors were on the agenda, with oil & gas one possibility. “We will look to be in areas where people move across borders or where companies are setting up businesses elsewhere,” he said.

Hays could help US companies to recruit for staff in developing economies, such as China and India, he added.

“It is early days,” said Faraguna, “but within the next six to 12 months we will have a better idea of how we are doing, and where we are going.”