Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2025

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

A complete listing of the Company’s significant accounting policies is discussed in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Revenue Recognition

See Note 3, Revenue.

Cost of Services

Cost of services consists of costs related to the delivery of various services in the Company's On-Demand Talent and Heidrick Consulting operating segments.

Research and Development

Research and development expense consists of payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation, other employee expenses and third-party professional fees associated with new product development.

Marketable Securities

The Company’s marketable securities consist of available-for-sale debt securities with original maturities exceeding three months.

Restricted Cash

The following table provides a reconciliation of the cash and cash equivalents between the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as of September 30, 2025 and 2024, and December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively:


	September 30,				December 31,
	2025		2024		2024		2023
Cash and cash equivalents	$	454,640	$	363,422	$	515,627	$	412,618

Restricted cash included within other non-current assets	269		—		186		—
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	454,909	$	363,422	$	515,813	$	412,618

Earnings per Common Share

Basic earnings per common share are computed by dividing net income by weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted. Common equivalent shares are excluded from the determination of diluted earnings per share in periods in which they have an anti-dilutive effect.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2025		2024		2025		2024
Net income	$	17,646	$	14,829	$	52,025	$	23,704
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic	20,735		20,357		20,617		20,254
Effect of dilutive securities:
Restricted stock units	377		458		519		619
Performance stock units	204		209		241		271
Diluted	21,316		21,024		21,377		21,144
Basic earnings per share	$	0.85	$	0.73	$	2.52	$	1.17
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.83	$	0.71	$	2.43	$	1.12

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in Operating lease right-of-use assets, Current liabilities - Operating lease liabilities and Non-current liabilities - Operating lease liabilities in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company does not have any leases that meet the finance lease criteria.

Right-of-use assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized on the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit rate, an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date is used in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating lease right-of-use asset also includes any lease payments made in advance and any accrued rent expense balances. Lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components. For office leases, the Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. For equipment leases, such as vehicles and office equipment, the Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components separately.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the difference between the purchase price of acquired businesses and the related fair value of the net assets acquired, which is accounted for by the acquisition method of accounting. The Company performs assessments of the carrying value of its goodwill at least annually and whenever events occur or circumstances indicate that a carrying amount of goodwill may not be recoverable. These circumstances include a significant change in business climate, attrition of key personnel, changes in financial condition or results of operations, prolonged decline in the Company’s stock price and market capitalization, competition, and other factors.

The goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company operates five reporting units: Americas, Europe (which includes Africa), Asia Pacific (which includes the Middle East), On-Demand Talent and Heidrick Consulting. The fair value of each of the Company’s reporting units is determined using a discounted cash flow methodology. An impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value; however, the loss recognized is not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

Immaterial Correction of Prior Period Error

A presentation error was identified within the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, related to the presentation of cash paid for capital expenditures. Certain capital expenditures were improperly classified as not paid as of September 30, 2024, rather than presented as a cash outflow from investing activities. The Company assessed the materiality of this change in presentation on prior period consolidated financial statements in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99, “Materiality,” (ASC Topic 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections). Based on this assessment, the Company concluded that the error correction in its Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows is not material to any previously presented condensed consolidated financial statements. The correction of the error had no impact on net income, total cash flows or stockholders' equity.

The following table outlines the effects of the correction of the presentation error on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows:


	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
	As Previously Reported		Adjustment		As Corrected
Accounts payable	$	(13,292)	$	13,395	$	103
Net cash used in operating activities	(39,757)		13,395		(26,362)

Capital expenditures	(9,647)		(13,395)		(23,042)
Net cash used in investing activities	$	3,815	$	(13,395)	$	(9,580)

Recently Issued Financial Accounting Standards

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2023-09, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures." The standard is intended to expand the disclosure requirements for income taxes, specifically related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on its financial statements.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03 "Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40)." The standard requires public companies to disclose, in the notes to financial statements, specified information about certain costs and expenses at each interim and annual reporting period. The amendment in this update is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on its financial statements.