Heidrick & Struggles International (HSII) 10-Q 28 Oct 14 2014 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Oct. 23, 2014
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Trading Symbol	'HSII	'
Entity Registrant Name	'HEIDRICK & STRUGGLES INTERNATIONAL INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001066605	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	18,244,337

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$159,537	$181,646
Accounts receivable, net	94,130	71,666
Other receivables	9,762	6,906
Prepaid expenses	15,153	14,786
Other current assets	1,757	1,937
Income taxes recoverable	7,098	5,772
Deferred income taxes	6,949	8,061
Total current assets	294,386	290,774
Non-current assets:	'	'
Property and equipment, net	30,070	34,961
Restricted cash	7,998	7,878
Assets designated for retirement and pension plans	20,850	22,685
Investments	14,276	13,848
Other non-current assets	6,649	5,693
Goodwill	122,657	123,274
Other intangible assets, net	22,432	26,637
Deferred income taxes	22,258	27,474
Total non-current assets	247,190	262,450
Total assets	541,576	553,224
Current liabilities:	'	'
Current portion of debt	6,000	6,000
Accounts payable	5,532	7,791
Accrued salaries and employee benefits	104,803	109,943
Deferred revenue, net	31,848	27,714
Other current liabilities	24,797	18,938
Income taxes payable	4,655	5,401
Total current liabilities	177,635	175,787
Non-current liabilities:	'	'
Non-current debt, less current maturities	25,000	29,500
Retirement and pension plans	37,044	38,735
Other non-current liabilities	53,341	61,329
Total non-current liabilities	115,385	129,564
Total liabilities	293,020	305,351
Commitments and contingencies (Note 18)	'	'
Stockholders' equity:	'	'
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013	'	'
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 19,585,777 shares issued, 18,240,995 and 18,134,129 shares outstanding at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	196	196
Treasury stock at cost, 1,344,782 and 1,451,648 shares at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	-44,261	-47,811
Additional paid in capital	231,382	232,008
Retained earnings	47,169	48,511
Accumulated other comprehensive income	14,070	14,969
Total stockholders' equity	248,556	247,873
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$541,576	$553,224

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Preferred stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	19,585,777	19,585,777
Common stock, shares outstanding	18,240,995	18,134,129
Treasury stock, shares	1,344,782	1,451,648

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenue:	'	'	'	'
Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)	$125,829	$118,981	$373,030	$343,992
Reimbursements	4,432	4,523	13,721	14,148
Total revenue	130,261	123,504	386,751	358,140
Operating expenses:	'	'	'	'
Salaries and employee benefits	84,046	81,671	252,089	236,216
General and administrative expenses	32,226	28,957	98,092	93,292
Reimbursed expenses	4,432	4,523	13,721	14,148
Total operating expenses	120,704	115,151	363,902	343,656
Operating income	9,557	8,353	22,849	14,484
Non-operating expense:	'	'	'	'
Interest, net	-152	-91	-232	-120
Other, net	-488	-709	-444	-1,675
Net non-operating expense	-640	-800	-676	-1,795
Income before income taxes	8,917	7,553	22,173	12,689
Provision for income taxes	5,925	3,429	16,138	7,844
Net income	2,992	4,124	6,035	4,845
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax:	'	'	'	'
Foreign currency translation adjustment	-2,315	232	-1,067	-1,769
Net unrealized (loss) gain on available-for-sale investments	-349	436	160	783
Unrealized (loss) gain on cash flow hedge	77	-74	8	76
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	-2,587	594	-899	-910
Comprehensive income	$405	$4,718	$5,136	$3,935
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	18,233	18,104	18,200	18,064
Dilutive common shares	233	119	197	143
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	18,466	18,223	18,397	18,207
Basic net income per common share	$0.16	$0.23	$0.33	$0.27
Diluted net income per common share	$0.16	$0.23	$0.33	$0.27
Cash dividends paid per share	$0.13	$0.13	$0.39	$0.26

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (Unaudited) (USD $)	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Additional Paid in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$247,873	$196	($47,811)	$232,008	$48,511	$14,969
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2013	'	19,586	1,452	'	'	'
Net income	6,035	'	'	'	6,035	'
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	-899	'	'	'	'	-899
Treasury and common stock transactions:	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	2,885	'	'	2,885	'	'
Vesting of equity, net of tax withholdings	-404	'	2,737	-3,141	'	'
Vesting of equity, net of tax withholdings, shares	'	'	-84	'	'	'
Re-issuance of treasury stock	450	'	813	-363	'	'
Re-issuance of treasury stock, shares	'	'	-23	'	'	'
Cash dividends declared ($0.39 per share)	-7,108	'	'	'	-7,108	'
Dividend equivalents on restricted stock units	-269	'	'	'	-269	'
Tax deficit related to stock-based compensation	-7	'	'	-7	'	'
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2014	$248,556	$196	($44,261)	$231,382	$47,169	$14,070
Ending Balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2014	'	19,586	1,345	'	'	'

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Cash dividends per share	$0.39
Retained Earnings [Member]	'
Cash dividends per share	$0.39

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Cash flows-operating activities:	'	'
Net income	$6,035	$4,845
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	11,359	12,046
Deferred income taxes	5,633	-500
Stock-based compensation expense	2,885	2,775
Accretion expense related to earnout payments	1,308	1,551
Cash paid for restructuring charges	-108	-918
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:	'	'
Accounts and other receivables	-27,196	-21,607
Accounts payable	-2,177	-2,381
Accrued expenses	-1,774	-12,073
Deferred revenue	4,486	1,964
Income taxes payable, net	-2,220	4,826
Retirement and pension plan assets and liabilities	100	574
Prepaid expenses	-557	-3,207
Other assets and liabilities, net	178	240
Net cash used in operating activities	-2,048	-11,865
Cash flows-investing activities:	'	'
Restricted cash	-103	-50
Capital expenditures	-2,609	-1,920
Purchases of available for sale investments	-896	-661
Proceeds from sales of available for sale investments	966	155
Net cash used in investing activities	-2,642	-2,476
Cash flows-financing activities:	'	'
Proceeds from debt issuance	'	40,000
Debt repayment	-4,500	-3,000
Cash dividends paid	-7,364	-4,875
Payment of employee tax withholdings on equity transactions	-406	-647
Acquisition earnout payments	-3,390	-357
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	-15,660	31,121
Effect of exchange rates fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	-1,759	-1,595
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	-22,109	15,185
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	181,646	117,605
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$159,537	$132,790

Basis_of_Presentation_of_Inter

Basis of Presentation of Interim Financial Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation of Interim Financial Information	'
	1	Basis of Presentation of Interim Financial Information
	The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. Significant items subject to estimates and assumptions include revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts, interim effective tax rate, allowances for deferred tax assets, assessment of goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment, compensation accruals, stock-based compensation and contingent liabilities. Estimates are subject to a degree of uncertainty and actual results could differ from these estimates. These financial statements and notes are to be read in conjunction with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, as filed with the SEC on March 13, 2014.

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	2	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, 2013.
	Recent Financial Accounting Standards
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The ASU requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for these goods or services. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect upon initial adoption recognized at the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this pronouncement will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. The effect is not known or reasonably estimable at this time.

Allowance_for_Doubtful_Account

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	'
	3	Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
	The activity of the allowance for doubtful accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 is as follows:
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	4,709
	Provision charged to income			740
	Write-offs			(612	)
	Currency			(124	)
	Balance at September 30, 2014		$	4,713

Property_and_Equipment_net

Property and Equipment, net	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property and Equipment, net	'
	4	Property and Equipment, net
	The components of the Company’s property and equipment are as follows:
			September 30,			December 31,
			2014			2013
	Leasehold improvements		$	43,552		$	44,242
	Office furniture, fixtures and equipment			18,554			24,301
	Computer equipment and software			29,854			38,039
	Property and equipment, gross			91,960			106,582
	Accumulated depreciation			(61,890	)		(71,621	)
	Property and equipment, net		$	30,070		$	34,961
	Depreciation expense was $2.3 million and $2.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Depreciation expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $7.2 million and $7.7 million, respectively.

Restricted_Cash

Restricted Cash	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]	'
Restricted Cash	'
	5	Restricted Cash
	The components of the Company’s restricted cash are as follows:
			September 30,		December 31,
			2014		2013
	Non-current restricted cash:
	Retention escrow		$	6,500	$	6,501
	Lease guarantees			1,399		1,377
	Business licenses			99		—
	Total non-current restricted cash		$	7,998	$	7,878
	The retention escrow is associated with the Senn Delaney acquisition and will be paid to certain key executives of Senn Delaney if they remain with the Company for three years subsequent to the acquisition (See Note 8, Acquisitions). The Company has certain business licenses and lease agreements with terms that require the Company to restrict cash through the termination dates of the agreements, which extend through 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Investments

Investments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Investments Schedule [Abstract]	'
Investments	'
	6	Investments
	The components of the Company’s investments are as follows:
			September 30,		December 31,
			2014		2013
	U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan		$	13,592	$	13,232
	Warrants and equity securities			684		616
	Total		$	14,276	$	13,848
	The Company’s U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan consists primarily of U.S. marketable securities and mutual funds, all of which are valued using Level 1 inputs (See Note 7, Fair Value Measurements). The aggregate cost basis for these investments was $10.1 million and $9.9 million as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	7	Fair Value Measurements
	Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A three-level fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:
		•		Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
		•		Level 2 – Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, or other inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.
		•		Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets and liabilities. This includes certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.
			Quoted		Significant			Significant			Total
			Prices in		Other			Unobservable
			Active		Observable			Inputs
			Markets for		Inputs			(Level 3)
			Identical		(Level 2)
			Assets
			(Level 1)
	At September 30, 2014
	U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan		$	13,592	$	—		$	—		$	13,592
	Assets designated for retirement and pension plans			—		22,344			—			22,344
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedge			—		198			—			198
	Warrants and equity securities			—		—			684			684
	Acquisition earnout accruals			—		—			(11,897	)		(11,897	)
			$	13,592	$	22,542		$	(11,213	)	$	24,921
			Quoted		Significant			Significant			Total
			Prices in		Other			Unobservable
			Active		Observable			Inputs
			Markets for		Inputs			(Level 3)
			Identical		(Level 2)
			Assets
			(Level 1)
	At December 31, 2013
	U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan		$	13,232	$	—		$	—		$	13,232
	Assets designated for retirement and pension plans			—		24,312			—			24,312
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedge			—		180			—			180
	Warrants and equity securities			—		—			616			616
	Acquisition earnout accruals			—		—			(14,053	)		(14,053	)
			$	13,232	$	24,492		$	(13,437	)	$	24,287
	The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the nine months ended September 30, 2014.
			Warrants		Acquisition			Total
			and Equity		Earnout
			Securities		Accruals
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	616	$	(14,053	)	$	(13,437	)
	Realized / unrealized gains			68		—			68
	Earnout accretion			—		(1,308	)		(1,308	)
	Earnout payments			—		3,390			3,390
	Foreign currency translation			—		74			74
	Balance at September 30, 2014		$	684	$	(11,897	)	$	(11,213	)
	The Level 2 assets above are fair valued using a market approach. The Level 3 liabilities are: (i) accruals for future earnout payments related to prior acquisitions, the values of which are determined based on discounted cash flow models; and (ii) warrant and equity securities, the values of which are determined using a valuation model. The Company considers the recorded value of its financial assets and liabilities, which consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable, to approximate the fair value of the respective assets and liabilities at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 based upon the short-term nature of the assets and liabilities.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Acquisitions	'
	8	Acquisitions
	Scambler MacGregor Executive Search Pty Limited
	In November 2013, the Company acquired Scambler MacGregor, an Australian-based retained Executive Search boutique in the financial services industry for 1.1 million Australian dollars (equivalent to $1.0 million at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively) of initial consideration, pursuant to a stock purchase, which was funded from existing cash. In December 2013, the Company paid an additional $0.1 million related to the final working capital settlement. The Company also recorded $0.4 million of intangible assets and $2.7 million of goodwill. The goodwill is primarily related to the acquired workforce and strategic fit. The former owners of Scambler MacGregor are eligible to receive earnout payments of up to 2.8 million Australian dollars based on the achievement of certain revenue metrics over the period November 2013 through December 2018. As a result, the Company accrued 2.3 million Australian dollars (equivalent to $2.0 million at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013), representing the estimated fair value of future earnout payments as of the acquisition date.
	Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group, LLC
	In December 2012, the Company acquired Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group, LLC, a global leader of corporate culture shaping. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the Company paid $53.5 million at closing for 100 percent of the equity of Senn Delaney. The agreement also included additional cash consideration up to $15.0 million based on the realization of specific earnings milestones achieved over the period December 2012 through December 2015, of which $3.4 million was paid during the second quarter of 2014. The Company has accrued $9.9 million and $12.1 million at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively, for the remaining cash consideration. The Company has recognized $0.3 million and $0.5 million of accretion expense included in General and administrative expenses in the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $1.2 million and $1.6 million of accretion expense in the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company also holds $6.5 million in a retention escrow that will be paid to certain key executives of Senn Delaney if they remain with the Company for three years subsequent to the acquisition. The Company recognized $0.3 million and $0.5 million of compensation expense included in Salaries and employee benefits in the three months ended September 30, 2014 and September 30, 2013, respectively, related to the retention awards. The Company recognized $1.5 million and $1.8 million of compensation expense included in Salaries and employee benefits in the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, related to the retention awards.

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net	'
	9	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net
	Goodwill
	Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 are as follows:
			Executive			Executive			Culture			Total
			Search and			Search and			Shaping
			Leadership			Leadership
			Consulting-			Consulting–
			Americas			Asia Pacific
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	82,640		$	10,854		$	29,780		$	123,274
	Exchange rate fluctuations			(221	)		(351	)		(45	)		(617	)
	Balance at September 30, 2014		$	82,419		$	10,503		$	29,735		$	122,657
	Other Intangible Assets, Net
	The Company’s other intangible assets, net by segment, are as follows:
			September 30,			December 31,
			2014			2013
	Executive Search and Leadership Consulting
	Americas		$	1,114		$	1,340
	Asia Pacific			449			591
	Total Executive Search and Leadership Consulting			1,563			1,931
	Culture Shaping			20,869			24,706
	Total Other intangible assets, net		$	22,432		$	26,637
	The carrying amount of amortizable intangible assets and the related accumulated amortization are as follows:
						September 30, 2014									December 31, 2013
			Weighted			Gross			Accumulated			Net			Gross		Accumulated			Net
			Average			Carrying			Amortization			Carrying			Carrying		Amortization			Carrying
			Life (in			Amount						Amount			Amount					Amount
			years)
	Customer relationships			8.7		$	23,454		$	(14,254	)	$	9,200		$	23,541	$	(11,834	)	$	11,707
	Trade name			15			9,397			(2,085	)		7,312			9,430		(1,223	)		8,207
	Software			7			7,200			(1,800	)		5,400			7,200		(1,029	)		6,171
	Non-compete			5			600			(80	)		520			603		(51	)		552
	Total intangible assets			10.2		$	40,651		$	(18,219	)	$	22,432		$	40,774	$	(14,137	)	$	26,637
	Intangible asset amortization expense for the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $1.3 million and $1.5 million, respectively. Intangible asset amortization expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $4.1 million and $4.3 million, respectively. The estimated intangible amortization expense is $5.5 million for fiscal year 2014, $4.7 million for fiscal year 2015, $4.5 million for fiscal year 2016, $3.6 million for fiscal year 2017, and $2.8 million for fiscal year 2018. These amounts are based on intangible assets recorded as of September 30, 2014, and actual amortization expense could differ from these estimates as a result of future acquisitions and other factors.

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen

Derivative Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Derivative Financial Instruments	'
	10	Derivative Financial Instruments
	The Company uses derivative instruments to manage exposures to interest rate risk. The Company’s primary objective in holding derivatives is to reduce the volatility of earnings and cash flows associated with changes in interest rates. The Company’s derivatives expose it to credit risk to the extent that the counterparties may be unable to meet the terms of the agreement. The Company does, however, seek to mitigate such risks by limiting its counterparties to financial institutions that meet certain criteria. In addition, the potential risk of loss with any one counterparty resulting from this type of credit risk is monitored. Management does not expect material losses as a result of defaults by counterparties.
	The Company pays short-term variable interest rates, plus a spread which is dependent on the Company’s leverage ratio, calculated as defined within the Amendment and Restatement Agreement (“Restated Credit Agreement”). The term loan exposes the Company to the variability in interest payments and therefore fluctuations in interest expense and cash flows due to changes in interest rates.
	On February 28, 2013, the Company entered into an interest rate swap to hedge the variable interest rate exposure from the underlying term facility (See Note 12, Line of Credit and Term Loan). The interest rate swap was entered into to manage fluctuations in cash flows resulting from interest rate risk attributable to changes in the short-term variable interest rate. This interest rate swap involves the exchange of variable-rate interest payments for fixed-rate interest payments based on the contractual underlying notional amount. Gains or losses on the interest rate swap that are linked to the term loan being hedged are expected to perfectly offset the losses or gains on the underlying term loan from the short-term variable interest rate. The effective portion of changes in the fair value of a derivative that is designated and that qualifies as a cash flow hedge is recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period when the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. If a derivative is deemed to be ineffective, the ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings. During the quarter ended September 30, 2014, the Company’s interest rate swap entered into for purposes of managing fluctuations in cash flows resulting from the variable rate term loan was deemed effective and the Company expects it will be effective for the next twelve months. The notional amount of the interest rate swap was $31.0 million and $35.5 million as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.
	The summary of information with respect to the interest rate swap is as follows:
			September 30,				December 31,
			2014				2013
	Interest Rate Swap Contract		Fair		Gain(2)		Fair		Gain(2)
			Value (1)				Value (1)
	Derivative designed as cash flow hedge		$	198	$	198	$	180	$	180
	-1	Included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets within Other current assets.
	-2	Included in Accumulated other comprehensive income, net is $75 and $65 thousand of tax as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.
	The Company reclassified from Accumulated other comprehensive income into Interest, net $0.1 million during the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and $0.2 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013.

Other_NonCurrent_Liabilities

Other Non-Current Liabilities	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Other Non-Current Liabilities	'
	11	Other Non-Current Liabilities
	The components of other non-current liabilities are as follows:
			September 30,		December 31,
			2014		2013
	Accrued salaries and employee benefits		$	29,564	$	30,879
	Premise related costs			15,318		16,562
	Accrued earnout payments			7,759		11,628
	Other			700		2,260
	Total other non-current liabilities		$	53,341	$	61,329

Line_of_Credit_and_Term_Loan

Line of Credit and Term Loan	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Line of Credit and Term Loan	'
	12	Line of Credit and Term Loan
	On June 22, 2011, the Company and certain foreign subsidiary borrowers of the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Agreement”) with its lenders. The Agreement provides the terms under which the lenders will make available to the Company a committed unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate amount of up to $75 million (the “Revolving Facility”). The Agreement includes an expansion feature that allows the Company to seek to increase the aggregate commitment under the Revolving Facility by up to $25 million provided that the Company is in compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Agreement. The Agreement also provides for the issuance of letters of credit. The Revolving Facility matures on June 22, 2016. Under the Agreement, the Company may borrow U.S. dollars, euros, British pounds sterling, Australian dollars or other major traded currencies as agreed by the lenders. Borrowings under the Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s election, at the existing Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Agreement) or Adjusted LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Agreement) plus a spread as determined by the Company’s leverage ratio.
	On January 31, 2013, the Company and certain foreign subsidiary borrowers of the Company entered into a Restated Credit Agreement which amended the Agreement to add a committed term loan facility in an aggregate amount of up to $40 million (the “Term Facility”). There was no other material term change in the Agreement.
	On January 31, 2013 the Company borrowed $40 million under the Term Facility. The Term Facility is being repaid over a five-year period pursuant to which the Company will make quarterly payments of $1.5 million through 2016 and quarterly payments of $2.0 million during 2017. The remaining outstanding balance of the Term Facility will be paid on January 31, 2018. The interest rate on the debt is Adjusted LIBOR plus a spread which is dependent on the Company’s leverage ratio. The Company entered into an interest rate swap to address the risk related to the fluctuation in Adjusted LIBOR (See Note 10, Derivative Financial Instruments). As of September 30, 2014 the Company’s interest rate, including the impact of the interest rate swap, was 2.54%.
	As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 there was $31.0 million and $35.5 million, respectively, outstanding under the Term Facility. There were no borrowings made under the Revolving Facility during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company was in compliance with the financial and other covenants under the Restated Credit Agreement and no event of default existed as of September 30, 2014 and for the year ended December 31, 2013, respectively.

Stockbased_Compensation

Stock-based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock-based Compensation	'
	13	Stock-based Compensation
	The Company’s 2012 Heidrick & Struggles GlobalShare Program (the “2012 Program”) provides for grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights, and other stock-based awards that are valued based upon the grant date fair value of shares. The 2012 Program originally authorized 1,300,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to awards under the plan. These awards may be granted to directors, selected employees and independent contractors. On May 22, 2014, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to the 2012 Program to increase the number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the 2012 Program by 700,000 shares. As of September 30, 2014, 772,665 awards have been issued under the 2012 Program and 1,573,375 shares remain available for future awards, which includes 346,040 forfeited awards. The 2012 Program provides that no awards can be granted after May 24, 2022.
	The Company measures its stock-based compensation costs based on the grant date fair value of the awards and recognizes these costs in the financial statements over the requisite service period.
	A summary of information with respect to stock-based compensation is as follows:
			Three Months Ended					Nine Months Ended
			September 30,					September 30,
			2014			2013		2014		2013
	Salaries and employee benefits		$	1,044		$	302	$	2,434	$	2,475
	General and administrative expenses			—			—	$	451	$	300
	Income tax benefit related to stock-based compensation included in net income		$	465		$	118	$	1,286	$	1,087
	Restricted Stock Units
	Restricted stock unit activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:
			Number of			Weighted-
			Restricted			Average
			Stock Units			Grant-date
						Fair Value
	Outstanding on December 31, 2013			270,455		$	18.64
	Granted			295,733			18.02
	Vested and converted to common stock			(93,159	)		19.65
	Forfeited			(10,312	)		17.45
	Outstanding on September 30, 2014			462,717			18.07
	As of September 30, 2014, there was $4.2 million of pre-tax unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested restricted stock units, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average of 2.8 years.
	Performance Stock Units
	The Company grants performance stock units to certain of its senior executives. The performance stock units are generally subject to a cliff vesting at the end of a three year period. The vesting will vary between 0%—200% based on the attainment of operating income goals over the 3 year vesting period. The performance stock units are expensed on a straight-line basis over the 3 year vesting period.
	In the first quarter of 2014, the Company granted market-based performance stock units to the Chief Executive Officer as part of his initial compensation package. The market-based awards vest after a two-year service period and if the price of the Company’s common stock exceeds specified targets. The fair value of the market-based awards was determined using the Monte-Carlo simulation model. A Monte Carlo simulation model uses stock price volatility and other variables to estimate the probability of satisfying the market conditions and the resulting fair value of the award. Compensation costs related to the market-based awards are recognized regardless of whether the market condition is satisfied, as long as the requisite service has been provided.
	Performance stock unit activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:
			Number of			Weighted-
			Performance			Average
			Stock Units			Grant-date
						Fair Value
	Outstanding on December 31, 2013			61,321		$	19.77
	Granted			186,705			17.19
	Vested and converted to common stock			(9,429	)		27.18
	Forfeited			(9,427	)		27.18
	Outstanding on September 30, 2014			229,170			17.06
	As of September 30, 2014, there was $2.2 million of pre-tax unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested performance stock units, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average of 2.0 years.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	14	Income Taxes
	The Company reported income before taxes of $8.9 million and $7.6 million and recorded an income tax provision of $5.9 million and $3.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The increase in income tax provision from the third quarter of 2013 includes a discrete item for the establishment of a $2.3 million valuation allowance in the Asia Pacific segment as well as a change in the forecasted mix of income.
	The Company reported income before taxes of $22.2 million and $12.7 million and recorded an income tax provision of $16.1 million and $7.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The increase in the income tax provision from the prior year includes a discrete item for the establishment of valuation allowances of $4.8 million in the Asia Pacific segment. The Company’s effective income tax rate reflects an adjusted full-year expected annualized tax rate of approximately 75 percent.

Changes_in_Accumulated_Other_C

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	'
	15	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
	The changes in Accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) by component for the nine months ended September, 2014 is summarized below:
			Cash			Available-			Foreign			Pension		AOCI
			Flow			for-			Currency
			Hedge			Sale			Translation
						Securities
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	115		$	2,921		$	11,607		$	326	$	14,969
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, net of tax			(94	)		448			(1,067	)		—		(713	)
	Amount reclassified from AOCI (1)			102			(288	)		—			—		(186	)
	Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)			8			160			(1,067	)		—		(899	)
	Balance at September 30, 2014		$	123		$	3,081		$	10,540		$	326	$	14,070
	-1	Cash Flow Hedge and Available-for-Sale Securities reclassifications from AOCI are included in Interest, net and Other, net, respectively, in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	16	Segment Information
	The Company operates its executive search and leadership consulting services in the Americas; Europe (which includes Africa); and Asia Pacific (which includes the Middle East) and operates its culture shaping business as a separate segment.
	For segment purposes, reimbursements of out-of-pocket expenses classified as revenue and other operating income are reported separately and, therefore, are not included in the results of each segment. The Company believes that analyzing trends in revenue before reimbursements (net revenue), analyzing operating expenses as a percentage of net revenue, and analyzing operating income (loss) more appropriately reflects its core operations.
	During 2014, consistent with the Company’s practice to periodically review its reporting structure and segments, the Company evaluated its allocation of corporate and support costs to each of its regions. In conjunction with that review, to better align the Company’s cost and reporting structure, additional costs were allocated to the regions reflecting management’s current view of the costs necessary to support the regional operations. The prior period results have been recast to reflect these changes and present comparative year-over-year results.
	The revenue and operating income (loss) by segment are as follows:
			Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
			September 30,						September 30,
			2014			2013			2014			2013
	Revenue:
	Executive Search and Leadership Consulting
	Americas		$	64,982		$	65,522		$	193,034		$	192,906
	Europe			27,207			23,366			84,632			65,042
	Asia Pacific			23,305			23,528			69,162			68,464
	Total Executive Search and Leadership Consulting			115,494			112,416			346,828			326,412
	Culture Shaping			10,335			6,565			26,202			17,580
	Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)			125,829			118,981			373,030			343,992
	Reimbursements			4,432			4,523			13,721			14,148
	Total		$	130,261		$	123,504		$	386,751		$	358,140
			Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
			September 30,						September 30,
			2014			2013			2014			2013
	Operating income (loss):
	Executive Search and Leadership Consulting
	Americas		$	14,257		$	17,604		$	43,266		$	47,028
	Europe			1,946			342			4,373			(4,740	)
	Asia Pacific			2,228			1,737			4,790			4,797
	Total Executive Search and Leadership Consulting			18,431			19,683			52,429			47,085
	Culture Shaping			2,866			(708	)		3,643			(3,691	)
	Total segments			21,297			18,975			56,072			43,394
	Global Operations Support			(11,740	)		(10,622	)		(33,223	)		(28,910	)
	Total		$	9,557		$	8,353		$	22,849		$	14,484

Guarantees

Guarantees	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Guarantees [Abstract]	'
Guarantees	'
	17	Guarantees
	The Company has issued cash collateralized bank guarantees and letter of credit backed bank guarantees supporting certain obligations, primarily the payment of office lease obligations and business license requirements for certain of its international subsidiaries. The bank guarantees were made to secure the respective agreements and are for the terms of the agreements, which extend through 2018. For each bank guarantee issued, the Company would have to perform under the guarantee if the subsidiary defaults on a lease payment. The maximum amount of undiscounted payments the Company would be required to make in the event of default on all outstanding bank guarantees is approximately $2.2 million as of September 30, 2014. The Company has not accrued for these arrangements as no event of default exists or is expected to exist.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	18	Commitments and Contingencies
	Litigation
	The Company has contingent liabilities from various pending claims and litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of the Company’s business, some of which involve claims for damages that are substantial in amount, and some of which are covered by insurance. In accordance with ASC 450, Contingencies, the Company records a reserve for estimated losses when the loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Based upon information currently available, the Company believes the ultimate resolution of any pending claims or litigation will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
	UK Employee Benefits Trust
	On January 27, 2010, HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) in the United Kingdom notified the Company that it was challenging the tax treatment of certain of the Company’s contributions in the United Kingdom to an Employee Benefits Trust between 2002 and 2008. HMRC alleges that these contributions should have been subject to Pay As You Earn tax and Class 1 National Insurance Contributions in the United Kingdom; and HMRC is proposing an adjustment to the Company’s payroll tax liability for the affected years. The aggregate amount of HMRC’s proposed adjustment is approximately £3.9 million (equivalent to $6.3 million at September 30, 2014). The Company has appealed the proposed adjustment. At this time, the Company believes that the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome with respect to the proposed adjustment is not probable and the potential amount of any loss cannot be reasonably estimated. The Company also believes that the amount of any final adjustment would not be material to the Company’s financial condition.

Subsequent_Event

Subsequent Event	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Subsequent Events [Abstract]	'
Subsequent Event	'
	19	Subsequent Event
	On October 1, 2014, the Company amended the terms of its current lease agreement to extend the term of the lease in Chicago, Illinois from October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2026. The impact of new lease on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements is not material.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Recent Financial Accounting Standards	'
	Recent Financial Accounting Standards
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The ASU requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for these goods or services. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect upon initial adoption recognized at the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this pronouncement will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. The effect is not known or reasonably estimable at this time.

Allowance_for_Doubtful_Account1

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Summary of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	'
	The activity of the allowance for doubtful accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 is as follows:
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	4,709
	Provision charged to income		740
	Write-offs		(612	)
	Currency		(124	)
	Balance at September 30, 2014	$	4,713

Property_and_Equipment_net_Tab

Property and Equipment, net (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Components of Company's Property and Equipment	'
	The components of the Company’s property and equipment are as follows:
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Leasehold improvements	$	43,552		$	44,242
	Office furniture, fixtures and equipment		18,554			24,301
	Computer equipment and software		29,854			38,039
	Property and equipment, gross		91,960			106,582
	Accumulated depreciation		(61,890	)		(71,621	)
	Property and equipment, net	$	30,070		$	34,961

Restricted_Cash_Tables

Restricted Cash (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]	'
Components of Restricted Cash	'
	The components of the Company’s restricted cash are as follows:
		September 30,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Non-current restricted cash:
	Retention escrow	$	6,500	$	6,501
	Lease guarantees		1,399		1,377
	Business licenses		99		—
	Total non-current restricted cash	$	7,998	$	7,878

Investments_Tables

Investments (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Investments Schedule [Abstract]	'
Components of Company's Investments	'
	The components of the Company’s investments are as follows:
		September 30,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan	$	13,592	$	13,232
	Warrants and equity securities		684		616
	Total	$	14,276	$	13,848

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Levels of Inputs Used to Measure Fair Value of Assets	'
		Quoted		Significant			Significant			Total
		Prices in		Other			Unobservable
		Active		Observable			Inputs
		Markets for		Inputs			(Level 3)
		Identical		(Level 2)
		Assets
		(Level 1)
	At September 30, 2014
	U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan	$	13,592	$	—		$	—		$	13,592
	Assets designated for retirement and pension plans		—		22,344			—			22,344
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedge		—		198			—			198
	Warrants and equity securities		—		—			684			684
	Acquisition earnout accruals		—		—			(11,897	)		(11,897	)
		$	13,592	$	22,542		$	(11,213	)	$	24,921
		Quoted		Significant			Significant			Total
		Prices in		Other			Unobservable
		Active		Observable			Inputs
		Markets for		Inputs			(Level 3)
		Identical		(Level 2)
		Assets
		(Level 1)
	At December 31, 2013
	U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan	$	13,232	$	—		$	—		$	13,232
	Assets designated for retirement and pension plans		—		24,312			—			24,312
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedge		—		180			—			180
	Warrants and equity securities		—		—			616			616
	Acquisition earnout accruals		—		—			(14,053	)		(14,053	)
		$	13,232	$	24,492		$	(13,437	)	$	24,287
Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balance of Level 3 Assets and Liabilities	'
	The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the nine months ended September 30, 2014.
		Warrants		Acquisition			Total
		and Equity		Earnout
		Securities		Accruals
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	616	$	(14,053	)	$	(13,437	)
	Realized / unrealized gains		68		—			68
	Earnout accretion		—		(1,308	)		(1,308	)
	Earnout payments		—		3,390			3,390
	Foreign currency translation		—		74			74
	Balance at September 30, 2014	$	684	$	(11,897	)	$	(11,213	)

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_1

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill by Segment	'
	Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 are as follows:
		Executive			Executive			Culture			Total
		Search and			Search and			Shaping
		Leadership			Leadership
		Consulting-			Consulting–
		Americas			Asia Pacific
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	82,640		$	10,854		$	29,780		$	123,274
	Exchange rate fluctuations		(221	)		(351	)		(45	)		(617	)
	Balance at September 30, 2014	$	82,419		$	10,503		$	29,735		$	122,657
Summary of Other Intangible Assets Net by Segment	'
	The Company’s other intangible assets, net by segment, are as follows:
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Executive Search and Leadership Consulting
	Americas	$	1,114		$	1,340
	Asia Pacific		449			591
	Total Executive Search and Leadership Consulting		1,563			1,931
	Culture Shaping		20,869			24,706
	Total Other intangible assets, net	$	22,432		$	26,637
Carrying Amount of Amortizable Intangible Assets and Related Accumulated Amortization	'
	The carrying amount of amortizable intangible assets and the related accumulated amortization are as follows:
					September 30, 2014									December 31, 2013
		Weighted			Gross			Accumulated			Net			Gross		Accumulated			Net
		Average			Carrying			Amortization			Carrying			Carrying		Amortization			Carrying
		Life (in			Amount						Amount			Amount					Amount
		years)
	Customer relationships		8.7		$	23,454		$	(14,254	)	$	9,200		$	23,541	$	(11,834	)	$	11,707
	Trade name		15			9,397			(2,085	)		7,312			9,430		(1,223	)		8,207
	Software		7			7,200			(1,800	)		5,400			7,200		(1,029	)		6,171
	Non-compete		5			600			(80	)		520			603		(51	)		552
	Total intangible assets		10.2		$	40,651		$	(18,219	)	$	22,432		$	40,774	$	(14,137	)	$	26,637

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen1

Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Summary of Interest Rate Swap Contract	'
	The summary of information with respect to the interest rate swap is as follows:
			September 30,				December 31,
			2014				2013
	Interest Rate Swap Contract		Fair		Gain(2)		Fair		Gain(2)
			Value (1)				Value (1)
	Derivative designed as cash flow hedge		$	198	$	198	$	180	$	180
	-1	Included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets within Other current assets.
	-2	Included in Accumulated other comprehensive income, net is $75 and $65 thousand of tax as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Other_NonCurrent_Liabilities_T

Other Non-Current Liabilities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Components of Other Non-Current Liabilities	'
	The components of other non-current liabilities are as follows:
		September 30,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Accrued salaries and employee benefits	$	29,564	$	30,879
	Premise related costs		15,318		16,562
	Accrued earnout payments		7,759		11,628
	Other		700		2,260
	Total other non-current liabilities	$	53,341	$	61,329

Stockbased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Summary of Information with Respect to Stock-based Compensation	'
	A summary of information with respect to stock-based compensation is as follows:
		Three Months Ended					Nine Months Ended
		September 30,					September 30,
		2014			2013		2014		2013
	Salaries and employee benefits	$	1,044		$	302	$	2,434	$	2,475
	General and administrative expenses		—			—	$	451	$	300
	Income tax benefit related to stock-based compensation included in net income	$	465		$	118	$	1,286	$	1,087
Restricted Stock Unit Activity	'
	Restricted stock unit activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:
		Number of			Weighted-
		Restricted			Average
		Stock Units			Grant-date
					Fair Value
	Outstanding on December 31, 2013		270,455		$	18.64
	Granted		295,733			18.02
	Vested and converted to common stock		(93,159	)		19.65
	Forfeited		(10,312	)		17.45
	Outstanding on September 30, 2014		462,717			18.07
Performance Stock Unit Activity	'
	Performance stock unit activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:
		Number of			Weighted-
		Performance			Average
		Stock Units			Grant-date
					Fair Value
	Outstanding on December 31, 2013		61,321		$	19.77
	Granted		186,705			17.19
	Vested and converted to common stock		(9,429	)		27.18
	Forfeited		(9,427	)		27.18
	Outstanding on September 30, 2014		229,170			17.06

Changes_in_Accumulated_Other_C1

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("AOCI") by Component	'
	The changes in Accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) by component for the nine months ended September, 2014 is summarized below:
			Cash			Available-			Foreign			Pension		AOCI
			Flow			for-			Currency
			Hedge			Sale			Translation
						Securities
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	115		$	2,921		$	11,607		$	326	$	14,969
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, net of tax			(94	)		448			(1,067	)		—		(713	)
	Amount reclassified from AOCI (1)			102			(288	)		—			—		(186	)
	Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)			8			160			(1,067	)		—		(899	)
	Balance at September 30, 2014		$	123		$	3,081		$	10,540		$	326	$	14,070
	-1	Cash Flow Hedge and Available-for-Sale Securities reclassifications from AOCI are included in Interest, net and Other, net, respectively, in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Revenue and Operating Income (Loss), by Segment	'
	The revenue and operating income (loss) by segment are as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Revenue:
	Executive Search and Leadership Consulting
	Americas	$	64,982		$	65,522		$	193,034		$	192,906
	Europe		27,207			23,366			84,632			65,042
	Asia Pacific		23,305			23,528			69,162			68,464
	Total Executive Search and Leadership Consulting		115,494			112,416			346,828			326,412
	Culture Shaping		10,335			6,565			26,202			17,580
	Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)		125,829			118,981			373,030			343,992
	Reimbursements		4,432			4,523			13,721			14,148
	Total	$	130,261		$	123,504		$	386,751		$	358,140
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Operating income (loss):
	Executive Search and Leadership Consulting
	Americas	$	14,257		$	17,604		$	43,266		$	47,028
	Europe		1,946			342			4,373			(4,740	)
	Asia Pacific		2,228			1,737			4,790			4,797
	Total Executive Search and Leadership Consulting		18,431			19,683			52,429			47,085
	Culture Shaping		2,866			(708	)		3,643			(3,691	)
	Total segments		21,297			18,975			56,072			43,394
	Global Operations Support		(11,740	)		(10,622	)		(33,223	)		(28,910	)
	Total	$	9,557		$	8,353		$	22,849		$	14,484

Allowance_for_Doubtful_Account2

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts - Summary of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Summary Of Allowance For Doubtful Accounts [Abstract]	'
Balance at December 31, 2013	$4,709
Provision charged to income	740
Write-offs	-612
Currency	-124
Balance at September 30, 2014	$4,713

Property_and_Equipment_Net_Com

Property and Equipment, Net - Components of Company's Property and Equipment (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property and equipment, gross	$91,960	$106,582
Accumulated depreciation	-61,890	-71,621
Property and equipment, net	30,070	34,961
Leasehold improvements [Member]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property and equipment, gross	43,552	44,242
Office furniture, fixtures and equipment [Member]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property and equipment, gross	18,554	24,301
Computer equipment and software [Member]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property and equipment, gross	$29,854	$38,039

Property_and_Equipment_Net_Add

Property and Equipment, Net - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Depreciation expense	$2.30	$2.60	$7.20	$7.70

Restricted_Cash_Components_of_

Restricted Cash - Components of Restricted Cash (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]	'	'
Non-current restricted cash	$7,998	$7,878
Lease guarantees [Member]	'	'
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]	'	'
Non-current restricted cash	1,399	1,377
Retention escrow [Member]	'	'
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]	'	'
Non-current restricted cash	6,500	6,501
Business licenses [Member]	'	'
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]	'	'
Non-current restricted cash	$99	'

Restricted_Cash_Additional_Inf

Restricted Cash - Additional Information (Detail)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]	'
Extend termination dates of the leases	'Extend through 2018
Business license agreement maturity period	'Extend through 2017

Investments_Components_of_Comp

Investments - Components of Company's Investments (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Fair Value of Separate Accounts by Major Category of Investment [Line Items]	'	'
Total	$14,276	$13,848
U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Fair Value of Separate Accounts by Major Category of Investment [Line Items]	'	'
Total	13,592	13,232
Warrants and equity securities [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Fair Value of Separate Accounts by Major Category of Investment [Line Items]	'	'
Total	$684	$616

Investments_Additional_Informa

Investments - Additional Information (Detail) (U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan [Member], USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Fair Value of Separate Accounts by Major Category of Investment [Line Items]	'	'
Aggregate cost basis for investments	$10.10	$9.90

Fair_Value_Measurements_Levels

Fair Value Measurements - Levels of Inputs Used to Measure Fair Value of Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan	$13,592	$13,232
Assets designated for retirement and pension plans	22,344	24,312
Derivatives designated as cash flow hedge	198	180
Warrants and equity securities	684	616
Acquisition earnout accruals	-11,897	-14,053
Total fair value of assets	24,921	24,287
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
U.S. non-qualified deferred compensation plan	13,592	13,232
Total fair value of assets	13,592	13,232
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets designated for retirement and pension plans	22,344	24,312
Derivatives designated as cash flow hedge	198	180
Total fair value of assets	22,542	24,492
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Warrants and equity securities	684	616
Acquisition earnout accruals	-11,897	-14,053
Total fair value of assets	($11,213)	($13,437)

Fair_Value_Measurements_Reconc

Fair Value Measurements - Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balance of Level 3 Assets and Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]	Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]	Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
				Warrants and equity securities [Member]	Acquisition Earnout Accruals [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Balance at December 31, 2013	$24,921	$24,287	($13,437)	$616	($14,053)
Realized / unrealized gains	'	'	68	68	'
Earnout accretion	'	'	-1,308	'	-1,308
Earnout payments	'	'	3,390	'	3,390
Foreign currency translation	'	'	74	'	74
Balance at September 30, 2014	$24,921	$24,287	($11,213)	$684	($11,897)

Acquisitions_Additional_Inform

Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Nov. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	Scambler MacGregor [Member]	Scambler MacGregor [Member]	Scambler MacGregor [Member]	Senn Delaney [Member]	Senn Delaney [Member]	Senn Delaney [Member]	Senn Delaney [Member]	Senn Delaney [Member]	Senn Delaney [Member]	Senn Delaney [Member]
	USD ($)	USD ($)	AUD	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Acquisition Date	'November 2013	'	'	'	'	'	'December 2012	'	'	'
Consideration paid to purchase	$1	$1	1.1	'	'	'	'	'	'	$53.50
Estimated fair value of future earnout payments associated with acquisition	'	'	2.8	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Accrued additional cash consideration	2	2	2.3	9.9	'	'	9.9	'	12.1	'
Additional payments relates to final working capital settlement	'	0.1	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable intangible assets	'	0.4	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Goodwill acquired	'	2.7	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Percentage of equity of acquired company	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	100.00%
Additional cash consideration	'	'	'	'	3.4	'	15	'	'	'
Specific earnings milestones achieved period	'	'	'	'	'	'	'Period December 2012 through December 2015	'	'	'
General and administrative expense of acquisition related costs	'	'	'	0.3	'	0.5	1.2	1.6	'	'
Retention escrow paid	'	'	'	6.5	'	'	6.5	'	'	'
Minimum service period acquired to cover under plan	'	'	'	'	'	'	'3 years	'	'	'
Compensation expense	'	'	'	$0.30	'	$0.50	$1.50	$1.80	'	'

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_2

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net - Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill by Segment (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill [Line Items]	'
Beginning Balance	$123,274
Exchange rate fluctuations	-617
Ending Balance	122,657
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Americas [Member]	'
Goodwill [Line Items]	'
Beginning Balance	82,640
Exchange rate fluctuations	-221
Ending Balance	82,419
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]	'
Goodwill [Line Items]	'
Beginning Balance	10,854
Exchange rate fluctuations	-351
Ending Balance	10,503
Culture Shaping [Member]	'
Goodwill [Line Items]	'
Beginning Balance	29,780
Exchange rate fluctuations	-45
Ending Balance	$29,735

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_3

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net - Summary of Other Intangible Assets Net by Segment (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Total Other intangible assets, net	$22,432	$26,637
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Total Other intangible assets, net	1,563	1,931
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Americas [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Total Other intangible assets, net	1,114	1,340
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Total Other intangible assets, net	449	591
Culture Shaping [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Total Other intangible assets, net	$20,869	$24,706

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_4

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net - Carrying Amount of Amortizable Intangible Assets and Related Accumulated Amortization (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Weighted Average Life (in years)	'10 years 2 months 12 days	'
Gross Carrying Amount	$40,651	$40,774
Accumulated Amortization	-18,219	-14,137
Net Carrying Amount	22,432	26,637
Customer relationships [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Weighted Average Life (in years)	'8 years 8 months 12 days	'
Gross Carrying Amount	23,454	23,541
Accumulated Amortization	-14,254	-11,834
Net Carrying Amount	9,200	11,707
Trade name [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Weighted Average Life (in years)	'15 years	'
Gross Carrying Amount	9,397	9,430
Accumulated Amortization	-2,085	-1,223
Net Carrying Amount	7,312	8,207
Software [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Weighted Average Life (in years)	'7 years	'
Gross Carrying Amount	7,200	7,200
Accumulated Amortization	-1,800	-1,029
Net Carrying Amount	5,400	6,171
Non-compete [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Weighted Average Life (in years)	'5 years	'
Gross Carrying Amount	600	603
Accumulated Amortization	-80	-51
Net Carrying Amount	$520	$552

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_5

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net - Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Intangible asset amortization expense	$1.30	$1.50	$4.10	$4.30
Estimated Intangible asset amortization expense 2014	5.5	'	5.5	'
Estimated Intangible asset amortization expense 2015	4.7	'	4.7	'
Estimated Intangible asset amortization expense 2016	4.5	'	4.5	'
Estimated Intangible asset amortization expense 2017	3.6	'	3.6	'
Estimated Intangible asset amortization expense 2018	$2.80	'	$2.80	'

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen2

Derivative Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
	Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Interest Rate Swap [Member]	Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amount of derivatives in contracts	'	'	'	'	$31	$35.50
Amount reclassified from Accumulated other comprehensive income into interest, net	$0.10	$0.10	$0.20	$0.20	'	'

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen3

Derivative Financial Instruments - Summary of Interest Rate Swap Contract (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]	'	'
Derivative designed as cash flow hedge, Fair Value	$198	$180
Interest Rate Swap [Member]	'	'
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]	'	'
Derivative designed as cash flow hedge, Fair Value	198	180
Derivative designed as cash flow hedge, Gain	$198	$180

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen4

Derivative Financial Instruments - Summary of Interest Rate Swap Contract (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Amount of tax on derivatives included in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$75	$65

Other_NonCurrent_Liabilities_C

Other Non-Current Liabilities - Components of Other Non-Current Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Accrued salaries and employee benefits	$29,564	$30,879
Premise related costs	15,318	16,562
Accrued earnout payments	7,759	11,628
Other	700	2,260
Total other non-current liabilities	$53,341	$61,329

Line_of_Credit_and_Term_Loan_A

Line of Credit and Term Loan - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 22, 2011	Jun. 22, 2011	Jan. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
				Maximum [Member]	Term Facility [Member]	Term Facility [Member]	Term Facility [Member]
						Payment
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Borrowing amount under term loan facility	'	'	$75,000,000	'	$40,000,000	'	'
Increased aggregate commitment under the facility	'	'	'	25,000,000	'	'	'
Facility maturity date	22-Jun-16	'	'	'	'	31-Jan-18	'
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Amount Outstanding During Period	'	'	'	'	40,000,000	'	'
Repaid period of term facility	'5 years	'	'	'	'	'	'
Number of quarterly payments	'	'	'	'	'	15	'
Amount of quarterly payment	'	'	'	'	'	1,500,000	'
Number of quarterly payment of term loan facility in fifth year under Amendment Agreement	'	'	'	'	'	4	'
Quarterly payment of term loan facility in fifth year under Amendment Agreement	'	'	'	'	'	2,000,000	'
Interest rate swap	'	'	'	'	'	2.54%	'
Borrowings made or outstanding under line of credit	$0	$0	'	'	'	$31,000,000	$35,500,000

Stockbased_Compensation_Additi

Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	22-May-14
2012 Program [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Shares authorized for issuance with respect to awards granted	1,300,000	'
Increase in number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance	'	700,000
Number of stock awards issued under 2012 Program	772,665	'
Shares available for future awards	1,573,375	'
Number of forfeited awards under 2012 Program	346,040	'
Awards can be grated after May 24, 2022 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Shares available for future awards	0	'
Performance Stock Units [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Pre-tax unrecognized compensation expense	2.2	'
Expected time to be recognized	'2 years	'
Performance Stock Units [Member] | Executive Officer [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Performance stock units vesting period	'3 years	'
Performance stock units, Expiration Period	'3 years	'
Performance Stock Units [Member] | Chief Executive Officer [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Performance stock units vesting period	'2 years	'
Performance Stock Units [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Executive Officer [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Performance stock units, variation percentage	0.00%	'
Performance Stock Units [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Executive Officer [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Performance stock units, variation percentage	200.00%	'
Restricted Stock Units [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Pre-tax unrecognized compensation expense	4.2	'
Expected time to be recognized	'2 years 9 months 18 days	'

Stockbased_Compensation_Summar

Stock-based Compensation - Summary of Information with Respect to Stock-Based Compensation (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Salaries and employee benefits	$1,044	$302	$2,434	$2,475
Income tax benefit related to stock-based compensation included in net income	465	118	1,286	1,087
General and Administrative Expense [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
General and administrative expenses	'	'	$451	$300

Stockbased_Compensation_Restri

Stock-based Compensation - Restricted Stock Unit Activity (Detail) (Restricted Stock Units [Member], USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Restricted Stock Units [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Number of Stock Units, Beginning balance	270,455
Number of Stock Units, Granted	295,733
Number of Stock Units, Vested and converted to common stock	-93,159
Number of Stock Units, Forfeited	-10,312
Number of Stock Units, Ending balance	462,717
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Beginning balance	$18.64
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Granted	$18.02
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Vested and converted to common stock	$19.65
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Forfeited	$17.45
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Ending balance	$18.07

Stockbased_Compensation_Perfor

Stock-based Compensation - Performance Stock Unit Activity (Detail) (Performance Stock Units [Member], USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Performance Stock Units [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Number of Stock Units, Beginning balance	61,321
Number of Stock Units, Granted	186,705
Number of Stock Units, Vested and converted to common stock	-9,429
Number of Stock Units, Forfeited	-9,427
Number of Stock Units, Ending balance	229,170
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Beginning balance	$19.77
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Granted	$17.19
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Vested and converted to common stock	$27.18
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Forfeited	$27.18
Weighted-Average Grant-date Fair Value, Ending balance	$17.06

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Income before taxes	$8,917,000	$7,553,000	$22,173,000	$12,689,000
Provision for income taxes	5,925,000	3,429,000	16,138,000	7,844,000
Increase amount in valuation allowance	$4,800,000	$2,300,000	$4,800,000	$2,300,000
Adjusted full-year expected annualized tax rate	'	'	75.00%	'

Changes_in_Accumulated_Other_C2

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income - Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("AOCI") by Component (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
					Cash Flow Hedge Adjustment [Member]	Available-for-Sale Securities Adjustment [Member]	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment [Member]	Pension Adjustment [Member]	Pension Adjustment [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Balance at December 31, 2013	'	'	$14,969	'	$115	$2,921	$11,607	$326	$326
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, net of tax	'	'	-713	'	-94	448	-1,067	'	'
Amount reclassified from AOCI	'	'	-186	'	102	-288	'	'	'
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	-2,587	594	-899	-910	8	160	-1,067	'	'
Balance at September 30, 2014	$14,070	'	$14,070	'	$123	$3,081	$10,540	$326	$326

Segment_Information_Revenue_an

Segment Information - Revenue and Operating Income (Loss), by Segment (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenue:	'	'	'	'
Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)	$125,829	$118,981	$373,030	$343,992
Reimbursements	4,432	4,523	13,721	14,148
Total revenue	130,261	123,504	386,751	358,140
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss)	9,557	8,353	22,849	14,484
Operating Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss)	21,297	18,975	56,072	43,394
Global Operations Support [Member]	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Global Operations Support	-11,740	-10,622	-33,223	-28,910
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Revenue:	'	'	'	'
Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)	115,494	112,416	346,828	326,412
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss)	18,431	19,683	52,429	47,085
Culture Shaping [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Revenue:	'	'	'	'
Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)	10,335	6,565	26,202	17,580
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss)	2,866	-708	3,643	-3,691
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting Americas Segment [Member] | Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Revenue:	'	'	'	'
Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)	64,982	65,522	193,034	192,906
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss)	14,257	17,604	43,266	47,028
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting Europe Segment [Member] | Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Revenue:	'	'	'	'
Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)	27,207	23,366	84,632	65,042
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss)	1,946	342	4,373	-4,740
Executive Search and Leadership Consulting Asia Pacific Segment [Member] | Executive Search and Leadership Consulting [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Revenue:	'	'	'	'
Revenue before reimbursements (net revenue)	23,305	23,528	69,162	68,464
Operating income (loss):	'	'	'	'
Operating income (loss)	$2,228	$1,737	$4,790	$4,797

Guarantees_Additional_Informat

Guarantees - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Guarantees [Abstract]	'
Maximum undiscounted payments under outstanding guarantees	$2.20
Extend termination dates of the leases	'Extend through 2018

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies - Litigation - Additional Information (Detail)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	USD ($)	GBP (£)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Proposed adjustment to payroll tax liability	$6.30	£ 3.9