Business Segments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2016		Apr. 30, 2015		Apr. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue		$ 399,960	$ 344,158	$ 280,600	$ 267,394	$ 271,717	$ 249,545	$ 255,702	$ 251,188	$ 1,292,112		$ 1,028,152		$ 960,301
Deferred revenue adjustment due to acquisition										10,967
Adjusted fee revenue										1,303,079
Total revenue										1,346,714		1,066,066		995,559
Net income		6,375	(15,995)	17,971	23,082	25,482	22,939	25,403	14,533	31,433		88,357		72,691
Other loss (income), net										4,167		(7,458)		(9,769)
Interest (income) expense, net										(237)		1,784		2,363
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net										(1,631)		(2,181)		(2,169)
Income tax provision										18,960		33,526		28,492
Operating income (loss)		4,842	$ (14,067)	$ 29,013	$ 32,904	28,092	$ 32,927	$ 34,416	$ 18,593	52,692		114,028		91,608
Depreciation and amortization										36,220		27,597		26,172
Other (loss) income, net										(4,167)		7,458		9,769
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net										1,631		2,181		2,169
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest										(520)
EBITDA										85,856		151,264		129,718
Restructuring charges, net										33,013		9,468		3,682
Acquisition costs										45,409	[1]	959	[2]
Venezuelan foreign currency loss										13,720
Deferred revenue adjustment due to acquisition										10,967
Separation costs										744				4,500
Integration costs														394
Adjusted EBITDA										189,709		161,691		138,294
Identifiable assets	[3]	1,898,600				1,317,801				1,898,600		1,317,801		1,233,666
Long-lived assets	[3]	95,436				62,088				95,436		62,088		60,434
Goodwill	[3]	590,072				254,440				590,072		254,440		257,582
Operating Segments | Executive Search
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue										622,914		597,407		568,875
Adjusted fee revenue										622,914
Total revenue										644,528		619,325		591,190
Operating income (loss)										131,706		119,020		116,352
Depreciation and amortization										5,549		6,674		8,012
Other (loss) income, net										619		849		1,769
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net										437		426		383
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest										(491)
EBITDA										137,820		126,969		126,516
Restructuring charges, net										7,205		5,384		1,336
Venezuelan foreign currency loss										6,635
Adjusted EBITDA										151,660		132,353		127,852
Identifiable assets	[3]	488,411				602,945				488,411		602,945		562,354
Long-lived assets	[3]	29,048				26,357				29,048		26,357		28,308
Goodwill	[3]	95,485				96,497				95,485		96,497		104,615
Operating Segments | Executive Search | North America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue										371,345		330,634		306,768
Adjusted fee revenue										371,345
Total revenue										386,256		344,913		321,473
Operating income (loss)										100,381		80,818		70,256
Depreciation and amortization										3,267		3,515		3,579
Other (loss) income, net										(147)		288		631
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net										437		426		383
EBITDA										103,938		85,047		74,849
Restructuring charges, net										499		1,151		816
Adjusted EBITDA										104,437		86,198		75,665
Identifiable assets	[3]	227,228				327,446				227,228		327,446		295,865
Long-lived assets	[3]	19,044				17,271				19,044		17,271		18,647
Goodwill	[3]	48,320				49,603				48,320		49,603		52,086
Operating Segments | Executive Search | EMEA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue										144,319		153,465		147,917
Adjusted fee revenue										144,319
Total revenue										148,285		158,052		152,525
Operating income (loss)										20,607		18,867		23,168
Depreciation and amortization										1,029		1,764		2,727
Other (loss) income, net										433		83		632
EBITDA										22,069		20,714		26,527
Restructuring charges, net										5,807		3,987		460
Adjusted EBITDA										27,876		24,701		26,987
Identifiable assets	[3]	150,516				156,072				150,516		156,072		157,610
Long-lived assets	[3]	4,817				3,885				4,817		3,885		5,515
Goodwill	[3]	46,193				45,922				46,193		45,922		51,557
Operating Segments | Executive Search | Asia Pacific
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue										80,506		84,148		84,816
Adjusted fee revenue										80,506
Total revenue										83,206		87,142		87,606
Operating income (loss)										12,572		14,631		17,274
Depreciation and amortization										941		1,045		1,383
Other (loss) income, net										21		369		203
EBITDA										13,534		16,045		18,860
Restructuring charges, net										577		17		60
Adjusted EBITDA										14,111		16,062		18,920
Identifiable assets	[3]	86,394				94,099				86,394		94,099		83,292
Long-lived assets	[3]	3,708				4,235				3,708		4,235		2,978
Goodwill	[3]	972				972				972		972		972
Operating Segments | Executive Search | Latin America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue										26,744		29,160		29,374
Adjusted fee revenue										26,744
Total revenue										26,781		29,218		29,586
Operating income (loss)										(1,854)		4,704		5,654
Depreciation and amortization										312		350		323
Other (loss) income, net										312		109		303
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest										(491)
EBITDA										(1,721)		5,163		6,280
Restructuring charges, net										322		229
Venezuelan foreign currency loss										6,635
Adjusted EBITDA										5,236		5,392		6,280
Identifiable assets	[3]	24,273				25,328				24,273		25,328		25,587
Long-lived assets	[3]	1,479				966				1,479		966		1,168
Operating Segments | Hay Group
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue										471,145		267,018		254,636
Deferred revenue adjustment due to acquisition										10,967
Adjusted fee revenue										482,112
Total revenue										488,217		275,220		262,962
Operating income (loss)										(3,415)		28,175		23,847
Depreciation and amortization										21,854		13,427		12,491
Other (loss) income, net										(868)		(22)		106
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest										(29)
EBITDA										17,542		41,580		36,444
Restructuring charges, net										25,682		2,758		1,149
Acquisition costs										17,607
Venezuelan foreign currency loss										7,085
Deferred revenue adjustment due to acquisition										10,967
Adjusted EBITDA										78,883		44,338		37,593
Identifiable assets	[3]	1,005,457				265,546				1,005,457		265,546		255,590
Long-lived assets	[3]	42,974				12,377				42,974		12,377		11,976
Goodwill	[3]	465,937				129,549				465,937		129,549		119,350
Operating Segments | Futurestep
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fee revenue										198,053		163,727		136,790
Adjusted fee revenue										198,053
Total revenue										213,969		171,521		141,407
Operating income (loss)										26,702		19,940		13,352
Depreciation and amortization										2,386		1,882		1,797
Other (loss) income, net										364		54		583
EBITDA										29,452		21,876		15,732
Restructuring charges, net										49		1,154		1,134
Adjusted EBITDA										29,501		23,030		16,866
Identifiable assets	[3]	104,396				103,782				104,396		103,782		111,036
Long-lived assets	[3]	4,635				4,204				4,635		4,204		2,550
Goodwill	[3]	28,650				28,394				28,650		28,394		33,617
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)										(102,301)		(53,107)		(61,943)
Depreciation and amortization										6,431		5,614		3,872
Other (loss) income, net										(4,282)		6,577		7,311
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net										1,194		1,755		1,786
EBITDA										(98,958)		(39,161)		(48,974)
Restructuring charges, net										77		172		63
Acquisition costs										27,802		959
Separation costs										744				4,500
Integration costs														394
Adjusted EBITDA										(70,335)		(38,030)		(44,017)
Identifiable assets	[3]	300,336				345,528				300,336		345,528		304,686
Long-lived assets	[3]	$ 18,779				$ 19,150				$ 18,779		$ 19,150		$ 17,600

[1] On December 1, 2015, the Company completed its acquisition of Legacy Hay Group, a global leader in people strategy and organizational performance, for $476.9 million, net of cash acquired. The purchase price consisted of $259.0 million in cash ($54 million from foreign locations), net of estimated cash acquired and 5,922,136 shares of the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Consideration Shares"), representing an aggregate value of $217.9 million based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on The New York Stock Exchange on November 30, 2015. On November 23, 2015, the Company borrowed $150 million from the Term Facility, to finance a portion of the Legacy Hay Group acquisition purchase price. As part of the acquisition, the Company has committed to a $40 million retention pool (up to $5 million payable within one year of the closing of the acquisition) for certain employees of Legacy Hay Group subject to certain circumstances. Of the remaining balance, 50% will be payable within 45 days after November 30, 2017 and the remaining 50% will be payable within 45 days after November 30, 2018. The acquisition strengthens the Company's intellectual property, enhances our geographical presence, adds complimentary capabilities to further leverage search relationships and broadens capabilities for assessment and development. It improves our ability to support the global business community not only in attracting top talent and designing compensation and reward incentives, but also with an integrated approach to the entire leadership and people continuum. Actual results of operations of Legacy Hay Group are included in the Company's consolidated financial statements from December 1, 2015, the effective date of the acquisition, and includes $186.8 million, $740.2 million and $28.5 million in fee revenue, total assets and Adjusted EBITDA, respectively, with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.4%, during fiscal 2016. Legacy Hay Group is included in the Hay Group segment.

[2] On March 1, 2015, the Company acquired all outstanding membership interest of Pivot Leadership, a global provider of innovative, customized and scalable executive development programs, for $17.5 million, net of cash acquired, which includes $2.2 million in contingent consideration. As of April 30, 2016, the fair value of the contingent consideration increased to $3.0 million and is included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The contingent consideration is based on the achievement of certain revenue targets and can be up to $6.5 million, payable in four installments in fiscal 2017 to 2020. The acquisition allows us to integrate the Company's talent management solution with Pivot's executive learning capabilities. Actual results of operations of Pivot Leadership are included in the Company's consolidated financial statements from March 1, 2015, the effective date of the acquisition, and include $3.7 million and $20.0 million in fee revenue and total assets, respectively, during fiscal 2015. Tax deductible goodwill from the Pivot Leadership acquisition was $7.4 million and $8.0 million as of April 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

[3] As of the end of the fiscal year.