HUDSON HIGHLAND GROUP, INC. STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT 4.2

HUDSON HIGHLAND GROUP, INC.

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) made as of the [DAY]th day of [MONTH], [YEAR] (the “Grant Date”), by and between HUDSON HIGHLAND GROUP, INC. , a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and [FIRST NAME LAST NAME] (the “Optionee”).

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS , pursuant to the Hudson Highland Group, Inc. 2009 Incentive Stock and Awards Plan (the “Plan”), the Company desires to grant to the Optionee and the Optionee desires to accept an option to purchase shares of common stock, $.001 par value, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE , the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Grant . Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee an option to purchase up to [OPTIONS] shares of Common Stock at a purchase price per share of $[PRICE]. This option is intended to be treated as an option that does not qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

2. Vesting . Except as specifically provided otherwise herein, the option will vest and become exercisable, if at all, in accordance with the following schedule based upon the number of full years of the Optionee’s continuous employment with the Company or an Affiliate (as defined in the Plan) of the Company following the Grant Date.

If any fractional shares would result from the strict application of the incremental percentages set forth above, then the actual number of shares vesting on any specific date will cover only the full number of shares determined by rounding the number of shares to be issued from the strict application of the incremental percentages set forth above to the nearest whole number. Unless sooner terminated, the option will expire on the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

3. Exercise . Any portion of the option which has vested and is exercisable may be exercised in whole or in part by delivering to the Executive Vice President, Human Resources of the Company (or such other executive officer of the Company performing a similar function) at its corporate headquarters in New York, New York (a) a written notice specifying (1) the number of shares to be purchased, (2) the Grant Date and the specific number of shares referred to in Section 1 of this Agreement, (3) the Optionee’s home address and, if the Optionee has one, the Optionee’s social security or U.S. taxpayer identification number and (4) delivery instructions with respect to the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise, and (b) cash payment in full of the exercise price, together with the amount, if any, deemed necessary by the Company to enable it to satisfy any federal, foreign or other tax withholding obligations with respect to the exercise (unless other arrangements acceptable to the Company in its sole discretion have been made). The Company may from time to time change (or provide alternatives to) the method of exercise of the option granted hereunder by notice to the Optionee, it being understood that from and after such notice the Optionee will be bound by the method (or alternatives) specified in any such notice. The Company (in its sole and absolute discretion) may permit all or part of the exercise price to be paid with shares of Common Stock owned by the Optionee, or in installments (together with interest) evidenced by the Optionee’s secured promissory note.

4. Issuance of Shares . No shares of Common Stock shall be delivered hereunder until full payment for such shares and all related withholding taxes has been made. The Optionee shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares covered by the option until a stock certificate for such shares is issued to the Optionee. Except as otherwise provided herein, no adjustment shall be made for dividends or distributions of other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such stock certificate is issued.

5. No Assignment of Option . This option is not assignable or transferable except upon the Optionee’s death to a beneficiary designated by the Optionee in a written beneficiary designation filed with the Company or, if no duly designated beneficiary shall survive the Optionee, pursuant to the Optionee’s will and/or by the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the Optionee’s lifetime only by the Optionee or the Optionee’s guardian or legal representative.

6. Termination of Employment for Cause . If the Optionee’s employment or service is terminated by the Company or its Affiliates for cause (as defined below), or at a time when grounds for a termination for cause exist, then any option held by the Optionee, whether or not otherwise exercisable on the termination date, shall immediately terminate and cease to be exercisable. For purposes hereof, the term “cause” means (a) in the case where there is no employment, consulting or similar service agreement between the participant and the Company or its Affiliates or where such an agreement exists but does not define “cause” (or words of like import), a termination classified by the Company or its Affiliates, in their sole discretion, as a termination due to the participant’s dishonesty, fraud, insubordination, willful misconduct, refusal to perform services or materially unsatisfactory performance of duties, or (b) in the case where there is an employment, consulting or similar service agreement between the participant and the Company or its Affiliates that defines “cause” (or words of like import), a termination that is or would be deemed for “cause” (or words of like import) as classified by the Company or its Affiliates, in their sole discretion, under such agreement.

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7. Other Termination of Employment . If the Optionee ceases to be employed by the Company or any of its Affiliates for any reason other than death or for cause (as defined in Section 6), then, unless sooner terminated, that portion of the option which is exercisable on the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment will remain exercisable for a period of six months after such date (one year in the case of an Optionee whose employment terminates by reason of disability (as defined below)) but in no event after the expiration of the option in accordance with Section 2, and the remaining portion of the option will automatically expire on such date. If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death, then, unless sooner terminated, the option will become fully vested (to the extent it was not vested on the date of death) and will remain exercisable by the Optionee’s beneficiary for a period of one year after the date of the Optionee’s death but in no event after the expiration of the option in accordance with Section 2. Any vested option which is not exercised within the applicable six month or one-year period following termination of employment will automatically expire. For purposes hereof, the term “disability” means the inability of the Optionee to perform the customary duties of the Optionee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company by reason of a physical or mental incapacity which is expected to result in death or be of indefinite duration as determined by the Committee (as defined in the Plan).

8. Securities Law Restrictions . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the option shall in no event be exercisable and shares shall not be issued hereunder if, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, such exercise and/or issuance may result in a violation of federal or state securities laws or the securities laws of any other relevant jurisdiction.

9. Capital and Corporate Changes .

(a) Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization . The number and type of shares covered by this option and, if applicable, the exercise price per share shall be adjusted if and to the extent provided in Section 17 of the Plan.

(b) Change in Control . Effective upon a Change in Control (as defined below), if the Optionee is employed by the Company or an Affiliate immediately prior to the date of such Change in Control, the option will fully vest and will immediately become exercisable. If, in connection with a Change in Control, the stockholders of the Company will receive capital stock of another corporation (“Exchange Stock”) in exchange for their shares of Common Stock (whether or not such Exchange Stock is the sole consideration), and if the Board of Directors of the Company so directs, then this option will be converted into an option to purchase shares of Exchange Stock; provided that such conversion shall not effect the exercisability of the option pursuant to the foregoing sentence. The number of shares and exercise price under the converted option will be determined by adjusting the number of shares and exercise price under this option on the same basis as the determination of the number of shares of Exchange Stock the holders of Common Stock will receive in connection with the Change in Control.

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(c) Definition of Change in Control . For purposes hereof, a “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur on the first to occur of any one of the following events: (a) the consummation of a consolidation, merger, share exchange or reorganization involving the Company, unless such consolidation, merger, share exchange or reorganization is a “Non-Control Transaction” (as defined below); (b) the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all, or substantially all, of the assets of the Company (in one transaction or a series of related transactions within any period of 24 consecutive months), other than a sale or disposition by the Company of all, or substantially all, of the Company’s assets to an entity at least 75% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are owned by stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Company immediately prior to suc