Side
Side is a French digital temporary staffing platform and Randstad subsidiary that connects businesses with qualified interim workers through a mobile-first app, offering four service lines: full-service delegation (Side Source), managed payroll (Side Flash), permanent placement (Side Horizon), and seasonal staffing (Side Saisons).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Side does
Side is a France-based digital temporary staffing platform, headquartered in Lyon and operating as a subsidiary of the global staffing conglomerate Randstad. The company runs a mobile-first platform that connects businesses needing temporary workers with qualified candidates (called "Siders"), supporting end-to-end workflows including proprietary AI-based profile matching, eIDAS-compliant digital contract generation and signing, real-time timesheet validation, automated payroll processing, and a live business dashboard for mission, hour, budget, and invoice tracking. The platform has scaled to 500,000+ registered candidates and 10,000+ business clients across France, with 10,000+ active job offers spanning 150+ trades and professions, and operates four distinct service lines: Side Source (full-service temp staffing delegation), Side Flash (managed contract and payroll for company-sourced candidates), Side Horizon (permanent CDI recruitment), and Side Saisons (seasonal staffing leveraging Randstad's 850-agency physical network).
The business model combines a quote-based transactional pricing model for interim staffing (Side acts as employer of record with markup on hourly rates via a coefficient de facturation), tiered permanent placement commissions (10% down to 6% of annual gross salary based on prior mission duration, with a €500 minimum per placement), managed service fees for payroll administration, and seasonal staffing transaction revenue under Side Saisons, which promises a minimum 10% cost saving versus traditional interim. Candidate access is free; businesses self-register through team.side.co or are supported by dedicated account teams, and the company blends a PLG mobile-first approach for candidate acquisition with an enterprise field-sales motion for larger business clients. Strategic technology and financial partnerships include Stripe (payment processing), Qonto (banking), AWS (cloud hosting), Checkout and Ubble (video identity verification), FactoFrance (invoice factoring for enterprise payment terms), and Teamtailor (recruitment marketing).
Side firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Side
- Legal name
- WeSlash SAS
- Website
- https://side.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Side is a French digital temporary staffing platform and Randstad subsidiary that connects businesses with qualified interim workers through a mobile-first app, offering four service lines: full-service delegation (Side Source), managed payroll (Side Flash), permanent placement (Side Horizon), and seasonal staffing (Side Saisons).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Side industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Temporary Staffing Services
- NAICS
- Temporary Help Services (561320), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Professional Employer Organizations (561330)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Generalist Staffing Agencies (BPACACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Seasonal & Peak Workforce Staffing (BPACACAE), Workforce Time, Attendance & Scheduling Administration (BPAAAIAI), Contingent Workforce / Contractor RPO (Contractor Recruiting) (BPACABAK)
Keywords
Where Side is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Side business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Interim Staffing Margins: Side acts as the employer of record for temporary workers, charging businesses a markup on the worker's hourly rate. The coefficient de facturation is determined through a quote system based on mission requirements. This represents the core revenue stream from the Side Source and Side Saisons products.
- Permanent Placement Fees: Side Horizon recruits CDI candidates for businesses, earning placement commissions. Fees range from 10% of annual gross salary (for missions ≤1 month) down to 6% (for missions >3 months), with a minimum of 500€ per placement.
- Managed Payroll Services: Side Flash provides administrative payroll and HR management services for businesses that have already sourced candidates themselves, charging service fees for contract handling and payroll processing.
- Seasonal Staffing (Side Saisons): Flexible staffing solution for seasonal hiring needs, leveraging the Randstad agency network. Offers 10% minimum cost savings compared to traditional interim through legal absence compensation (IFM) structures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for business staffing services |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Placement commission for permanent hires (Side Horizon) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Mission cancellation fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Side product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Side operates a mobile-first digital staffing platform that matches businesses with qualified temporary workers (Siders) within approximately two hours, automating the full interim lifecycle from candidate matching and e-contracting to timesheet validation, payroll, and invoicing. It offers four service lines—Side Source (full delegation interim), Side Flash (contract and payroll management for company-sourced candidates), Side Horizon (permanent CDI placement), and Side Saisons (seasonal staffing via Randstad's 850-agency network in France).
Product overview
Side is a digital temporary staffing platform that operates as a portfolio of four interconnected services for businesses, backed by Randstad. The core offering consists of Side Source (full-service temp staffing delegation), Side Flash (contract management for company-sourced candidates), Side Horizon (permanent CDI recruitment), and Side Saisons (seasonal staffing), all supported by a mobile application through which temporary workers (Siders) manage their profiles, apply to missions, sign contracts digitally, track hours, and access pay services. The platform automates administrative processes 24/7 and leverages Randstad's network of 850+ agencies across France.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Side Source: Full delegation staffing service for companies, with experts selecting the best profiles within 2 hours and automating all administrative procedures.
- Side Flash
- Side Horizon
- Side Saisons
Products and services
- Side Source Full-delegation interim staffing service in which Side's recruitment experts select and present qualified temporary worker profiles to client businesses, typically within two hours of mission publication, and Side handles contract generation, signature, payroll, and HR administration as employer of record. Targeted at companies needing rapid interim coverage across logistics, retail, administrative, industrial, pharmacy, and events roles.
- Side Flash Custom contract and payroll management service for businesses that have already sourced their own candidates; Side handles rapid e-contracting, payroll processing, HR administration, and invoicing. Targeted at companies that want administrative outsourcing for pre-identified workers without delegating sourcing.
- Side Horizon Permanent (CDI) recruitment and placement service in which Side handles CV pre-screening and interview management to deliver shortlists of qualified candidates for direct hire by the client business. Placement commissions range from 10% of annual gross salary (for missions ≤1 month) down to 6% (for missions >3 months), with a €500 minimum.
- Side Saisons Seasonal staffing service that leverages Randstad's 850-agency network across France to source local talent for predictable activity peaks (retail, agriculture, tourism, holidays). Promises a minimum 10% cost saving versus traditional interim through optimized IFM (legal absence compensation) structures.
- Side Mobile Application Free iOS and Android mobile app for temporary workers (Siders) that provides profile management, mission search and application, digital eIDAS-compliant contract signing, real-time hour logging and validation, payslip access and storage, advance payment requests, and 24/7 access to 10,000+ available missions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Minimum 10% cost savings versus traditional temporary staffing through Side Saisons
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Side
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Side technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature6 records
Side partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- StripecorePayment processing partner for secure credit card and SEPA direct debit transactions between businesses and Side. Handles payment collection from business clients and worker salary payments.
- QontocoreBanking partner for wire transfer payments from business clients to Side. Provides the bank account infrastructure for the payment ecosystem.
- CheckoutsupportingVideo identification service provider enabling remote identity verification for Siders during onboarding, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
- UbblesupportingAlternative identity verification provider referenced in Terms of Service for Sider identity validation via video chat.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreCloud hosting provider for the Side platform and website, infrastructure hosting partner based in Seattle, USA.
- TeamtailorsupportingRecruitment marketing and applicant tracking system provider powering Side's careers site and internal recruitment processes.
- RandstadcoreParent company of Side. Side is part of the multinational Randstad group. Data may be shared with French Randstad subsidiaries for efficient activity management and service provision. Randstad's 850 agency network is leveraged for Side Saisons local candidate sourcing.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Side competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Manpower Group: One of the world's largest staffing companies, providing temporary and permanent placement across sectors. Competes directly with Side Source, Side Saisons, and Side Horizon; significant physical agency footprint in France.
- Hays: Global specialist recruiter focused on professional and skilled trades; France operations compete with Side's permanent placement (Side Horizon) and qualified interim segments. Established recruiter brand with overlapping mid-market customer base.
- Robert Half: Specialist staffing firm with strong placement (temporary and permanent) and consulting services. Comparable in mix of temp staffing and direct-hire placement to Side's combined Side Source and Side Horizon offering, though UK/US-centric.
- Adecco: Global staffing market leader operating across temporary staffing, permanent placement, and career transition. Directly competes with all four Side offerings but at much larger scale and with a primarily traditional (rather than mobile-first) delivery model.
- Michael Page: Global specialist recruitment firm focused on permanent placement at professional and managerial levels. Closely overlaps Side Horizon's CDI placement business with operations across France.
Emerging players
- Indeed Flex: Digital-first temporary staffing marketplace launched by Indeed in select markets. Mobile-focused temp matching model is conceptually identical to Side, though currently with limited French penetration; represents the most obvious digital-native competitive threat.
- Talent.io: French tech recruitment marketplace using data-driven matching. Adjacent to Side Horizon's permanent placement service, particularly relevant in the French tech and digital economy segments.
- JobTeaser: French recruitment platform bridging students/early-career talent with employers, adjacent to Side's candidate ecosystem. Related market (campus and junior talent sourcing) and French geographic focus make it a thematic peer rather than direct competitor.
Direct peers
- Mistertemp': French digital temporary staffing agency operating a similar self-serve platform plus physical agency network. Direct competitor to Side Source and Side Flash in France, focused on interim staffing for SMEs.
- Brigad: French digital temp staffing platform focused on hospitality, healthcare, and retail. Closest comparable to Side: mobile-first matching, French market focus, employer-of-record temporary placement model serving SMBs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Side social profiles
Digital presenceSide compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Side financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Side leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Side subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Side funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Side M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Side
What does Side do?
Side operates a mobile-first digital staffing platform that matches businesses with qualified temporary workers (Siders) within approximately two hours, automating the full interim lifecycle from candidate matching and e-contracting to timesheet validation, payroll, and invoicing. It offers four service lines—Side Source (full delegation interim), Side Flash (contract and payroll management for company-sourced candidates), Side Horizon (permanent CDI placement), and Side Saisons (seasonal staffing via Randstad's 850-agency network in France).
Is Side a public or private company?
Side is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Side founded?
Side was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Side based?
Side is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Side make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Interim Staffing Margins are the primary driver. The others are permanent Placement Fees, managed Payroll Services and seasonal Staffing (Side Saisons).
Who are Side's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Manpower Group, Hays, Robert Half, Adecco and Michael Page. Emerging players are Indeed Flex, Talent.io and JobTeaser. Direct peers are Mistertemp' and Brigad.
Does Side have an API?
No public API is recorded for Side.
What industry is Side in?
Side's product category is Digital Temporary Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACACAH, Local & Regional Generalist Staffing Agencies, with a secondary code of BPACACAE, Seasonal & Peak Workforce Staffing. Its NAICS code is 561320 and its SIC code is 7361.