Hudson

What Hudson does

Hudson Belgium NV is a Benelux HR consulting firm founded in 1982 (originally as De Witte & Morel) that provides recruitment, assessment, reward management, coaching, and strategic HR advisory services to organizations ranging from SMBs to multinationals and public-sector bodies. Its service portfolio spans the full HR lifecycle — Recruitment & Selection, Executive Search, Interim Management, Assessment & Development, Career Management, Reward Management, Strategic HR Consultancy, Outplacement, and Well-being at Work — delivered through a consultant-led model.

The company differentiates through a 40+ person R&D Centre of Excellence that develops proprietary, scientifically grounded HR tools including psychometric assessments, the trademarked 5+1 Compas® job evaluation methodology (accepted by Belgian social partners), CompasOnline©, and Competency Scan Online. The platform supports remote assessment, tool customization, and integration with two-factor authentication and open authentication standards for HR data security.

Hudson generates revenue primarily through professional services fees (placement fees, consulting engagements, and interim management) complemented by licensing of proprietary HR tools and fixed-price training and certification programs (e.g., 5+1 Compas® at €3,300 per participant). The company operates from 8 Belgian offices, a Luxembourg office acquired via Alcor Executive in 2019, and previously an Amsterdam office that was integrated into Yacht (Randstad's Netherlands subsidiary) effective January 2023. Following a 2018 management buy-out by CEO Ivan De Witte, Hudson Benelux became part of Randstad Group on December 9, 2021.

Name

Hudson

Legal name

Hudson Belgium NV

Website

https://hudsonsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hudson Belgium NV is a Benelux HR consulting firm offering recruitment, assessment, reward management, and strategic HR advisory services to SMBs, multinationals, and public-sector organizations, supported by proprietary psychometric and job-evaluation tools. Operating since 1982, it is part of Randstad Group since December 2021.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Capital & Workforce Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

People Analytics, Assessment & Psychometrics Consulting (BPAHAGAH), HR Strategy & Operating Model Design (BPACAJAA), HR Service Delivery, Shared Services & HR Operating Model Advisory (BPACAJAE), Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC)

Keywords

• HR consulting services
• Executive search recruitment
• Interim management staffing
• Talent assessment development
• Reward management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Ghent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Recruitment & Selection Services: Permanent recruitment, executive search, and interim management services provided through consultant-led engagements. Revenue generated through placement fees and success-based compensation.
2. Assessment & Development: Assessment services, coaching, and development programs for candidates and employees throughout the employee lifecycle.
3. Reward Management: Compensation consulting, salary surveys, performance management, and job design & grading services.
4. HR Tools Licensing: Proprietary psychometric and assessment tools available for use by external clients, including Competency Scan Online and CompasOnline© platforms.
5. Training Courses: HR and leadership training programs including 5+1 Compas® (€3,300), Salary Benchmarking (€750), Tools for Talent (€1,100), Feedback training (€650+), and Interview techniques (€650+).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hudson is a Benelux-based HR consulting firm providing Recruitment & Selection (including Executive Search and Interim Management), Assessment & Development, Career Management, Reward Management, and Strategic HR Consultancy to organizations ranging from SMEs to multinationals and public-sector bodies. The firm complements its consultancy work with proprietary scientifically-based HR Tools (psychometric assessments, the 5+1 Compas® job evaluation methodology delivered via CompasOnline©, and Competency Scan Online) and certified training programs. Services span the full HR lifecycle — from attracting and selecting talent, through development, coaching, reward design, and retention — delivered by 250+ consultants across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Product overview

Hudson is a full-service HR advisory firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of human capital solutions. The core offering centers on Recruitment & Selection (including Executive Search and Interim Management), Assessment & Development, Career Management, Reward Management, and Strategic HR Consultancy. Hudson distinguishes itself through its proprietary R&D-developed HR Tools suite, which includes Assessment Tools, Reward Tools, Remote Assessment Tools, and Tool Customization capabilities. The company also provides training courses including the 5+1 Compas® methodology (a recognized Belgian job evaluation model delivered via CompasOnline©), Salary Benchmarking, Interview Techniques, and HR Strategy training. Additional services include Coaching & Development, Outplacement, and Well-being at Work solutions. The portfolio serves both private and public sector clients ranging from SMEs to multinationals, with specialized offerings for sectors including Healthcare, Financial Services, ICT, Government, and Manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment & Selection Comprehensive permanent recruitment service that sources, assesses, and places candidates into client organizations across all sectors and seniority levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving clients from SMB to multinational and public sector organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Randstad GroupcoreOthers · 9 December 2021On December 9, 2021, Hudson Benelux became part of Randstad Group, the global leader in HR services. This provides Hudson with access to broader career opportunities for employees within the Randstad organization and enables the combined entity to become a more complete talent partner.
• Vlerick Business SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHudson is a Prime Foundation Partner of Vlerick Business School and participates in HR research centers for Strategic Rewards and Strategic Talent Management. This partnership ensures the quality and scientific validity of Hudson's services.
• Ernst & Young (EY)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural partnership with EY existed between 1995 and 2001, during which Hudson was integrated into the EY HR consulting practice before becoming independent again.
• Alcor ExecutiveminorOthersAcquired in 2019 to expand Hudson's presence in Luxembourg, strengthening the Benelux footprint.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, talent management, and assessment services closely aligned with Hudson's portfolio of recruitment, assessment, and HR strategy offerings.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm; competes with Hudson's Executive Search and Leadership Development offerings at the senior end of the market.
• Robert Half: Global staffing and consulting firm providing permanent placement, executive search, and interim management—directly overlapping with Hudson's Recruitment & Selection and Interim Management services.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm; comparable to Hudson's Executive Search and Strategic HR Consultancy practices serving C-suite and board-level mandates.
• Michael Page: PageGroup division specializing in permanent recruitment for professional and managerial roles—directly comparable to Hudson's Recruitment & Selection and Executive Search practices.
• Hays: UK-headquartered global recruitment and workforce solutions firm operating across multiple specialisms, comparable to Hudson in its consultant-led, fee-based recruitment and talent advisory model.

Broad incumbents

• Yacht: Randstad-owned Dutch brand focused on recruitment, assessments, and talent management; directly comparable as a sibling brand now absorbing Hudson Nederland and operating in the same niche with similar service mix.
• SD Worx: Belgium-headquartered HR and payroll services provider operating across Europe; overlaps with Hudson in HR advisory, reward, and workforce solutions while serving a broader SMB and enterprise base.
• Securex: Belgian HR, payroll, and well-being services group operating across Belgium and internationally—comparable broad Belgian HR services incumbent with adjacent advisory and reward capabilities.
• Acerta: Belgian HR services provider (part of Group S) offering payroll, HR consulting, and talent solutions—comparable Belgian incumbent competing for the same HR advisory wallet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Hudson_Benelux
• Facebookfacebook.com/HudsonBenelux
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hudson-benelux

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hudson