What Profile Group does

Profile Group is a privately held Belgian 360° recruitment agency headquartered in Etterbeek, Brussels, with regional offices in Antwerp (Flanders) and Liège (Wallonia), and an additional office in Bangkok, Thailand. Founded approximately 35 years ago, the company operates across nine interconnected service lines: permanent recruitment, executive search and headhunting, recruitment campaigns, Employee Value Proposition (EVP) development, interim management, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Managed Service Provider (MSP) services, recruitment technology (a proprietary job site and ATS with auto-suggest search and multi-channel distribution), and talent development and assessment. It serves a horizontal mix of enterprise and mid-market clients across manufacturing, technology, logistics, aerospace, automotive, healthcare, finance, energy, retail, public sector, and regulatory industries — including named clients such as FedEx, SAFRAN, Teledyne, Lineas, John Cockerill, Coopervision, AB Automotive, and the municipality of St Gilles.

The firm operates a hybrid professional services and managed services model. Core revenue derives from contingency and retained placement fees for permanent and executive search assignments, supplemented by fee-based recruitment campaigns, EVP diagnostic and implementation engagements, and professional services for interim management. Recurring and managed services revenue comes from RPO engagements (recruiters embedded on client premises) and MSP programs that orchestrate a network of 80+ resource suppliers managing 250 external consultants and freelancers. The job site and ATS tools support both internal recruiting workflows and a candidate-facing portal (profilegroupjobs.com), and the firm claims above-industry-average performance on LinkedIn Recruiter acceptance rates and the highest average application rates on key Belgian job boards.

The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, combining direct field sales through the three Belgian offices and inside sales via phone and email (separate numbers per office). The company processed approximately 386,000 candidate applications and treated 5,500 recruitment missions in 2024, with 25,000+ new candidates entering its database annually. It employs 50+ staff across recruitment, support, marketing, and IT functions, is privately held with co-ownership by Mélanie Verhage (Co-owner and Business Director), and has no parent company or institutional investors disclosed. GDPR compliance is referenced on the website. FY2024 turnover was €35M.

Name

Profile Group

Legal name

Profile Group

Website

https://profilegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Profile Group is a privately held Belgian 360° recruitment agency offering permanent placement, executive search, RPO, MSP, interim management, EVP, and recruitment technology services to enterprise and mid-market clients across multiple industries in Belgium and Southeast Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Regional Generalist Staffing Agencies (BPACACAH), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)

Keywords

• Recruitment services
• Executive search
• Recruitment process outsourcing
• Managed service provider
• Talent acquisition

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussel

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 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 Services (Permanent Placement): Contingency or retained search fees for placing permanent candidates across all specializations including HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Engineering, and Executive roles.
2. Executive Search & Headhunting: Senior leadership recruitment service for placing executives and directors who match client vision.
3. Managed Service Provider (MSP): Managed services for recruiting and managing external workforce including freelancers, contractors, and interim workers. Reported 250 external consultants & freelancers and 80+ suppliers of external resources.
4. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): In-house RPO solution integrating expert recruiters on-site to impact critical KPIs.
5. Interim Management: Finding freelancers and consultants to bring positive change quickly.
6. Recruitment Technology: Job site and ATS services for attracting candidates and optimizing recruitment processes.
7. Employee Value Proposition (EVP): EVP diagnostic and implementation services including research, content creation, and channel optimization.
8. Recruitment Campaign: Marketing-driven recruitment campaigns to generate high application rates for clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Profile Group is a 360° Belgian recruitment agency that sources, assesses, and places permanent, interim, and executive talent for client organizations. Its core offerings span permanent recruitment (à la carte or full process), executive search and headhunting, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Managed Service Provider (MSP) services for contingent workforce, interim management, Employee Value Proposition (EVP) development, recruitment marketing campaigns, talent development and assessment, plus a proprietary job site and Applicant Tracking System.

Product overview

Profile Group is a 360° recruitment agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of talent acquisition and development solutions. The core offering includes nine interconnected services: EVP (Employee Value Proposition) services for employer branding, Recruitment Campaign for marketing-driven hiring, standard Recruitment with à la carte options, Executive Search & Headhunting for senior roles, Interim Management for contingent workforce, Recruitment Technology (ATS & Job Site) as their technology platform, RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) for in-house integration, MSP (Managed Service Provider) for workforce management, and Talent Development & Assessment for candidate evaluation. The company operates across Belgium with offices in Brussels, Antwerp, Liège, and Bangkok, serving 360+ corporate clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employee Value Proposition (EVP) Creates, reinforces, or formalizes an organization's Employee Value Proposition to attract and retain talent. Combines EVP research (in partnership with Listen) covering talent expectations, internal perception, and competitive differentiation, with content and channel activation. Intended for HR and employer branding buyers.
• Recruitment Campaign Recruitment marketing service that generates more candidate applications at lower cost and effort through multi-channel distribution of job postings across Profile Group's website, jobsite, social media, and ATS platforms. Designed for employers needing higher application volume.
• Recruitment Standard recruitment service offering an 'à la carte' approach to recruit talent, with tailored support for specific parts of the hiring process. Available for clients who want full or partial process support, including permanent placement fees (contingency or retained).
• Executive Search & Headhunting Specialized recruitment service focused on identifying and recruiting senior leaders who align with the client's organizational vision and culture. Targeted at boards, CEOs, and senior leadership teams needing director- and executive-level placements.
• Interim Management Connects organizations with freelancers and consultants to drive positive change quickly. Leverages a network of 250+ external professionals for project-based and interim leadership assignments.
• Recruitment Technology (ATS & Job Site) Technology platform providing a job site with auto-suggest search and an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to attract candidates and optimize recruitment processes. Includes multi-channel distribution across website, jobsite, social media, and ATS platforms.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) In-house RPO solution integrating expert recruiters on site at the client to drive critical recruitment KPIs, functioning as a partial or full outsourced recruitment function for organizations.
• Managed Service Provider (MSP) In-house MSP solution enabling organizations to recruit and manage their contingent workforce (freelancers, contractors, interim workers) through Profile Group's expertise and a network of 80+ resource suppliers.
• Talent Development & Assessment Assessment services that evaluate candidates and employees, providing insights into strengths, development areas, and professional growth potential to support hiring and internal mobility decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest average application rate on key Belgian job boards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ListencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfile Group partners with Listen, an EVP research agency, to deliver comprehensive Employee Value Proposition solutions. Listen conducts research covering three perspectives: talent expectations, internal perception, and differentiation versus competitors. Profile Group then activates these insights through EVP implementation across recruitment channels including content, job adverts, multi-channel distribution, headhunting, and candidate journey optimization. This partnership enables research-backed EVP work from insight to implementation.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: Robert Half is a global specialized talent solutions firm focused on finance, accounting, technology, and administrative placement. Comparable to Profile Group's functional specialization model and Belgian enterprise client base.
• Randstad: Randstad is a global HR services leader offering staffing, recruitment, RPO, and HR solutions across most major European markets including Belgium. Overlaps broadly with Profile Group's permanent and interim placement offerings, but is materially larger and more diversified.
• ManpowerGroup: ManpowerGroup is one of the world's largest staffing and workforce-solutions companies, offering permanent placement, temporary staffing, RPO, and talent advisory globally. Operates in Belgium and overlaps with Profile Group's RPO, MSP, and permanent placement services, but at vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Brunel: Brunel is a global specialist recruitment and project-delivery firm focused on engineers, technical specialists, and project-based workforce. Comparable to Profile Group's Engineers & Technical specialization and interim/MSP offerings.
• PageGroup: PageGroup is a global recruitment firm (parent of Michael Page and Page Personnel) operating multi-specialization permanent and executive search across professional disciplines — directly comparable to Profile Group's nine-service, multi-function recruitment model. Both serve mid-market to enterprise clients with relationship-led sales motion.
• Grafton Recruitment: Grafton Recruitment is a Belgian-founded recruitment firm operating across multiple European countries with permanent, temporary, and executive search services. Closely comparable to Profile Group as a Belgium-headquartered multi-specialization recruitment agency of similar size and scope.
• Robert Walters: Robert Walters is a specialist professional recruitment and executive search firm with strong European presence, focused on placing senior professionals across functions and industries. Comparable to Profile Group in its executive search and permanent placement emphasis.
• Hays: Hays is a global specialist recruitment firm operating across multiple sectors and skill disciplines, with deep European coverage. Closely comparable to Profile Group's multi-functional specialization model and 360° approach.

Regional players

• SD Worx: SD Worx is a Belgium-headquartered HR services and payroll company serving Benelux and broader European markets with HR outsourcing, payroll, and workforce solutions. Regionally comparable as a Belgian-rooted HR services firm, though broader than Profile Group's recruitment focus.
• CPL Resources: Cpl Resources is an Ireland-based recruitment and talent solutions provider offering permanent, contract, and RPO services with European operations. Comparable in scale and multi-service structure to Profile Group, with similar specialization breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqFDHXOLGxMF-3zrwPFbNqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profilegroupbelgique
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/profile-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/profile_group_belgium

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 Profile Group