What Groupe Adéquat does

Groupe Adéquat is a family-owned French recruitment group headquartered in Lyon, founded in 1987. It operates a multi-brand platform of eight complementary recruitment companies spanning temporary staffing, permanent placement, executive search, training, and HR business process outsourcing. Flagship brand Adéquat Interim & Recrutement runs 360+ agencies across France and generates approximately €1.2B of the group's €1.35B combined 2025 revenue, placing 200,000 candidates annually across logistics, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, food, automotive, energy, services, and events. Acquired brands Adsearch, Sigmar (Ireland), Skillflex (Belgium), Totem (Canada), AxL Group (Italy, 2024), and Solutions Driven (UK, 2026) extend geographic reach to 8 countries and 60+ countries for executive search, serving 16,000 clients with 2,100 permanent collaborators.

The business model is fundamentally transactional: temporary staffing earns a margin on hourly worker rates (30,000 ETP/day), permanent recruitment charges placement fees as a percentage of salary, executive search operates on retainer or success fees, and HR services/training/BPO earn professional-services fees. Distribution runs through direct field sales supported by 420+ physical branches and 250 framework agreements with global multinationals, supplemented by the Inside Staffing embedded on-site model and self-service brand websites. Revenue mechanics are operationally intensive and human-centered rather than technology-platform driven.

The group monetizes primarily through volume temporary staffing, mid-to-senior permanent placements, and increasingly global executive search. Customer segments span large multinationals (framework agreements), major industrial/construction sites (Inside Staffing), SMEs and mid-caps (Adsearch), and individual job-seekers across multiple sectors. Geographic mix is heavily France-weighted but internationalized through Ireland, Italy, Canada, Belgium, the UK, and other European operations. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; AI is positioned as an exploratory lever rather than a current revenue driver.

Name

Groupe Adéquat

Legal name

Groupe Adéquat

Website

https://groupeadequat.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Groupe Adéquat is a family-owned French recruitment group operating eight brands across eight countries, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, executive search, training, and BPO services to industrial, logistics, and professional clients through 420+ locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing and Recruitment Services

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (561320), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Clerical & Customer Support Temp Staffing (BPACACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agent of Record (AOR) for Staffing & Payrolling (BPACAHAF), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)

Keywords

• Temporary staffing services
• Permanent recruitment
• Executive search
• Workforce solutions
• Multi-brand recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Temporary Staffing (Intérim): Core revenue stream placing 200,000 people per year in temporary roles across logistics, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, food, automotive, energy, services and events sectors in France and internationally. Fees are charged as a margin on hourly temporary worker rates.
2. Permanent Recruitment / Executive Search: Retained and contingency search mandates placing mid-to-senior-level professionals (Experts, Middle Managers, Middle-Up Managers) across 10 specialized practice areas. Revenue from placement fees typically charged as a percentage of placed candidate salary.
3. HR Services (Training, Career Consulting, BPO): AxL Formazione delivers individual and collective training; AxL provides legal assistance, career management, redeployment and relocation services; Unilinea delivers BPO services to banking, financial and insurance institutions. Revenue from professional services fees.
4. Global Executive Search: Solutions Driven operates in 60+ countries placing senior executives and technical experts in strategic roles, charging retainer or success-based fees for high-impact mandates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Groupe Adéquat is a family-owned recruitment group providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, executive search, and complementary HR services (training, BPO) through 8 brands and a network of 420+ agencies across 8 countries. The group places 200,000 people per year in fixed or temporary employment and operates 30,000 equivalent full-time temporary workers on assignment daily, primarily serving logistics, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, energy, pharma, and food sector clients. Revenue is generated through margins on temporary worker hourly rates, percentage-of-salary placement fees, and retainer or success-based executive search mandates.

Product overview

Groupe Adéquat is a family-owned independent recruitment group founded in Lyon, France in 1987, operating as a multi-brand platform consisting of 8 complementary recruitment brands spanning temporary staffing, permanent placement, executive search, training, and BPO services. The core brands include Adéquat Interim & Recrutement (360+ French agencies, the flagship brand), Adsearch (specialized consulting across France/Switzerland/Spain), and international acquisitions: AxL Group (Italy, 2024), Sigmar Recruitment (Ireland, 2018), Skillflex (Belgium, 2020), Totem (Canada, 2017), and Solutions Driven (UK, 2026). Supporting initiatives include Inside Staffing by Adéquat (on-site embedded staffing), Tony Parker Adéquat Academy (education/sports partnership), and the 2025-established Fonds de dotation Adéquat (endowment fund for equal opportunities). The group operates 420+ locations across 8 countries with €1.35 billion in combined revenue and places 200,000+ people annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tony Parker Adéquat Academy: Educational program combining sports values with professional training for young people
• Fonds de Dotation Adéquat

Products and services

• Adéquat Interim & Recrutement The flagship temporary staffing and permanent recruitment brand of Groupe Adéquat, founded in 1987 in Lyon, operating 360+ agencies across France serving 16,000 clients with 30,000 temporary workers on assignment daily and placing 200,000+ people per year across logistics, industry, construction, aerospace, retail, hospitality, energy, and healthcare sectors.
• Adsearch Specialized recruitment consulting brand operating across France, Switzerland, and Spain with 140+ collaborators and 15 offices, serving 1,500+ clients (SMEs, mid-caps, large groups) with placement of Experts, Middle Managers, and Middle-Up Managers across 12 specialized divisions.
• Sigmar Recruitment Irish recruitment consultancy with 100+ specialized consultants across 4 offices in Ireland, covering all sectors for permanent and contract recruitment. Has won 60+ independent awards for recruitment excellence and workplace culture and organizes the Talent Summit event.
• AxL Group Italian HR services group with 300 employees across 32+ branches throughout Italy, providing temporary staffing, permanent recruitment, training, and BPO services. Places 3,500 temporary workers in full-time equivalent per month and recruits 10,000+ people per year.
• Skillflex Belgian recruitment agency operating 6 sites and 2 on-site operations across Belgium, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, and internal solutions across logistics, transport, administrative, production, B2B services, energy, and packaging sectors.
• Totem Montreal-based recruitment and staffing agency specializing in placing professionals in administration, insurance, accounting, finance, purchasing/logistics, engineering, and legal sectors. Certified Great Place to Work in 2026 and expanded through acquisition of Bray, Larouche & Associés in 2021.
• Solutions Driven International executive search firm operating in 60+ countries across EMEA, APAC, and North America, placing senior executives and technical/scientific experts with a 97% first-try success rate across automotive, aerospace, energy, engineering, infrastructure, manufacturing, supply chain, and technology sectors.
• Inside Staffing by Adéquat On-site staffing solution embedding Adéquat teams within large logistics, industry, construction, and services clients, providing comprehensive HR services including sourcing, recruitment, temporary worker performance improvement, administrative and legal management, training, and risk prevention.
• Groupe Adéquat UK UK operations specializing in executive and senior professional recruitment for the built environment sector, including real estate, engineering, project management, and facilities management. Places executives and senior professionals with organizations across the UK.
• Job Centre Accredited training agency in Padua (Veneto region), specializing in recruitment and selection, training and consulting, targeted placement, and active employment policies for unemployed, NEET youth, people with disabilities, and vulnerable populations.
• Unilinea BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) company employing 60+ staff across Milan and Turin, serving major banking, financial, and insurance institutions, with operations extended to energy, real estate, and multi-services. Received gender equality certification in 2024.
• AxL Formazione Training and consulting company offering individual and collective training, organizational process analysis, and workplace wellbeing projects, based in Bonate Sotto, Milan, and Cesena. Gender equality certified in 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000 candidates placed annually in fixed or temporary employment
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NEOMA Business SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Tremplin management development program was delivered on NEOMA Business School's Paris campus in June 2026. 17 group collaborators participated in an immersive certifiying program covering management, strategy, finance, AI, communication and decision-making, designed to develop cross-functional vision.
• Projet 0 to 100minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025An unprecedented 18-month scientific study led by Guillaume Millet (kinesiologist, Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne) in partnership with CHU Saint-Étienne. 40 currently sedentary individuals will be trained to complete a 100km ultra-trail. Parallel 0 to 40 challenge for people with chronic illness or disability. Group serves as official partner, aligning with its mission to support individual potential and progression.
• Fonds de Dotation Adéquat (Endowment Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Endowment fund created by the group in 2025 to build pathways toward equal opportunities in employment and society. Led by Lila Safraoui (Director of Public Relations and Social Impact). Supports projects in education, culture, sport, disability, gender equality, health, environment, tech, intergenerational links, mobility and housing. Act as both a redistributive fund (financial support) and operational fund (direct action).
• Université Jean Monnet Saint-ÉtienneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partner in the Projet 0 to 100 scientific study, led by Guillaume Millet from the university. Combines sports science with social inclusion research.
• CHU de Saint-ÉtienneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Medical partner in the Projet 0 to 100 scientific study, providing clinical oversight for participants in the physical activity and reintegration program.
• Hub InstituteminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Tech and Marketing teams attended VivaTech in partnership with Hub Institute for a 'learning expedition' to explore AI applications in recruitment (skills mapping, candidate sourcing, conversational agents, marketing platforms).
• France TravailminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with France Travail to train 240 job seekers in in-demand trades and to support broader employment integration programs.
• Together Academy (Ireland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Sigmar Recruitment Ireland collaborated with Together Academy to train and support young adults with Down syndrome in employment integration.
• France Travail / Cap Emploi / Missions LocalesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Cooperation with France Travail, Cap Emploi, and Missions Locales (France) and numerous associations to promote employment of youth and job seekers facing barriers.
• AgefiphminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Three-year agreement (2023-2025) with Agefiph (French body supporting employment of people with disabilities) to increase recruitment of temporary workers with disabilities by 11% in 2024.
• Tony Parker Adéquat AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017An innovative educational model in Lyon combining sports (basketball), training and professional integration for youth. The group maintains an on-site recruitment office and dedicated advisor supporting académiciens throughout the year with company presentations, themed weeks, site visits and career events. Tony Parker (NBA champion) serves as co-founder and ambassador.
• Talent SummitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Premier European HR and leadership event founded by Sigmar Recruitment in Ireland in 2015/2016. Expanded to France with first Lyon edition in June 2026 (hosted at Institut Lumière). Brings together 200+ HR leaders, executives and recruitment professionals across EMEA. Next edition planned for Cork, Ireland in September.
• Festival LumièrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The world's leading heritage film festival (170,000+ attendees) held annually in Lyon. Since 2014, the group has supported the festival's international expansion, affirming its attachment to Lyon's cultural richness and promoting cinema accessible to all. The partnership supports cultural outreach, talent discovery and local roots.

Scale indicators27 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CRIT: French staffing group listed on Euronext Paris, providing temporary work, recruitment, and airport services (CRIT Intérim, CRIT Recrutement). Closest direct French intérim competitor to Adéquat Interim, with similar industrial and logistics client base.
• Randstad: Dutch global staffing leader (Randstad, Sourceright, Randstad Rise) operating in 39 countries. Most direct competitor in French intérim and northern European temporary staffing, with overlapping industrial, logistics, and professional recruitment segments.
• ManpowerGroup: US-listed global staffing firm operating across 70+ countries via Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions. Competes directly with Groupe Adéquat in temporary staffing for industrial and logistics clients, and overlaps in permanent placement/executive search.
• Gi Group: Italian-headquartered global staffing group operating in 30+ countries across temporary staffing, permanent placement, and HR services. Highly comparable to AxL Group (Italy) post-acquisition, and direct competitor across continental European intérim markets.
• Synergie: French-listed European staffing group (Synergie, Synergie Insertion, Synergie Care) operating across 17 countries. Direct competitor in French intérim and comparable in continental European temporary staffing with similar industrial/logistics sector focus.
• PageGroup: UK-listed recruitment group operating Michael Page (white-collar professional) and Page Personnel (clerical/secretarial) brands globally. Comparable to Adsearch's specialized recruitment of Experts, Middle Managers, and Middle-Up Managers across multiple geographies.
• Adecco Group: Swiss-headquartered global staffing leader (Adecco, Akkodis, LHH) offering temporary staffing, permanent placement, and workforce solutions across 60+ countries. Direct competitor in French intérim and increasingly comparable in multi-country enterprise mandates where Groupe Adéquat competes via framework agreements.
• Hays: UK-listed professional recruitment group specializing in permanent and contract placement across 33 countries. Direct competitor to Adsearch and Sigmar in mid-to-senior specialized recruitment across IT, engineering, life sciences, and finance.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half International: US-listed global specialized staffing and consulting firm focused on finance, accounting, technology, and administrative placements. Broad incumbent in professional staffing that overlaps with Adsearch's specialized recruitment and Solutions Driven's executive search offerings.
• Recruit Holdings: Japanese-listed global staffing and HR services conglomerate (Indeed, Glassdoor, Recruit) operating across 60+ countries. Broad incumbent and tech-enabled competitor whose Indeed platform directly pressures traditional staffing fee structures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/groupeadequat
• Xx.com/groupeadequat

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Groupe Adéquat