What CONNECT Personal Service does

CONNECT Personal-Service GmbH is a privately held German personnel services firm founded in 1990 by Ariane Durian in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. It operates as a regional staffing and recruitment partner for small and medium-sized enterprises (Mittelstand), offering temporary staffing (Zeitarbeit under an unlimited Arbeitnehmerüberlassung permit granted 28.11.1994), direct permanent placement (Personalvermittlung), international recruitment (Internationale Personalvermittlung), HR outsourcing (Bewerbermanagement), business succession consulting (Unternehmensnachfolge), and a specialized Jobs 60+ program for senior workers. The company claims more than 1,000 successful placements of specialists and executives across its 35-year history and typically advertises more than 80 open positions at any given time across commercial, technical, IT, legal, and administrative roles. Its service area covers the Technologieregion Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe, Ettlingen, Rastatt, Baden-Baden, Pforzheim, Germersheim) and broader Baden-Württemberg.

The firm monetizes through three streams: hourly billing on temporary staffing assignments where CONNECT acts as employer of record under the iGZ/DGB collective bargaining framework (most recently renegotiated in September 2025 via the GVP/DGB VGZ); success fees on permanent placements calculated as a percentage of the placed candidate's gross annual salary, with a EUR 1,500 + VAT upfront effort compensation for succession planning searches; and project or retainer fees on HR outsourcing engagements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. GTM is entirely relationship-driven direct sales through two offices (Karlsruhe HQ and Bad Herrenalb branch), supplemented by the managing director's IHK Karlsruhe Vice President and Service Committee chair roles and VWA Baden ties.

Technically, CONNECT operates a low-tech stack centered on a WordPress website, Crabster for job listing integration, Zoom/Teams/Skype for Business for client communications, and standard office infrastructure. Differentiation is driven by founder/management-led regional network strength rather than proprietary technology. Leadership consists of Ariane Durian (Geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin, founder, IHK Vice President), Gerhard Sebold (Prokurist and Mitgesellschafter, finance/credit background since 1995), and Daniela Braun (Prokuristin, operations, joined 1993-1994). The firm also operates the CONNECTstiftung, founded in 2008, which funds youth education and social projects in the region.

Name

CONNECT Personal Service

Legal name

CONNECT Personal-Service GmbH

Website

https://connect-personal.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CONNECT Personal-Service GmbH is a privately held German staffing and recruitment firm founded in 1990 in Karlsruhe, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, HR outsourcing, and succession consulting to regional Mittelstand companies and job seekers in the Technologieregion Karlsruhe and Baden-Württemberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing and Recruitment Services

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (561320), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC), Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO)

Keywords

• Temporary staffing services
• Permanent placement agency
• HR outsourcing services
• International recruitment
• Business succession consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlsruhe

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Temporary Staffing (Zeitarbeit / Arbeitnehmerüberlassung): CONNECT acts as the employer of record for temporary workers assigned to client companies. Client companies pay a hourly billing rate that covers the employee's gross wages plus CONNECT's margin and administrative costs. CONNECT remits wages, handles social security contributions, and applies iGZ/DGB tariff terms. This is a recurring revenue model driven by the number of temporaries on assignment.
2. Direct Placement / Vermittlung: For permanent placements, CONNECT charges a placement fee (Vermittlungsprovision) based on the candidate's gross annual salary. A small upfront cost may be charged when a candidate is introduced, but the primary fee is triggered upon successful hire and signing of an employment contract. A fee of EUR 1,500 plus VAT is charged as an upfront effort compensation for succession planning placements.
3. Outsourcing / Bewerbermanagement: CONNECT takes over administrative HR tasks such as applicant management (handling applications, sending acknowledgements, coordinating interviews, returning documents) for client companies. This generates project-based or retainer fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CONNECT Personal-Service GmbH is a regional staffing and recruitment agency providing temporary staffing (Zeitarbeit) where it acts as the employer of record, direct permanent placement (Personalvermittlung) with success-based fees, international recruitment, outsourcing of HR administrative tasks, and business succession consulting. Services are delivered primarily to small and medium-sized enterprises in the Technologieregion Karlsruhe and wider Baden-Württemberg across commercial, technical, IT, legal, and administrative roles.

Product overview

CONNECT Personal-Service GmbH is a personnel service company offering a portfolio of HR services centered around three core offerings: Personalvermittlung (direct recruitment and placement), Zeitarbeit (temporary staffing/work leasing), and Internationale Personalvermittlung (international recruitment). These are complemented by Outsourcing services for administrative HR tasks, Unternehmensnachfolge (business succession consulting), and Jobs 60+ (senior placement). The company also operates the CONNECTstiftung foundation focused on educational and youth career development initiatives. Services span commercial, technical, IT, legal, and administrative positions primarily in the Karlsruhe technology region of Baden-Württemberg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personalvermittlung (Permanent Placement) Recruitment and placement service matching qualified candidates with employers in permanent positions across commercial, technical, IT, legal, and administrative roles; billed via a success fee calculated as a percentage of the placed candidate's gross annual salary.
• Zeitarbeit (Temporary Staffing) Temporary staffing service where CONNECT serves as the employer of record, providing workers to client companies for project-based or short-term needs with the possibility of permanent hire; billed hourly under iGZ/DGB tariff framework.
• Internationale Personalvermittlung (International Recruitment) International recruitment service for candidates seeking work abroad and clients looking for specialists for worldwide locations, requiring cultural sensitivity and foreign language skills.
• Outsourcing (Bewerbermanagement / HR Administrative Outsourcing) Outsourcing of personnel-intensive administrative HR tasks including applicant management, interview coordination, and document handling to free up client resources for strategic priorities; priced on a project or retainer basis.
• Unternehmensnachfolge (Business Succession Consulting) Business succession consulting connecting business owners seeking successors with candidates possessing the potential and goals to become entrepreneurs; includes an upfront effort compensation of EUR 1,500 + VAT.
• Jobs 60+ (Senior Placement) Specialized placement service for job seekers aged 60 and older, connecting experienced workers with employers who value the skills and reliability of senior employees.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 successful placements of specialists and executives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• fokus.energieminorOthers · 1 January 2024Ariane Durian represented IHK Karlsruhe at the 10th anniversary of fokus.energie, an innovation network connecting companies, startups, and research institutions for sustainable energy solutions. IHK was a founding member.
• Pugilist Boxing Gym BruchsalminorOthers · 1 January 2011CONNECT has supported the Pugilist Boxing Gym Bruchsal's 'Lern Academy' (TRAIN THE BRAIN program) since 2011 through its CONNECTstiftung. The program combines boxing/fitness with tutoring, homework help, and career guidance for youth.
• CONNECTstiftungcoreOthers · 1 January 2008CONNECT founded the CONNECTstiftung in 2008, which promotes educational and social projects for youth and career starters. The foundation supports programs such as CONNECTstiftungsday, CONNECTstiftungsprojekt, and the Pugilist Boxing Gym Bruchsal 'Lern Academy' since 2011.
• GVP - Gesamtverband der Personaldienstleister e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCONNECT is a member of GVP (the main industry association for staffing services in Germany). Through GVP, CONNECT participates in industry-wide tariff negotiations. In September 2025, GVP's Verhandlungsgemeinschaft Zeitarbeit (VGZ) negotiated the new collective agreement for temporary work with the DGB trade union federation.
• DGB - Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (via VGZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGB's Leiharbeit tariff community negotiated the 2025 collective agreement for temporary work with GVP (CONNECT's industry body). CONNECT applies the iGZ/DGB tariff framework to its temporary workers.
• Hänsel+Gretel (Deutsche Kinderschutzstiftung)minorOthersCONNECT supports the annual Christstollen charity campaign organized by Hänsel+Gretel (Deutsche Kinderschutzstiftung) and Bäckerei Nussbaumer. CONNECT has participated for 7+ years, with approximately EUR 8.50 donated per stollen to fund child protection projects.
• Bäckerei NussbaumerminorOthersRegional bakery partner producing the Karlsruher Christstollen for the annual charity campaign benefiting Hänsel+Gretel child protection foundation. CONNECT purchases Christstollen as corporate gifts to customers while supporting the charity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DIS AG: One of Germany's largest staffing and recruiting firms, headquartered in Düsseldorf, offering permanent placement, temporary staffing, and HR consulting across commercial, technical, and IT roles — directly comparable service mix to CONNECT but at national scale.
• Amadeus FiRe AG: Frankfurt-listed German specialist staffing firm focused on finance, IT, and engineering professionals, providing both temporary staffing (Zeitarbeit) and permanent placement (Personalvermittlung) — closely comparable professional-segment positioning and tariff compliance model.
• Hays plc: UK-listed specialist recruiter with a major German operation focused on IT, engineering, and professional placements using both contract and permanent models — comparable target customer (Mittelstand) and placement-fee economics.
• Persona Service: German regional staffing provider offering temporary work, permanent placement, and on-site HR solutions across multiple German regions — comparable hybrid Zeitarbeit/Personalvermittlung model with branch-network GTM.
• PageGroup (Michael Page, Page Personnel): Global professional recruitment firm (Michael Page/Page Personnel) with strong German presence, specializing in mid-to-senior permanent and contract placements across commercial and technical functions — comparable premium-placement positioning.
• Grafton Recruitment: Ireland-headquartered international recruitment group with operations across Europe, providing permanent placement, temporary staffing, and RPO — comparable multi-service staffing model and Mittelstand/enterprise customer base.
• TimePartner Personal-Service GmbH: Mid-sized German temporary staffing provider operating through regional branches with iGZ/DGB tariff compliance — directly comparable regional Zeitarbeit/Personalvermittlung model and scale tier.

Broad incumbents

• Randstad Germany: German arm of global staffing leader Randstad, offering temporary staffing, permanent placement, and HR solutions at national scale — overlapping capability set but operating at vastly larger scale with proprietary technology.
• Adecco Germany: German operations of Adecco Group, one of the world's largest staffing firms, providing Zeitarbeit, Personalvermittlung, and outsourcing across commercial and technical roles — broader portfolio and national reach than CONNECT.
• Robert Half International: Global specialist staffing and consulting firm (with German operations) focused on finance, accounting, IT, and administrative professionals — comparable professional-placement niche with broader geographic and product footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jobsinbaden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connect-personal-service-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/connectpersonal

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CONNECT Personal Service