hkw

What hkw does

Piening GmbH (formerly hkw Group) is a German private staffing and personnel services company headquartered in Germany and operating through a network of over 60 branch offices nationwide. The company provides two core services: Zeitarbeit (temporary staffing), in which it supplies workers to client companies and earns revenue through a markup on wages paid under collective agreement rates (Tarifvertrag), and Personalvermittlung (permanent placement), which generates one-time placement fees by matching job seekers with direct-hire positions. It also offers Auslandsrekrutierung (international recruitment) to address domestic skilled labor shortages, and has launched a dedicated Engineering & IT Hamburg branch indicating vertical specialization in technical segments. Customer segments span a horizontal mix of industries — automotive, chemistry, electrical, IT/Engineering, metal, logistics, food, and manufacturing — with no single dominant vertical disclosed.

The go-to-market is sales-led and field-based, executed through branch managers and consultants at each of the 60+ locations who deliver on-site management and intensive client support. Distribution combines direct branch relationships with enterprise clients, a self-service online Jobbörse (job board), and a broad digital marketing presence across LinkedIn, Xing, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and the Kununu employer review platform. The Piening Connect App and Piening Akademie indicate investment in mobile worker engagement and internal training infrastructure. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the only stated floor is the €14.96 per hour minimum wage applicable to temporary staffing assignments.

The underlying technology stack is a conventional HR services platform with job board functionality — no proprietary AI/ML, API integrations, SDKs, or differentiated technology assets are referenced in the source data. As of 2024, the Munich operation (previously operating as hkw Group for over 40 years) was acquired and rebranded under Piening GmbH, marking a significant consolidation event in the company's recent history. The legal entity is Piening GmbH, a private German GmbH with no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiaries identified in the source.

Name

hkw

Legal name

Piening GmbH

Website

https://hkw.jobs

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Piening GmbH is a German private staffing firm operating over 60 branch offices nationwide, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, and international recruitment services to business clients across multiple industries including automotive, manufacturing, and IT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing and Personnel Services

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (561320)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

National Generalist Staffing Firms (BPACACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO)

Keywords

• Staffing services
• Temporary employment
• Permanent placement
• Workforce solutions
• HR management

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Zeitarbeit (Temporary Staffing): Temporary employment services where Piening supplies workers to client companies. Revenue generated through markup on worker wages. Workers receive pay according to collective agreements (Tarifvertrag).
2. Personalvermittlung (Direct Placement): Permanent placement services matching job seekers with client companies for direct employment. One-time placement fee model.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

hkw, now operating as Piening GmbH since 2024, provides Zeitarbeit (temporary staffing) and Personalvermittlung (permanent placement) services to companies across Germany. Workers are supplied to client firms through a network of over 60 branch offices with on-site management, applicant search, selection support, and collective-agreement-compliant pay. The company also offers international recruitment (Auslandsrekrutierung) and operates a self-service job board (Jobbörse) for job seekers.

Product overview

hkw Group, now part of Piening GmbH since 2024, operates as a staffing and personnel services company. The company provides Zeitarbeit (temporary staffing/employment agency services) and Personalvermittlung (permanent placement services). Services include job board/job search platform (Jobbörse), applicant search and selection for employers, on-site management, and workforce solutions across various industries including automotive, chemistry, electrical, IT/Engineering, logistics, and manufacturing. The company previously operated under the hkw Group name and now operates as Piening GmbH with over 40 locations across Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zeitarbeit (Temporary Staffing) Temporary employment services where Piening supplies workers to client companies across industries such as automotive, chemistry, electrical, IT/Engineering, metal, logistics, food, and manufacturing. Revenue is generated through a markup on worker wages, and workers are paid according to collective agreements (Tarifvertrag) at a minimum of €14.96/hour.
• Personalvermittlung (Direct Placement) Permanent placement service matching job seekers with client companies for direct, long-term employment. Operates on a one-time placement fee model.
• Auslandsrekrutierung (International Recruitment) International recruitment service for client companies seeking qualified workers from outside Germany.
• Jobbörse (Job Board) Self-service online job portal where job seekers can browse and apply for available temporary and permanent positions across the Piening branch network. Available 24/7.
• Corporate HR Management & On-Site Management Comprehensive HR management offering for corporate clients including applicant search, selection support, intensive client support, and on-site workforce management at client locations.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Robert Half Germany: Specialized staffing firm with German presence focused on finance, accounting, IT, and administrative contract and direct-hire placement. Comparable to Piening's white-collar Personalvermittlung and on-site management services.
• Grafton Deutschland: International staffing firm with German operations focused on commercial, technical, and industrial temporary and permanent placement. Comparable in targeting mid-market German clients with multi-discipline staffing.
• Randstad Deutschland: Germany's largest generalist staffing firm, offering both Zeitarbeit and permanent placement across all major industries. Directly comparable to Piening GmbH in service mix, geographic coverage, and target client base.
• PageGroup Germany: Mid-tier international staffing firm operating in Germany across temporary and permanent white-collar placement, particularly strong in commercial and technical roles. Comparable to Piening's Personalvermittlung services and the engineering/IT segment.
• Tempton Personaldienstleistungen: German-based generalist staffing firm with extensive branch network providing temporary and permanent placement across multiple industries. Similar horizontal industry focus and business model to Piening GmbH.
• DIS AG: German-headquartered staffing and HR services firm with nationwide branch network, strong in technical and industrial placements. Comparable direct competitor for German temporary staffing and permanent placement mandates.
• Persona Service: Large German generalist staffing firm operating Zeitarbeit across industrial and commercial segments with a national branch network. Directly comparable in service offering, revenue model, and client base to Piening.
• ManpowerGroup Germany: Major international staffing firm with strong German branch network providing temporary and permanent placement. Competes head-on with Piening for Zeitarbeit mandates in manufacturing, automotive, and logistics sectors.
• Hays Germany: UK-headquartered specialist staffing firm with major German operations focused on IT, engineering, and life sciences contract and permanent placement. Directly comparable to Piening's engineering/IT staffing vertical.
• Adecco Germany: Global staffing leader operating in Germany across temporary staffing, permanent placement, and workforce solutions. Overlaps with Piening in serving German industrial, logistics, and commercial clients with multi-sector staffing services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@piening_personal
• Facebookfacebook.com/hkw.powerteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hkw-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/pieningpersonal
• TikToktiktok.com/@piening.personal
• Xx.com/hkw_personal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 hkw