FEL

What FEL does

FEL GmbH is a Kiel, Germany-based Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) provider that operates as the external recruitment department for its clients. Founded around 2000 and led by CEO Dirk Lonnemann, the company runs an 'orchestra' delivery model in which the recruitment lifecycle is decomposed into specialized expert departments (HR marketing, job advertising, active sourcing, diagnostics, project management, onboarding, contract management), each headed by a domain specialist who maintains a dedicated 'laboratory' of tools. The platform architecture combines an application management system with a three-stage independent virus protection chain that converts all inbound application attachments to PDF before they reach client systems, alongside GDPR-compliant Art. 28 (DS-GVO) order processing. The product portfolio is anchored by the Managed Process iRPO service and extended through modular offerings (Recruitment Modules, Recruitment Packages, Application Management, Active Sourcing, KPI/PowerBI analytics) targeted at companies facing skills shortages, insufficient internal recruiting capacity, or peak hiring demand.

FEL's commercial model is transaction-based, charging per successful placement at an average of €2,096-€3,182 depending on role level, with volume discounts kicking in above 100 placements per year. Pricing is tied to recruitment effort rather than position salary, allowing the firm to serve roles ranging from top management down to hourly positions such as forklift drivers or bakery staff. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales, initiated via a proprietary 'Recruitment-Check' diagnostic that benchmarks client recruitment effectiveness, supplemented by an HR-Partner referral network. The customer base spans IT/technology enterprises, multi-site retail/F&B operators, and public-sector buyers such as police and government agencies, with documented outcomes including 46 hires in 90 days for a 50-location bakery chain and a 70% cost reduction for an IT client.

FEL is a privately held German GmbH with no disclosed external institutional investment. It has been validated by HR-Tech Outlook as a Top 10 RPO firm in Europe (2020) and by Manage HR for superior RPO services in the European market (2022). The company maintains 11-50 employees and operates primarily from its Kiel headquarters, with no disclosed international offices despite its European positioning.

Name

FEL

Legal name

FEL GmbH

Website

https://fel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FEL GmbH is a German Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) provider based in Kiel that acts as the external recruitment department for enterprises, public-sector clients, and SMBs, delivering end-to-end hiring through specialized expert departments under transaction-based, per-placement pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise RPO (End-to-End Program Management) (BPACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Onsite / Embedded RPO (In-House Recruiter Teams) (BPACABAD), Hybrid / Selective RPO (Partial Outsourcing) (BPACABAC), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)

Keywords

• Recruitment outsourcing
• Talent acquisition
• RPO services
• Active sourcing
• Recruitment consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. RPO Recruitment Services: FEL charges per successful placement/hire. The pricing model is tied to the actual effort of recruiting rather than the annual salary of the position, making it cost-effective across all levels including lower-salary roles like forklift drivers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FEL GmbH provides Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) services, acting as the external recruitment department for client companies. The service covers the entire recruitment lifecycle — job advertising, active sourcing, application management with virus protection, candidate screening, diagnostics, onboarding, and KPI reporting — organized into specialized expert departments, each led by a department head with their own tool laboratory. Pricing is tied to actual recruitment effort per successful placement rather than position salary.

Product overview

FEL operates as an RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) provider offering a modular service architecture centered around its core managed recruitment process. The company functions as the external recruitment department for clients, providing end-to-end recruitment services. The portfolio consists of the core Managed Process iRPO service, supported by modular components including Recruitment Module Services (job advertising, active sourcing, events, diagnostics), Application Management System, Active Sourcing escalation, and Recruitment Analytics/KPI Reporting. The company also offers bundled Recruitment Packages for clients seeking predefined service combinations. All services emphasize transparency, GDPR compliance, and cost optimization with pricing tied to actual recruiting effort rather than position salary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) - Core Service End-to-end RPO service where FEL acts as the external recruitment department for client companies, covering the entire recruitment lifecycle including job advertising, active sourcing, application management, candidate screening, and onboarding support.
• Managed Process iRPO Full-service managed recruitment process handled by FEL under data processing agreements compliant with Art. 28 GDPR, covering all recruiting tasks as a managed outsourced service.
• Recruitment Module Services Modular recruitment services including job advertising, online marketing, active sourcing, event management, correspondence, diagnostics, assessment centers, statistics, and project management — offered as standalone or combinable modules.
• Active Sourcing Services Proactive candidate outreach and engagement service for positions that do not generate sufficient response through passive recruiting methods like job advertising.
• Recruitment Analytics and KPI Reporting Comprehensive reporting service using MS PowerBI to monitor recruiting costs, KPIs, and performance metrics with real-time dashboards and trend analysis, fed via API from the application management system and financial accounting.
• Recruitment Packages Bundled service packages combining multiple recruitment functions tailored to client needs, including SEO-optimized job advertisements and multi-channel distribution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced hiring costs to 30% and doubled staff hired for an IT client in 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HR-Partner NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFEL leverages an HR-Partner network to target additional needs of customers with partner companies that are top-notch in their specific fields. This extends FEL's service offering beyond core RPO to provide comprehensive recruitment solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cielo: Global RPO pure-play providing end-to-end recruitment outsourcing for enterprise clients; directly comparable to FEL's Managed Process iRPO offering but at significantly larger scale.
• KellyOCG: RPO and talent management arm of Kelly Services focused on end-to-end recruitment process design and execution; comparable in service scope and target buyer to FEL's enterprise RPO offering.
• Hays Talent Solutions: RPO division of Hays plc providing end-to-end recruitment outsourcing; directly competes with FEL in European mid-market and enterprise RPO, including in German-speaking markets.
• Pontoon Solutions: RPO and MSP provider within Adecco group delivering managed recruitment programs; comparable to FEL in offering full process outsourcing with modular recruitment analytics and reporting.
• Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS): UK-based RPO and talent acquisition specialist serving large enterprise clients globally; comparable to FEL in offering modular, end-to-end RPO programs and competing for similar mid-to-large client mandates.

Regional players

• PageGroup: UK-listed recruitment group with significant German operations (Michael Page, Page Personnel) providing permanent and contract placement; competes with FEL for similar German mid-market hiring mandates.
• DIS AG: Major German staffing and recruitment services firm providing permanent placement and RPO-adjacent services; the most direct domestic competitor to FEL in the German mid-market.

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions: Global staffing giant with dedicated RPO capability under Talent Solutions; competes with FEL in enterprise and government recruitment outsourcing but offers broader workforce solutions.
• LHH (Lee Hecht Harrison): Talent solutions arm of Adecco offering RPO and recruitment process consulting; broad incumbent competitor with deeper pockets and global delivery infrastructure than FEL.
• Randstad Sourceright: RPO and talent solutions arm of Randstad, one of the largest global staffing groups; overlaps with FEL in enterprise RPO but operates at vastly greater scale with multi-country delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fel_gmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/FELGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fel-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 FEL