Sommer + Hinst

What Sommer + Hinst does

Sommer + Hinst (legally SOMMER+HINST GmbH) is a German executive search and personnel consulting firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in Hamburg, with a second office opened in Augsburg in 2025. The firm specializes in placing highly qualified specialists (Fachkräfte) and executives (Führungskräfte) for mid-sized companies — the so-called Mittelstand — primarily across technical sectors including machinery and plant engineering, electrical engineering, automotive, energy, maritime, medical technology, and measurement/control technology. The firm's service portfolio centers on its proprietary ReCREWting methodology, a structured five-step recruitment approach that combines direct candidate outreach (Direktansprache/headhunting) with assessment of both technical competence and team-fit characteristics, positioning the placement of "people rather than candidates" as a core differentiator.

The business operates on a contingency-based, transaction-fee revenue model tied to successful placements, with go-to-market executed through direct, face-to-face engagement with client decision-makers in the DACH region. The team comprises roughly 10 employees, including a Managing Director (Oliver Steinmetz) and Senior Partner (Martin Hinst), supported by specialized project leaders, a Head of Recruiting, and regional consultants in Stuttgart and Augsburg. Distribution relies on direct sales rather than intermediated channels, with marketing activity concentrated on the firm's website and professional networking presence on XING and LinkedIn. The firm has completed over 1,900 mandates since founding, reports that 75% of current work consists of repeat orders from existing clients, and maintains membership in the United Headhunters network for cross-firm collaboration. No institutional funding, parent entity, or AI-specific technology stack is disclosed.

Name

Sommer + Hinst

Legal name

SOMMER+HINST GmbH

Website

https://hh-personalberatung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sommer + Hinst is a German executive search firm founded in 2006, placing specialists and executives for technical Mittelstand companies in the DACH region via its proprietary ReCREWting direct-headhunting methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Personnel Consulting

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Direct recruitment headhunting
• Personnel consulting
• Talent acquisition
• Specialist placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search & Recruitment Services: Contingency-based recruitment services placing specialists (Fachkräfte) and executives (Führungskräfte) primarily in technical sectors. The company focuses on direct headhunting approach and sustainable placements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sommer + Hinst is an executive search and direct-recruitment (headhunting) consultancy that places qualified specialists (Fachkräfte) and executives (Führungskräfte) primarily into mid-sized companies in technical sectors across the DACH region. The firm delivers its placements through a proprietary five-step methodology called "ReCREWting," which combines targeted Direktansprache (direct candidate outreach) with structured assessment of both technical competence and team/cultural fit, delivered from offices in Hamburg and Augsburg.

Product overview

Sommer + Hinst is an executive search and personnel consulting firm operating since 2006 with offices in Hamburg and Augsburg, Germany. The company's core offering is its proprietary 'ReCREWting' methodology—a structured five-step recruitment process combining direct candidate outreach (Direktansprache/Headhunting) with comprehensive assessment of both technical competencies and team-fit qualities. Their service portfolio spans executive search, direct headhunting, and professional/leadership placement, primarily serving the German-speaking DACH region and international clients. The company specializes in technical sectors including machinery and plant engineering, automotive, electrical engineering, automation, energy, maritime, medical technology, and measurement/control technology. Services are delivered through two regional hubs (Hamburg and Augsburg) staffed by specialized recruitment consultants, with a focus on sustainable, long-term placements for mid-sized companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search & Direct Recruitment (ReCREWting) End-to-end executive search and direct recruitment service for client companies: the firm identifies, approaches, qualifies and presents specialist (Fachkräfte) and executive (Führungskräfte) candidates for roles in technical sectors, combining proactive headhunting/Direktansprache with structured team-fit assessment. Priced via transaction-based contingency placement fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of projects can be supplied with initial candidate proposals within 3-5 weeks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United HeadhuntersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSOMMER+HINST is a member of United Headhunters, a network of headhunting and recruitment consultancies. This membership provides access to a broader network and potential collaboration with other member firms.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hays plc: Global specialist recruitment firm with strong technical and engineering practices, including a substantial German business. Highly comparable in technical-niche specialist recruitment business model.
• Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH: German-headquartered HR consulting and executive search firm with deep Mittelstand and DACH focus. Closest comparable in geographic market and Mittelstand specialization, though significantly larger in scale.

Broad incumbents

• PageGroup plc: Global specialist recruitment group (Michael Page, Page Personnel, Page Executive) serving mid-market and executive roles. Comparable mid-market recruitment methodology with broader geographic footprint.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with European industrial practice. Competes for board-level and senior executive mandates among German Mittelstand industrial firms.
• Egon Zehnder Limited: Global executive search firm with deep Swiss/German heritage serving industrial and Mittelstand leaders. Competes for executive search mandates across technical industries in DACH.
• Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. Global executive search firm with established German and DACH practices serving industrial and Mittelstand clients. Competes for similar senior executive mandates in technical sectors.
• Boyden: Global executive search firm with significant Mittelstand and industrial sector coverage in Germany and EMEA. Comparable in mid-market and executive search for industrial/technical companies.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a strong industrial and technology practice serving European clients. Competes for senior executive mandates in DACH technical industries.
• Robert Half International Inc. Global specialized recruitment firm covering finance, technology, legal, and administrative roles. Comparable in specialist recruitment methodology but with broader generalist scope.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with significant German operations, particularly serving industrial and technology clients. Direct competitor for executive mandates in technical Mittelstand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Sommer + Hinst