What Up Skills does

Actual Talent is the specialized recruitment and HR consulting division of Actual Group, a privately held French staffing company headquartered in Laval. The division employs approximately 470 people organized across multiple service lines — specialized permanent recruitment, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), executive search, interim management, freelance IT consulting, talent assessment, and HR consulting — and serves over 1,000 clients ranging from SMEs and mid-market firms (ETIs) to large enterprises. It operates from 22+ offices in France plus offices in Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland, covering 13 countries, with vertical specializations in industrial, IT/digital, life sciences, finance, and retail sectors.

The division has built two proprietary technology platforms: Skipper, a hub connecting organizations with hybrid freelance and transitional managers, and Benchmark Salaire, a salary benchmarking tool that uses AI to help clients price roles competitively. Its revenue model is multi-engine: fixed fees and contingency placement fees for permanent recruitment; managed service fees for RPO engagements; day-rate billings for interim and freelance IT consulting; and project-based fees for HR consulting and talent assessment. Customers are segmented across company size (SME, ETI, large enterprise) and industry vertical, with named engagements spanning financial services (Easy Cash), equipment rental (Kiloutou), industrial SMB (Rivard), and enterprise IT (TIBCO).

The business is privately held under Actual Group, with no external funding disclosed. Senior leadership visible in published content includes Samuel Tual (Director of Publication), Aline Crépin (Deputy General Director), Christine Miquel (Head of Development and Marketing), and François Passerieux (IT Maintenance Coordinator). The division's strategic posture combines organic product launches (Skipper, Benchmark Salaire), geographic expansion into Southern Europe and Switzerland, and vertical industry focus (industrial sector via Global Industrie 2026), while continuing to compete in France's mature, fragmented recruitment market.

Name

Up Skills

Legal name

ACTUAL GROUP

Website

https://upskills.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Actual Talent is the specialized recruitment and HR consulting division of France's Actual Group, employing ~470 staff across 13 countries to serve 1,000+ SMEs, mid-market, and enterprise clients with permanent, RPO, executive search, interim, freelance IT, and assessment services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing and Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB), Career Assessment & Skills Profiling (Assessments for Transition) (BPACAOAG), Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM)

Keywords

• Talent acquisition services
• Recruitment process outsourcing
• Executive search
• Talent assessment
• Interim management

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices28 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialized Recruitment Services: Recruitment services for hard-to-fill positions and operational management roles with consultants specializing in specific professions and sectors.
2. RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing): Bringing agility and efficiency to talent acquisition teams, handling temporary support, apprenticeship campaigns, and major recruitment surges.
3. Executive Search: High-end executive recruitment service for strategic positions with confidentiality and human-centered approach.
4. Interim Management: Providing experienced leaders for organizational transformation, governance challenges, and operational continuity.
5. Freelance IT Placement: Connecting companies with qualified freelance IT professionals and independent consultants.
6. Talent Assessment: Evaluation services to identify talent for hard-to-fill roles and develop team potential using effective assessment methods.
7. HR Consulting: Expert support and customized solutions for human resources challenges, combining HR consulting expertise with predictive tools and methods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Up Skills provides professional talent acquisition and assessment services to businesses, including specialised recruitment for hard-to-fill roles, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), executive search for strategic leadership positions, interim management, freelance IT placement, soft-skills talent assessment, and HR consulting through Talent Acquisition Advisory. The division also operates the Skipper hybrid platform connecting companies with freelancers and transition managers, and offers an AI-powered salary benchmark tool.

Product overview

Actual Talent operates as a talent acquisition and assessment solutions provider within the Actual Group. The product portfolio centers on three main service pillars: Talent Acquisition Solutions (encompassing Specialised Recruitment, RPO, Executive Search, Interim Management, and Freelance IT placement), Talent Assessment (soft skills evaluation methods), and Talent Acquisition Advisory (HR consulting with predictive tools). The company also offers Skipper, a hybrid platform connecting businesses with freelancers and transition managers, and a Benchmark Salaire AI-powered salary analysis tool. The offerings range from high-volume recruitment process outsourcing to executive search and assessment services, serving SMEs, ETIs, and large companies across 13 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialised Recruitment Recruitment service for hard-to-fill positions and operational management roles, delivered by sector-specialised consultants to SMEs, ETIs, and large enterprises across multiple industries.
• RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) Managed recruitment services that bring agility and efficiency to talent acquisition teams, providing scalable support for temporary needs, apprenticeship campaigns, and major recruitment surges.
• Executive Search High-end executive recruitment service for strategic positions, featuring a tailor-made approach, confidentiality, and a human-centred methodology for leadership hires.
• Interim Management Deployment of experienced leaders to drive organisational transformation, ensure operational continuity, and optimise performance during transition phases.
• Freelance IT Placement services for freelance IT professionals to meet specialised technology staffing needs for client organisations.
• Talent Assessment Soft skills assessment methods to optimise hiring decisions, identify talent for difficult-to-fill roles, and unlock team potential using effective evaluation methods.
• Talent Acquisition Advisory HR consulting services providing expert support and customised solutions for human resources challenges, combining consulting expertise with predictive tools and methods.
• Skipper Hybrid hub platform connecting enterprises with qualified independent contractors and transition managers, placing human connection at the centre of collaborations.
• Benchmark Salaire AI-powered salary analysis assistant that helps users evaluate and negotiate compensation using personalised data, available to candidates and recruiters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30% savings on recruitment costs through RPO services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and supporting.

• Ekip RHminorOthersNetwork of independent HR consultants, mentioned as a related service provider in the Actual Talent ecosystem.
• Skipper by ActualcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHybrid hub platform launched by Actual Talent for connecting companies with qualified freelancers and transition managers. The platform places humans at the center of every collaboration.
• Test and Assessment Profile PublisherssupportingTechnology or IntegrationCompanies publishing assessment tests and candidate evaluation tools that Actual Talent uses to help with hiring decisions. Identity and contact data may be shared for evaluation purposes.
• Actual GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Actual Talent. Actual Group operates 600+ agencies in France and provides temporary staffing, recruitment, training, and HR solutions. Actual Talent is the specialized talent acquisition and assessment division.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Randstad: Major global staffing and HR services firm with strong European presence in permanent recruitment, RPO (Randstad Sourceright), and talent assessment. Direct comparable for Actual Talent's RPO and specialized recruitment service lines across France and Iberia.
• Adecco Group: World's largest staffing company offering permanent placement, executive search (Adecco Executive), and RPO services across Europe. Competes with Actual Talent in French and broader European enterprise recruitment markets, particularly in specialized and professional segments.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and workforce solutions giant operating across permanent placement, RPO, and talent assessment. Directly comparable as a broad incumbent in the same recruitment services space Actual Talent occupies, though with vastly larger scale and international reach.

Regional players

• Altea RH (Altea Group): French and Southern European HR services group offering recruitment, interim management, and HR consulting. Comparable regional peer competing with Actual Talent in France and adjacent markets with similar service breadth across staffing and advisory.

Emerging players

• Meteojob: French recruitment platform combining job board technology with recruiter services. Emerging competitor in the French market that intersects with Actual Talent's digital recruitment capabilities and freelance placement offerings.

Direct peers

• Heidrick & Struggles: Premier executive search and leadership advisory firm serving senior leadership and board-level placements. Direct peer to Actual Talent's Executive Search offering, competing for the same strategic-position mandates in European enterprises.
• Michael Page (PageGroup): Global specialist recruitment firm operating across professional services, IT, engineering, and finance. Direct competitor to Actual Talent in specialized permanent recruitment and a closely comparable business model focused on middle-to-senior professional placements.
• Robert Half International: Specialized talent solutions provider for finance, accounting, technology, and administrative roles with strong RPO and assessment capabilities. Direct peer given overlapping service lines in specialized recruitment, RPO, and talent assessment.
• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organizational consulting firm with significant HR consulting and talent assessment practices. Direct comparable for Actual Talent's Executive Search and Talent Acquisition Advisory service lines, especially for senior leadership mandates.
• Hays: UK-headquartered specialist recruitment firm focused on professional and skilled trades across multiple sectors including IT, engineering, finance, and HR. Highly comparable to Actual Talent's specialized recruitment and freelance IT placement offerings, particularly in Western European markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/up-skills

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Up Skills