WORKING IN LYON

What WORKING IN LYON does

Working in Lyon is a privately-held recruitment and co-living company operating in Brussels, Belgium and Lyon, France. It is structured as two legal entities — Working in Brussels SRL and Working in Lyon SAS — and offers a hybrid service that bundles permanent job placement with premium co-living accommodation as a benefit-in-kind within an employee's salary package. The company targets two customer segments simultaneously: enterprise employers seeking differentiated talent attraction tools, and individual candidates (young professionals) seeking employment with housing solutions in high-cost European cities.

The core service operates as a four-step recruitment process — candidate profiling, matching on personality/values/soft skills, client validation, and contract conclusion — supplemented by career coaching and professional integration support. Co-living properties in Brussels and Lyon provide private en-suite rooms with shared common areas (living room, kitchen, garden), and housing costs (typically 40%+ of net salary) are absorbed into the salary package. The business uses a daily-rate pricing model marketed as "Our daily rate = your TCO," with multi-year contracts for enterprise clients. Distribution is direct via the company website and outreach, with no disclosed channel partnerships or third-party intermediaries.

The company was founded by Pierre Focant, a former CEO who completed one of Belgium's largest Management Buy-Outs, alongside Business Manager Lola Mertens and Partner Charlotte Gris (15+ years in Audit & Consulting). Working in Lyon has no disclosed external funding, no proprietary technology platform, no mobile application, no AI/ML capabilities, and no patents or formal partnerships. Geographic scope is limited to two cities in two countries, and revenue, headcount growth, and unit economics are not publicly disclosed.

Name

WORKING IN LYON

Legal name

Working in Lyon SAS

Website

https://workinginlyon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Working in Lyon is a private recruitment firm that bundles permanent job placement with premium co-living housing as a salary benefit-in-kind, serving enterprise employers and individual candidates in Brussels and Lyon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Co-living Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), All Other Support Services (561990)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Temp-to-Hire Staffing (BPACACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contractor Benefits & Perks Administration (BPACAGAJ), Workforce & Contract Worker Monthly Housing (THAMAFAE)

Keywords

• Recruitment services
• Co-living housing
• Talent acquisition
• Employee relocation
• Salary packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Recruitment/Staffing Services: The company charges companies for finding and placing talent. They operate on a daily rate model where 'Our daily rate = your TCO' - positioning their service as a total cost of ownership solution that includes sourcing, HR administrative tasks, and the co-living benefit package for employees.
2. Co-living Housing Services: Housing services included as a benefit-in-kind within salary packages. The co-living experience (accommodation, utilities, internet, cleaning) is bundled into the overall compensation package, providing employees with more disposable income as housing costs typically represent over 40% of net salary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Working in Lyon provides permanent recruitment and staffing services for companies, paired with premium co-living housing in Brussels and Lyon that is bundled into employees' salary packages as a benefit-in-kind. The combined offering, marketed as the "WOW EFFECT" salary package, matches candidates based on personality, values, and soft skills, then delivers furnished co-living accommodation (private bedroom with bathroom, shared common areas, utilities, internet, and cleaning included) as part of the compensation structure to attract the new generation of workers.

Product overview

WORKING IN LYON operates as a dual-business platform combining Human Resources recruitment services with premium co-living housing solutions. The company offers an innovative salary package model that includes co-living accommodation as a benefit in kind, targeting the new generation of workers who prioritize work-life balance and unique experiences. Their core offerings consist of: the Human Resources Business (recruitment and staffing), the Co-living Business (premium shared housing), and the Innovative Salary Package Solution that integrates both. Services are available in two primary locations: Brussels (Belgium) and Lyon (France). Additional support services include career coaching and job placement assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment and Staffing Services (Human Resources Business) Recruitment and staffing services that match candidates with companies based on personality, values, and soft skills, delivered through a 4-step process: profile definition, matching, client validation, and service contract conclusion. Targeted at companies seeking talent aligned with company culture.
• Co-living Brussels Premium shared housing service in Brussels, Belgium offering private high-end spaces (bedroom, bathroom, toilet) combined with shared common areas, included in the salary package of placed candidates.
• Co-living Lyon Co-living housing service in Lyon, France, located near Parc Tête d'Or and Métro B Charpennes, offering private rooms with bathrooms in shared houses, bundled into the salary package as a benefit-in-kind for placed candidates.
• Job Placement Service Permanent placement service matching candidates with client companies, including contract signing and professional integration support for candidates.
• Career Coaching Interview preparation and guidance on resume writing, professional attitude, and job search tips included with placement services to support candidate success.

Quantifiable outcome

• Housing budget typically represents more than 40% of a NET salary - this cost is eliminated for employees with co-living packages
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Welcome to the Jungle: French-founded employer branding and recruitment marketing platform that helps companies attract talent via content-driven job listings. Comparable in target geography (France/Belgium) and shared employer-side value proposition of differentiating talent attraction.
• Blueground: Global provider of fully furnished, move-in-ready apartments for professionals on temporary or relocating assignments. Comparable to the furnished, all-inclusive housing benefit Working in Lyon offers as part of its salary package.
• Spotahome: European online platform for mid-to-long-term furnished rentals verified by homecheckers. Comparable in addressing the housing-search pain point for relocating professionals that Working in Lyon's co-living bundle is designed to solve.
• Sonder Holdings: Operator of short- and extended-stay furnished apartments with utilities and amenities included. Comparable to the all-inclusive housing component Working in Lyon offers placed candidates, particularly for professionals on assignment.
• Common: US-based co-living operator providing all-inclusive shared housing with private bedrooms and shared common areas. Directly comparable in the co-living housing product offering bundled into Working in Lyon's salary package.

Broad incumbents

• Adecco Group: Largest global staffing and workforce solutions group. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering recruitment, temp staffing, and career transition services across the same European geographies, though without the housing-as-benefit bundle.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and recruitment giant with strong European footprint. Comparable in providing workforce solutions and multi-country placements, but operates at much larger scale and without the housing-as-benefit differentiation.

Direct peers

• Michael Page International: PageGroup-owned specialist recruiter operating across Europe including France and Belgium. Directly comparable in recruitment services, candidate matching, and multi-year client engagements, without the housing bundle.
• Hays plc: Global recruitment firm with deep European presence, placing candidates into permanent and contract roles. Comparable as a recruitment services competitor also targeting European employers and job seekers, although Hays does not bundle housing.
• Robert Half International: Global staffing and recruitment firm with daily-rate placement models similar to Working in Lyon's 'daily rate = TCO' positioning. Comparable in placing professionals into client companies, though without co-living as a benefit-in-kind.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/workingin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 WORKING IN LYON