Randstad Acquires France-Based Digital Recruiting Platform
May 2, 2022 – Acquisitions and consolidations continue to make news in the recruiting industry, with a number of notable purchases in recent months. Randstad N.V. recently confirmed that Randstad France will acquire Side, an end-to-end digital staffing platform in the region. The acquisition is expected to strengthen Randstad’s offering and market position through increased digital presence and capabilities. Side, which was founded in 2016, specializes in online recruitment that offers digital staffing solutions to over 2,000 customers. With 300,000 active candidates on its books, the company primarily operates in the logistics, trade and service sectors. “The acquisition of Side would lead Randstad towards a strong extension of Randstad’s current portfolio as well as enable them access to new opportunities for existing and potential clients,” the company said.
“The role of technology is becoming increasingly important in the world of HR services,” said Sander van’t Noordende, CEO of Randstad. “In a tightening labor market, this acquisition would allow us to offer customers and talent a new solution to those looking for a fully digital experience. However, it is our shared values and the belief in the crucial role of the ‘human touch’ underpinned by technology which makes me excited to welcome their great people to our team.”
“This acquisition fuels our ambition to offer the best online staffing experience to candidates and businesses,” said Pierre Mugnier, co-founder and CEO of Side. “It’s a great recognition of the strength of our team and our unique approach mixing cutting-edge technologies with high quality human touches. We’re looking forward to joining forces with the Randstad Group’s talented teams and combining our online user experience expertise with the world’s largest HR services provider.”
The transaction has been presented to the applicable employee representative bodies and is expected to close in the coming weeks.
Randstad is active in 38 markets around the world and has a top-three position in almost half of these. In 2020, Randstad had on average 34,680 corporate employees and generated revenue of € 20.7 billion. Randstad was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands.
Recent Acquisition
Randstad recently acquired Hudson Benelux, a specialist in human-resources consulting, for an undisclosed amount. “The addition of Hudson is a strong extension of our service offerings to clients and offers access to exciting new opportunities which further strengthens our market position,” said Jacques van den Broek, chairman of Randstad.
The acquisition of Hudson will be a strong extension of Randstad’s current portfolio as well as offer access to new opportunities with services in which Hudson excels. Hudson will continue to operate as a separate company and brand. Its 275 employees will operate from the existing offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Hudson Benelux was established in 1982 by current CEO Ivan De Witte. The firm was a part of Nasdaq-listed Hudson International Inc. between 2001 and 2018. Mr. De Witte and his administration crew bought Hudson Benelux back from Hudson in 2018. “Randstad’s worldwide community and strong base will assist Hudson in its additional improvement and development,” Mr. De Witte said.
Related: Hunt Scanlon Media Launches M&A Advisory Service for Recruiters
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
