From staffing agency to full service HR partner: Growth boosted by new majority owner Sponsor Capital

With EUR 130 million in net sales, the StaffPoint Group is a leading company in its sector and one of Finland’s largest employers. In recent years, StaffPoint has invested heavily in developing services and digital tools that cover the whole of working life. It has evolved from a staffing agency into a full-service strategic HR partner. The company’s growth and service development will be given a fresh boost by the new principal owner, Sponsor Capital.

Following an agreement signed on 5 October 2017, the Finnish private equity investor Sponsor Capital will be the new majority owner of the StaffPoint Group. The agreement will have to be approved by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company and StaffPoint’s management will remain shareholders.

“Until recently, StaffPoint has been known as a staffing agency. In 2012 we started a focused project to develop our service and turn StaffPoint into a full-service HR company. We are proud to say that the project has been successful. Development work with our customers continues – we want to help our customers in their success,” says Mika Kiljunen, CEO of the StaffPoint Group.

According to Kiljunen, customers have welcomed the investments in service models that offer comprehensive solutions. Partnership with the international company Randstad has introduced global operational scalability.

“We can offer the most versatile services in the business, which combine the widely recognized direct recruitment services for executives, recruitment services at different levels, staff coaching, career and employment services and the appraised myStaff resourcing system. We produce services that match our customers and meet their needs, from major outsourcing projects for strategic partners to finding a new career for an individual jobseeker,” he says.

From an employers’ market to a market of skilled workers

As late as the beginning of last year, the job market developed on employers’ terms. This has now been largely up-ended: skilled staff is hard to come by in many sectors, which is holding back growth.

“Employers must approach skilled staff in the right way and at the right time. The tools and expertise of an HR partner must also meet these requirements, which is why we’ve focused on these things in our service development. Our new principal owner wants to invest in this competitive factor to create growth and stronger demand,” says Kiljunen.

The vision: The Best Worker – for both staff and customers

Juuso Kivinen, partner at Sponsor Capital, sees the great potential in StaffPoint, with its nearly 12 000 employees.

“We are proud and happy for this opportunity to continue the development of the company with its professional management and personnel. The strong growth outlook for the sector, the increasing need for temporary staff and StaffPoint’s excellent market position provide a great foundation for answering future challenges and needs in a fascinating growth market,” says Kivinen.

”StaffPoint’s vision is to be The Best Worker – for both employees and customers,” says CEO Mika Kiljunen.