Personio, an HR software for SMEs in Europe, is ramping up its efforts to invest and expand its footprint in the UK with an upgrade to a new and larger office in London’s Soho, new senior hires, and plans to further grow the team.
Larger office space in today’s hybrid workforce landscape seems out of place but Personio is expanding its footprint globally with up to 500 new hires also announced in its Dublin offices along with expansions in Madrid and Munich. Personio clearly has increased headcount and company growth at front of mind. Hanno Renner, co-founder and CEO of Personio has said that the business is committed to a hybrid way of work, so the increase in office space globally will be geared for that.
The fast-growing HR tech company has experienced strong demand in the UK as businesses have recognised the need to automate and digitise processes, in order to boost productivity. Personio’s UK revenue in Q1 2021 was more than 10 times greater than the same period last year. It counts leading SMEs such as Mindful Chef, Tractable and Numan among its UK customers, as well as Premier Inn, Statista and SkyTeam internationally.
Renner says, “The UK market is highly underserved in terms of HR software for SMEs. And appetite for this has only increased as a result of the pandemic, with businesses increasingly needing new ways to manage remote and hybrid workforces. With the UK representing one of our most important markets we’re keen to further invest in the UK and support the country’s six million SMEs as they get back on track and play a key role in fuelling the country’s economic recovery.”
As part of its growth, Personio has doubled the size of its London team over the last quarter. With the appointment of Sam Richards, Personio’s new Country Manager for the UK and Ireland, who joins Personio from Eventbrite, Personio has tapped into London’s tech talent pool to further strengthen its management team in the capital. Richards’ role will focus on increasing Personio’s UK and Ireland customer base and making Personio the leading HR solution for SMEs in the region.
New additions to the team also include Loretta Ediam as Head of Product Operations and Nick Peart as Vice President Marketing, who joins from Databricks and Zendesk, where he’s accompanied both companies on their journeys to their IPO. They will all join Ross Seychell, Chief People Officer and Ben Kiziltug, Head of Northern Europe in the new, larger London office recently opened in Soho.
Ross Seychell, Chief People Officer at Personio: “People are the single biggest influencer on the success of any business, and as such, we’re extremely committed to hiring top talent across all of our European offices to drive us forward. London remains one of the best places for tech companies to hire talented people, and Loretta, Nick and Sam all have proven skills and diverse experience and will be invaluable assets to our team here in the UK.”
Looking ahead, Personio is on track to grow its London presence almost fivefold by hiring an additional 40 new employees over the next two years. To make this happen, the company is hiring talent in all areas of the business, with a particular focus on sales and marketing as well as product analysts for its London team.
Offering SMEs recruiting, HR management and payroll support through its all-in-one HR software, Personio, which is headquartered in Munich, also operates from offices in London, Dublin, Madrid, with its new Amsterdam office set to open in autumn 2021.
Allen Simpson, Acting Chief Executive, London & Partners said: “It is fantastic news Personio are growing their London footprint, demonstrating their commitment to the UK and their success so far in the UK market. We’ve seen the accelerated adoption of HR tech solutions over the last year as the world has adapted to new ways of working and Personio’s rapid growth in the UK is testament to their innovative offering for SMEs. London is a global hub for tech and innovation and Personio’s new Soho office right in the heart of London’s West End is a great place to be, an area home to some of the world’s fastest growing tech companies. We look forward to seeing Personio continue to grow in London and globally.”
In January this year (2021), Personio announced $125 million of new and pre-emptive Series D funding in an investment round that values the business at $1.7 billion, placing Personio among the most valuable private software companies in Europe. This latest funding came only 12 months after the company received $75 million of Series C funding in 2020, bringing its total funding to $250 million since launching in 2015.
