Learn how the European banking solution for SMEs and freelancers partnered with WorkMotion to hire compliantly across borders — finding the best talent wherever it lives, without the legal entity headache.
At a Glance: Qonto
Industry: Fintech / Business Banking
Mission: Providing a modern banking and payment solution for SMEs and freelancers across Europe
Global Footprint: 1,600+ employees serving 600,000+ customers across 8 European markets
Success with WorkMotion: Compliant hiring across multiple European markets through both Employer of Record and Direct Hiring services
Mission: Providing a modern banking and payment solution for SMEs and freelancers across Europe
Global Footprint: 1,600+ employees serving 600,000+ customers across 8 European markets
Success with WorkMotion: Compliant hiring across multiple European markets through both Employer of Record and Direct Hiring services
The Challenge: Finding the Right Talent Beyond Their Core Markets
Qonto had built a strong hiring presence in its core operating countries — Spain, Italy, Germany, and France. But as the company grew, the People Operations team kept running into the same wall: the right candidate, with the right skills, often wasn't in the country where Qonto had a legal entity.
This was especially true for technical roles.
This was especially true for technical roles.
"We started hiring in the main countries in which we operate, like Spain, Italy, Germany and France. But it's not always easy to find the right candidates with the right skills in a single country. So we decided to expand the search."
Andrea Pavesi, People Operations Manager at Qonto
Andrea Pavesi, People Operations Manager at Qonto
For the engineering team in particular, the talent pool was scattered across Europe — strong candidates were emerging in Portugal, Belgium, Poland, and Romania. Qonto needed a way to hire them quickly and compliantly, without the cost and delay of setting up a new legal entity in every country.
The Solution: One Partner, Two Hiring Models
Qonto needed a partner who could move fast, stay compliant, and handle the operational complexity of multi-country hiring on their behalf. They found that partner in WorkMotion.
"The idea was to find a partner that can support us in countries in which we don't have a legal entity, and to be compliant and fast at the same time. We found this solution with the Employer of Record, and in particular with WorkMotion."
What set the partnership apart was the flexibility to mix hiring models depending on the country and Qonto's long-term plans there:
Employer of Record (EOR): For markets where Qonto wanted to hire quickly without committing to a legal entity.
Direct Hiring: Used in Portugal, Belgium, and Austria, giving Qonto a more direct relationship with employees while still leveraging WorkMotion's local expertise.
Direct Hiring: Used in Portugal, Belgium, and Austria, giving Qonto a more direct relationship with employees while still leveraging WorkMotion's local expertise.
"WorkMotion knows exactly what the best practices are in those countries, and offers a complete service in each country in which we decided to hire people."
By having both options under one roof, Qonto could match the right hiring model to the right market — without juggling multiple providers.
The Results: Borderless Hiring, Fully Managed
By offloading the operational and compliance work to WorkMotion, Qonto's People Operations team was able to focus on what actually moves the business forward: finding great people and building a strong culture.
1. Access to a Pan-European Talent Pool: Qonto can now recruit the best engineers across Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Romania, and beyond — not just where it has a legal entity.
2. Compliance Without the Overhead: Local employment law, payroll, and contracts are handled end-to-end by WorkMotion, freeing the internal team from administrative complexity.
3. A True Operational Partner: WorkMotion acts as an extension of Qonto's People team, not just a vendor.
2. Compliance Without the Overhead: Local employment law, payroll, and contracts are handled end-to-end by WorkMotion, freeing the internal team from administrative complexity.
3. A True Operational Partner: WorkMotion acts as an extension of Qonto's People team, not just a vendor.
"We found their service really effective and useful for us, because everything is managed in terms of operations directly by WorkMotion. I found a real partner with competent people, really kind and precise. And it's a real pleasure to work with them."
For Qonto, the partnership reflects a broader philosophy about what good employment looks like today.
"Qonto is an employer of the future because we take care of our employees and we offer the best conditions to them, hiring internationally and letting them work from anywhere."
Ready to scale your team across Europe?
Join companies like Qonto who are hiring the best talent wherever it lives. WorkMotion makes international hiring simple, compliant, and fast — whether through Employer of Record or Direct Hiring.
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