Put simply, talent acquisition at SAP is complex. Hiring 20,000-25,000 people annually across 160 countries creates a complicated landscape that requires streamlined workflows, clear communication, and scalability.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, we were in the process of planning the optimization of our talent discovery tech stack and then something happened,\u201d Eric Goldstein, global head of Talent Discovery for SAP, said. \u201cWe acquired SmartRecruiters<\/a> in September, so we had to pivot in an agile way.\u201d<\/p>\n SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors enables enterprises to manage the entire hiring lifecycle, from sourcing to onboarding, with AI-enabled recruiting capabilities that can result in faster time-to-hire, improved candidate experiences, and deeper analytics for workforce planning.<\/p>\n For SAP, this means adding much-needed rigor and precision to its global talent acquisition operations. This will not only elevate the quality of hires but also the candidate experience, which Goldstein identified as the \u201cbiggest game changer.\u201d<\/p>\n SAP runs SAP<\/p>\n SAP uses its own software to operate its global enterprise, acting as its own primary reference customer. By deploying its applications across 100,000 employees worldwide, SAP tests, refines, and showcases its products in real-world scenarios.<\/p>\n Building a more intelligent hiring process<\/p>\n SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors helps optimize processes, increasing transparency and personalization. This means improved experiences and processes for candidates, hiring managers, and recruiters. \u201cWe have been through a time where we focused solely on the recruiter experience. Then it was fashionable to focus only on the candidates. Now we really see that with SmartRecruiters, it really is an enhanced experience for all stakeholders that are involved in the recruiting process,\u201d Ilka Sagner-David, global head of Talent Discovery Solutions and Innovations at SAP, said.<\/p>\n Candidate perspective<\/p>\n Seventy percent of candidates that apply for jobs are mindful to take their valuable time to do so, Goldstein shared, reiterating that it is important for companies to match that commitment when shaping and delivering the candidate experience. With SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors as the foundation, it becomes possible for every pre-qualified applicant to interview, receive personalized and constructive feedback post-interview, and maintain 24\u00d77 interaction with agentic AI built into SmartRecruiters.<\/p>\n Simplify global hiring with an intelligent, end-to-end talent acquisition solution that supports any hiring need<\/p>\n \u201cIn our opinion, only responding with polite, automated rejection notes is not enough. [Candidates] need to be provided with some constructive, actionable feedback\u2014and that\u2019s what we [at SAP] are going to be able to do,\u201d Goldstein said.<\/p>\n Hiring manager perspective<\/p>\n SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors can give hiring managers a more precise and consistent way to identify strong candidates, helping to reduce time-to-hire while improving hiring quality. AI-prompted interview questions focused on skills can support more relevant and structured conversations while greater transparency across interview panelists can create better alignment throughout the evaluation process. In addition, AI-supported feedback collection can make it easier for interviewers at SAP to capture timely, consistent insights, enabling its hiring teams to make more informed decisions with greater confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n Recruiter perspective<\/p>\n Recruiters are often bogged down by manual tasks, such as outreach, prospect identification, and candidate screening, making it nearly impossible for them to step into the role of a trusted advisor. With SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors, recruiters can experience automated internal and external prospect identification, personalized outreach and prioritization of candidates, and, therefore, the ability to focus on higher value-add advisory and relationship management.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to allow the recruiters to focus on relationship management with candidates and hiring managers, really challenging the feedback of how well the interview panel measures skills proficiency,\u201d Goldstein said.<\/p>\n Bringing AI into the candidate journey<\/p>\n