SAP SmartRecruiters as a strategic lever

Laura Cepeda, E3: SAP has announced the acquisition of SmartRecruiters. In your opinion, what were the main reasons for this?

Dennis Böcker, SmartRecruiters: SAP has recognized that talent acquisition is a strategic lever for corporate success and not just a back-office function. SmartRecruiters provides a modern, AI-supported recruiting platform specifically for today's recruiting requirements. By integrating it into the SAP environment, SAP can offer its customers a future-proof recruiting experience that is both powerful and human-centered.

Cepeda: What strategic role will SmartRecruiters play within the SAP ecosystem in the future?

BöckerSmartRecruiters will be the innovation incubator for recruiting in the SAP ecosystem. Our role is to push the boundaries of what is possible, from intelligent candidate sourcing to automated workflows and better hiring decisions. We complement SuccessFactors with a best-of-breed recruiting layer that seamlessly integrates with the overarching HCM and business processes.

Cepeda: What does the takeover mean in concrete terms for existing SmartRecruiters customers?

BöckerCustomers can initially expect continuity above all. Their platform, their usual support contacts and existing commitments will remain the same. Over time, additional benefits will be added, such as faster innovation cycles, deeper integrations with SAP solutions and extended global support. We will also continue to support the recruitment needs of non-SAP customers, including those with Workday, UKG, Oracle and other HR systems. All changes will be clearly communicated in advance, with a focus on the needs of customers.

ㅤ

ㅤ

ㅤ

"This step marks the end of the „good enough“ era for recruiting software."

Dennis Böcker,
Vice President EMEA Central,
SmartRecruiters

Cepeda: How will the integration into existing SAP HR systems work?

BöckerFrom a technical perspective, our teams are already working on ensuring a smooth data exchange between SmartRecruiters and the SAP HR systems. The goal is to make the user experience seamless for HR, recruiters and hiring managers. Organizationally, we remain focused on customer success. Our roadmap is aligned with that of SAP.

Cepeda: Do you have an example of how this acquisition could bring lasting change to the HR tech market?

BöckerThis move marks the end of the „good enough“ era for recruiting software. The combination of SAP's reach and SmartRecruiters' innovation creates a platform that enables a global transformation in recruiting. Companies can hire smarter, faster and fairer. We are convinced that this will raise the standard across the market.

Cepeda: What role does AI already play in recruiting today, and how do you plan to further develop these technologies as part of SAP integration?

BöckerArtificial intelligence is already anchored in candidate matching, in the targeting of job advertisements and in process automation. Our next stage of development is to orchestrate AI across the entire recruiting process: through AI agents to relieve recruiters, through management dashboards with action-oriented insights and through an optimized candidate experience. Together with SAP, we will accelerate the delivery of these functions on an enterprise scale.

Cepeda: What are the biggest challenges companies are currently facing in recruiting?

Böcker: Speed and quality. Companies are under pressure to fill open positions quickly while ensuring the best possible fit. Many are still working with fragmented processes and siloed tech stacks, which slows down the entire process. SmartRecruiters is designed to unify the recruiting process and eliminate friction with the help of AI.

Cepeda: What developments do you currently see in the HR tech market that companies should pay particular attention to in the coming years?

BöckerThree trends stand out in particular. Firstly, agent-based AI: the transition from simple chatbots to real AI assistants that actively act on behalf of recruiters. Secondly, skills-based recruiting: moving away from job titles and CVs to a focus on skills and potential. Thirdly, integrated experience levels: Silos are broken down so that candidates, recruiters and managers have a connected and intuitive user experience across different systems.