SAP : How AGCO is Redefining the Candidate Experience

Charles Darwin said, 'It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.' While he was most likely referring to the finches he studied in the Galapagos Islands, we can see how this easily applies to business as well.

Organizations that do not embrace change, prefer the status quo, or have an 'if it ain't broke why fix it' approach will not only lose their competitive advantage, they will fail.

This is especially true in the world of talent acquisition, where sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor have transformed the candidate experience and new hire expectations at lightning speed.

If you are considering modernizing your talent acquisition process, you're not alone. A study by Deloitte found that 60 percent of respondents to a global survey have already or are currently updating and revamping their talent sourcing strategy, and another 27 percent are considering changes. One such company is AGCO, a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural machinery and solutions.

To help ensure they keep up with the times and have the best talent possible, SAP SuccessFactors customer AGCO is taking a more wholistic approach to talent acquisition. In recent years, AGCO felt its brand was outdated and that it was viewed simply as an agricultural supply company instead of the technology-driven manufacturer it is.

To help change this perception and modernize its talent acquisition processes to attract top talent, AGCO turned to SAP. With SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting, AGCO has gone from rote processes to personalized experiences that make candidates feel valued from the start. AGCO uses career site builder to target and communicate with candidates at the right time for the right roles, and leverages analytics embedded within the recruiting solution to help ensure recruiting investments are optimized.

AGCO on SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting

AGCO knows how critical it is to keep candidates engaged even after they have accepted an offer to avoid any second thoughts, especially since in some parts of the world it can be months between when a candidate signs the offer letter and their first day of work.

With SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding, AGCO starts building relationships with new hires to engage them as soon as possible, which has been critical to lowering the no-show rate. Candidates get timely access to relevant information and key contacts who help new hires ramp up quickly and reduce the amount of time it takes for them to reach full productivity and contribute to organizational success.

AGCO on SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding

Finally, and maybe most importantly, AGCO understands that effective talent acquisition does not occur in a vacuum and that other processes like workforce and succession planning impact and inform recruiting efforts. This help the company to determine if it should leverage internal or external talent to fill current and future gaps. Or if it has the right learning and development programs in place to help ensure successors are prepared for their next role, to facilitate smooth transitions with little disruption to the business.

AGCO on SAP SuccessFactors Solutions for Talent Management

If you are part of the 87 percent of organizations looking to evolve talent acquisition processes, here are three questions to ask:

• Is your employer brand and candidate experience aligned with where you are and want to be as a business?
• How do you create a personalized experience for candidates so they feel valued from the first touch point?
• How are you ensuring that new hires are excited, motivated, and able to hit the ground running on day one and into the first year of their career?

If you don't have answers to these questions, I encourage you to visit the SAP SuccessFactors website to see how SAP can help you with your talent acquisition needs.

We are proud to be a Leader in the recently published IDC MarketScape: Worldwide and U.S. Modern Talent Acquisition Suites for Large Enterprise 2019 Vendor Assessment. Download the report here.

SAP SuccessFactors solutions, including SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting, are available for digital discovery and purchase online, anywhere, anytime with only a few clicks on the SAP SuccessFactors website.

Janne Wise is a director of Solution Management for SAP SuccessFactors.