SmartRecruiters CEO Rebecca Carr on the SAP Acquisition, AI, and the Future of Talent Platforms

Rebecca Carr joins WorkTech's George LaRocque to unpack SmartRecruiters' SAP acquisition, the rise of AI-native recruiting, and what it means to stay product-first and HCM-agnostic. Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters, days after announcing their acquisition by SAP. We talked about what the deal means for the market, how AI is changing recruiting, why product CEOs matter now more than ever, and the bold future of talent platforms. In this episode, we look at HR Tech, talent acquisition, AI in recruiting, enterprise software, recruiting platforms, product-led growth, and the future of work. Rebecca Carr shares what made SAP the right partner, how SmartRecruiters is staying agile, and why recruiting is now front and center. Key Takeaways -SmartRecruiters’ acquisition by SAP marks a pivotal moment in HR tech and underscores recruiting’s shift from a bolt-on module to a core enterprise platform. -Rebecca Carr’s product-first leadership is reshaping how talent platforms are built, prioritizing AI-native workflows and agile innovation. -Despite the acquisition, SmartRecruiters will remain HCM-agnostic, preserving its flexibility and customer-centric approach across enterprise ecosystems. -AI is no longer a future concept; 58% of candidates are using it, and SmartRecruiters’ Winston product is built to meet them where they are. -SAP’s global reach and data infrastructure unlock new opportunities for SmartRecruiters to deliver insight across the entire employee lifecycle. -This move signals more consolidation ahead in talent acquisition tech, especially in high-volume hiring and frontline work, as enterprises seek end-to-end solutions. Learn more about SmartRecruiters at https://smartrecruiters.com Learn more about the HR and Work Tech markets, and the deals shaping the industry at https://1worktech.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices