A large energy provider had been acquiring a high number companies across adjacent industries and growing their group to 70+ companies in 5 countries.

They were looking to redefine their employer branding, while harmonizing recruiting processes and applicant tracking system to benefit from economies of scale and shared services set-up.

Key acquired companies held high degree of influence within the company, posing a particular difficulty in introducing company wide employer branding and harmonizing recruiting software as well as processes. Top-down decision making was not possible and project success depended not just on budget, timing and quality, but also on the relevant acceptance of the employer brand and recruiting system by the different group companies.

Over 2 years, we worked in a team of 4 people to redesign the employer branding strategy and image as well as redesign the highly company-tailored, customized Applicant Tracking System (ATS) wherein my focus was to conceive, design and implement the scalable SuccessFactors Recruiting based ATS and manage the roll out to the largest group companies. This process included

Holding multiple change management workshops and negotiating process harmonization with executive level management

Holding workshops with multiple group companies, collecting and managing requirements, harmonizing recruiting processes, creating ATS prototypes, managing testing and iteration processes, going live with multiple group companies at the same time and rolling out to several more

Creating a service and support management concept and oversee its implementation including documentation and training workshops

Manage interfacing with 3rd party assessment software, job multiposter, inhouse developed image management software and SAP on-premise systems

3rd party provider management

Despite multiple staff, scope and organizational changes during the project, the new employer branding concept as well as the ATS went live successfully and the ATS received above expected acceptance rates across group companies. The design and architecture of the system proved to be scalable and the rollout plan and service and support management concept could be implemented successfully without requiring any substantial changes.