Generative artificial intelligence now stands out as a central lever in talent management solutions. After the boom in the automation of recruitment and the first predictive analysis modules, AI changes scale and it is no longer content to attend, it actively takes part in the sourcing, sorting and preselection of candidates. In this transformation, HR software giants accelerate their movements.
Oracle paved the way by enriching Oracle Cloud HCM Generative features with the automated writing of post descriptions, skills matching and HR chatbots capable of supporting managers and candidates throughout the process. Workday relies on native integration, with an emphasis on the proactive recommendation of internal talents and professional mobility. In both cases, the objective is to provide fluid experience to recruiters and to enhance the data already stored in their systems as much as possible.
SAP, long criticized for the ergonomics and the heaviness of SuccessfactorsChoose another trajectory: targeted acquisition. By buying Smartrecruiteditor recognized for its simplicity of use and its companion Winstonthe German group appropriates a technology already adopted by more than 4,000 customers in 120 countries, including Visa, Linkedin, Red Bull or Bosch. The integration aims to transform successfactors into a proactive HR suite, capable of orchestrating the entire recruitment cycle, from the identification of talents to their integration.
Behind these announcements, the generative AI becomes a standard expected by the HR departments. It must reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, improve the quality of the matching and release time for human evaluation. But it also raises sensitive issues: reliability of algorithms, biases management, regulatory compliance, in particular with AI Act European, and transparency of decisions. The capacity of publishers to combine technological power and ethical guarantees will condition large -scale adoption.
The story of smartcruit
Founded in 2010 in San Francisco by American Franco Jérôme TernynckSmartrecruiters was born from a simple observation: traditional applications (ATS) followed (ATS) did not facilitate recruitment. After an initial freemium model, the company pivoted a paid SaaS and has established itself as a reference platform for the “Hiring Success”.
Over the years, she has lifted $ 225 million (≈ 208 M €), including an E series of $ 110 million in 2021 which propelled it to the status of unicorn with a valuation of $ 1.5 billion. Despite the COVVI-19 crisis, the company recorded 70 % growth in its bookings in 2020, proof of its resilience.
In 2024, Smartrecruiters reached a turnover of $ 71 million (≈ € 65 million), up 51 % over a year, and employs approximately 700 employees. Its platform deals near 100 million applications per year and manages approximately 1 million hires for its customers.
A strategic acquisition
On August 1, 2025, SAP formalized the acquisition of Smartrecruiters. The financial details of the transaction have not been communicated, but the operation is part of the German group to reposition successfactors in the face of competition from Oracle and Workday. The finalization is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025.
