Big Tech Buys Little Tech: Will SAP Ruin SmartRecruiters?

In this solo summer edition of the HR Famous Podcast, host Tim Sackett unpacks one of the biggest HR tech acquisitions of the year: SAP SuccessFactors acquiring SmartRecruiters. Tim gives his unfiltered, insider take on why this move matters, how it stacks up against Workday and Oracle, and whether SAP will actually leverage the cutting-edge, AI-driven tech they just bought—or bury it in corporate bureaucracy.

You’ll hear Tim’s firsthand reaction to:

• Why SmartRecruiters was a smart buy (but maybe not the smartest one)

• The risk of “Big Tech crushing little tech” and what history tells us

• The future of SAP’s Talent Acquisition stack—will they go all in or keep Frankensteining?

• Why TA pros should care about this acquisition right now

But that’s not all. Tim also dives into the recent Workday legal battle over alleged AI discrimination. He dissects the lawsuit, explains why it’s a misunderstanding of how AI works in TA tech, and makes a compelling argument that AI is more likely to reduce bias—not amplify it. If you're trying to make sense of where AI, algorithms, and HR law are crashing into each other, this segment is a must-listen.

Plus, Tim shares real talk about the current state of AI in recruiting:

• What AI matching actually does (and doesn’t do)

• Why old-school hiring processes were way more biased than today’s algorithms

• What leaders need to know before joining the “AI is evil” mob

And just for fun, Tim gives a quick update on generative AI image tools—why they’ve gotten better, where they’re still awkward, and how that reflects broader trends in machine learning and bias.

This episode is loaded with:

• Hot takes from a real-world HR tech advisor and investor

• Cautionary tales from past acquisitions (remember Taleo + Oracle?)

• Expert analysis on what this means for HR leaders and TA tech buyers

• No BS commentary on the future of HR, recruiting, and AI in enterprise systems

Whether you’re a TA leader looking for insights, an HR tech nerd following every move in the space, or just trying to figure out what the hell SAP is thinking—this episode delivers.

🎧 Subscribe, share, and get ready to question everything you thought you knew about enterprise HR tech.