thyssenkrupp: Accelerating Gen Z recruitment with the low-code SAP Build Apps tool
Explore thyssenkrupp’s journey with SAP
To engage with a Gen Z audience, engineering multinational thyssenkrupp AG launched a new social media recruiting channel. At the core of this approach is an app built in-house using the low-code SAP Build Apps development environment, helping citizen developers create and manage workflows for different HR applications.
| Industry | Region | Company Size |
| Mill products | Essen, Germany | 100,000 employees |
faster app development.
HR teams worldwide working with a recruitment administration cockpit app.
IT Enterprise Architect, thyssenkrupp AG
| Industry | Region | Company Size |
| Mill products | Essen, Germany | 100,000 employees |
faster app development.
HR teams worldwide working with a recruitment administration cockpit app.
IT Enterprise Architect, thyssenkrupp AG
Finding the innovators of the future
With operations in 48 countries, industrial and technology company thyssenkrupp has a rich heritage of innovation. Active in automotive technology, decarbonization, materials services, steel, and marine systems, the global conglomerate harnesses the technological know-how of its people to develop cost-effective and resource-friendly solutions that contribute to a better world.
Constantly seeking out new innovations, thyssenkrupp relies on a diverse range of talents to move the business forward. To help it recruit the right candidates, the company launched a new online questionnaire-based process to make applying for a job at thyssenkrupp simpler and more attractive to a young audience of social media users. This new online application process doesn’t replace recruitment channels but is used to help find candidates for difficult-to-fill positions.
Crucial to this strategy is the ability for HR departments to create appropriate questionnaires for different posts, enabling recruiters to evaluate potential candidates and helping ensure a high quality of applications. To support this, the company created an administration cockpit app for its new social recruiting channel.
Using an intuitive, low-code tool for rapid app development
When thyssenkrupp began exploring solutions for questionnaire development, it initially considered various third-party options. However, the company discovered SAP Build Apps through its engagement with SAP Business Technology Platform and quickly shifted its strategy. Intrigued by the low-code app-building capabilities of SAP Build Apps, it decided to try the tool. The intuitive user interface made it possible for even a junior member of the IT team to rapidly learn and deploy it. Within just a week, the team developed the first app, accomplishing in days what typically would take months with traditional coding methods.
Now, nontechnical business users in the HR department can use the administration cockpit app to design their own questionnaire flows. Recruiters can rely on straightforward drag-and-drop functionality to combine a variety of question types, from collecting basic information about a candidate’s education or experience, to asking multiple-choice questions that help identify particular skills or preferences. Once a recruiter has completed a questionnaire flow for a specific position, it is then stored in the administration cockpit for use in the online recruitment channel.
Empowering HR to meet changing recruitment requirements in an agile way
By opening up a new recruitment channel based on online questionnaires linked to social media advertisements, thyssenkrupp is tapping into new talent pools. In its search for the employees of tomorrow – or “#GENERATIONTK”, according to its social media tag – thyssenkrupp is reaching out to attract and unlock the potential of a new generation of innovators.
The administration cockpit is in use across all of the company’s HR departments, empowering HR staff members to design questionnaires that help them identify the candidates who have the precise skills needed. Ultimately, this improves candidate quality and saves time in the recruiting process. What’s more, with HR staff able to create and change questionnaires in response to rapidly evolving recruitment requirements, thyssenkrupp’s HR departments can be more agile and proactive.
IT Enterprise Architect, thyssenkrupp AG
Developing apps to optimize operations enterprise-wide
thyssenkrupp is now expanding its use of SAP Build Apps to further enhance operational efficiency across different business units. The IT team is actively developing several apps, including a new tool aimed at improving inventory management. This app would enable shop-floor employees to efficiently scan and track stock using QR codes, simplifying the inventory process.
Additionally, thyssenkrupp is empowering its workforce by training citizen developers to create customized apps that address specific needs within their departments. This initiative was highlighted during a recent company-wide brainstorming workshop, where employees from various functions were introduced to the potential of SAP Build Apps. They actively participated by using an app built with this development environment to propose new ideas for advancing the company’s digital transformation efforts.