How Knauf Transformed it's Global Recruitment for 43,000 Employees

Knauf is a global leader in the building materials industry - a 90-year-old, family-owned powerhouse. But as their factories became "smarter" and their sales processes went digital, their recruitment process faced a challenge: it was stuck in a decentralized, manual past.

We spoke with James Forster, Global Recruitment Lead at the Knauf Group People Team, about how he navigated this complex transformation. His goal? To move from a fragmented "black box" of local processes to a unified, "best-in-class" global engine.

Why Change was needed

Question: How would you describe Knauf’s recruitment philosophy? In an industry as established as yours, how do you balance "tradition" with the need for modern talent acquisition?

James Forster: "Our recruitment philosophy centres on two pillars: we deliver a best-in-class candidate experience—clear, timely communication; transparency, fair, inclusive evaluation; and respectful closure for every applicant. We also equip our people with a robust, data-enabled hiring system that empowers both candidates and colleagues to identify, assess, and secure best-in-class talent, consistently and at scale. Historically one of the last to embrace digitalisation, our sector is now moving quickly. We seek people who are technologically fluent but also thrive within a family-owned, values-led environment. Our process should mirror the organisation we are building: modern, reliable, and human."

Question: Before Teamtailor, what were the specific roadblocks that made you realize your existing process was no longer fit for a global enterprise?

James Forster: "Compliance gaps, low visibility of roles at Knauf, an overdependence on agencies and headhunters, and inefficient processes highlighted a clear need: we lacked a global ATS, career sites, and structured TA operations. An enterprise ATS ensures compliant workflows, creates auditable records, and powers branded career sites, improving job visibility, reducing agency spend, and accelerating performance."

Question: Out of all the recruitment solutions available, what was the specific "hook" that made Teamtailor the right fit for Knauf?

James Forster: "The freedom for our local HR teams to configure their accounts with autonomy—tailoring workflows, permissions, languages, employer branding, and compliance settings to regional needs—while still aligning with global standards and reporting. This balance suits our decentralised, multi-country structure perfectly. Additionally, a truly intuitive interface reduces training time and encourages adoption through clear dashboards and smart automation."

Implementation & Change Management

Question: A global rollout for an enterprise of this size is a massive undertaking. How did you structure the transition?

James Forster: "We implemented in waves over two years, prioritising countries and regions with the greatest need and potential for impact. We began with pilot markets, established governance and change-management routines, and refined our approach through structured feedback. Early wins—reduced time-to-hire, stronger compliance, and improved candidate experience—created momentum for subsequent rollouts. Each wave concluded with retrospectives and measurable KPIs, informing playbooks and templates for the next markets. This disciplined, iterative sequencing balanced speed with quality."

The Secret Sauce: 12+ Global Champions

Question: In a large corporation, change can be met with resistance. How did you get everyone on board?

James Forster: "We leveraged our Global TA Community—12+ regional TA practitioners—as a network of champions and trainers. They localised processes and curated best practices. We also led with practical, measurable impact. We mapped ATS capabilities to daily pain points for HR and hiring managers, showcasing before‑and‑after time savings and reduced agency reliance. Backed by Teamtailor’s Analytics function, the tool was viewed as a productivity multiplier, not extra admin."

Question: What did your internal training or "onboarding" look like to ensure the team felt supported?

James Forster: "We appointed two Group HR SMEs to provide hands-on support—delivering training, standardising workflows, and serving as a consistent point of contact for local teams. We partnered closely with Teamtailor’s Customer Success Manager to accelerate adoption and quickly resolve regional nuances. We also enabled self-serve learning through Teamtailor’s exhaustive support library and used the in-app chat for real-time guidance."

The Partnership: A "Best-in-Class" CSM

Forster emphasizes that this wasn't just a software purchase; it is a partnership. He describes the Teamtailor Customer Success (CSM) and Support teams as "best-in-class."

The User Experience (Recruiters & Managers)

Question: From a recruiter's perspective, which features have become "game-changers" for your daily workflow?

James Forster: "Requisitions for high-volume recruiting entities: Standardised templates with automated approvals replace fragmented local intake. Rich job board integrations (especially LinkedIn) allow for branded content to be posted with ease, resulting in higher visibility and reduced agency reliance. Finally, Analytics with real-time performance through live dashboards show critical funnel metrics like conversion and candidate NPS."

Question: How has Teamtailor changed the way Hiring Managers interact with candidates?

James Forster: "It has streamlined collaboration through shared pipelines, @mentions, comments, and structured scorecards that keep everyone aligned without long email threads. Managers now have full transparency into the journey with live status updates. They especially value the 'candidate card'—a single view of CVs, portfolios, notes, and feedback that provides immediate context and enables fair, consistent evaluation."

50% More Applicants and Rising NPS

Question: Beyond internal efficiency, what has been the measurable impact on the candidate experience?

James Forster: "The adoption metrics are compelling. We’ve seen a more than 50% increase in applications via our career sites over the last three years, which strongly suggests the candidate journey is simple and intuitive. Mobile-first pages and streamlined forms, including Easy Apply, have boosted conversion. We also measure Candidate NPS post-interview, and results show consistent year-on-year improvement driven by transparent communication and respectful closure for all applicants."

Reflection & Advice for the Future

Question: Looking back at the implementation process, is there anything you would do differently or prioritize sooner?

James Forster: "Activate core and complementary modules from day one (like requisitions), under clear governance and phased training—rather than waiting for 'system maturity'. Early enablement accelerates ROI and builds consistent habits and data."

Question: What is your #1 piece of advice for other global enterprises that are afraid that their size makes them too "heavy" to switch to a modern ATS?

James Forster: "Secure cross‑functional alignment across compliance, legal, and finance, and commit to a phased rollout. Build a data‑driven business case tied to real pain points. Establish a global TA working group to standardise workflows while respecting regional needs. Finally, secure visible executive sponsorship; leadership reinforcement signals that modernising the ATS is a strategic priority, not optional."

Question: Now that the system is live, what does "success" look like for Knauf's recruitment team over the next 12 months?

James Forster: "Integration with SAP SuccessFactors: Deliver a secure integration for our people teams for faster approvals and cleaner data. We also aim to continue increasing applicants and candidate NPS year-on-year by focusing on conversion rates and source quality while reducing cost-per-apply. Success is a best-in-class experience sustained at scale."

Advice for the Global "Giants"

Looking back, Forster’s main regret is not starting even faster with core modules like Requisitions. His advice to other enterprises afraid of their "weight":

1. Secure Cross-Functional Alignment: Get Legal, Compliance, and Finance on board from day one.
2. Turn 'Too Heavy' into 'Highly Coordinated': Use a phased rollout to build momentum.
3. Lead with Data: Use metrics like cost-per-hire and candidate experience to prove the ROI early.