EP153: SAP - How to Hire for Adaptability

All-In Recruitment is a podcast by Manatal focusing on all things related to the recruitment industry’s missions and trends. Join us in our weekly conversations with leaders in the recruitment space and learn their best practices to transform the way you hire.

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

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Lydia: My name is Lydia, and joining us today is Diana Gajic, Senior Executive Recruiter at SAP. Thank you for joining us today, Diana. It is such a pleasure.

Diana: It is an absolute pleasure to be here, Lydia.

Defining Exceptional Talent

Lydia: Diana, you have had multiple experiences. Maybe walk us through your journey and how these diverse experiences shaped your perspective on what makes exceptional talent.

Diana: My journey has taught me that exceptional talent rarely follows a straight line. Growing up with a migration background, my family comes from Serbia, from the Balkans. Switching countries and navigating very different industries showed me early on that resilience and adaptability matter just as much as skills.

What I have learned in 15 years of recruitment is that the people who thrive are those who can translate their experiences into new environments. They are curious, they are resourceful, and they do not wait for permission to grow. They just do.

Today, when I look at talent, I look far beyond resumes. I look for the thread that connects someone’s story, the moments where they had to adjust, overcome a challenge, or reinvent themselves. That is usually where real potential lives.

Lydia: Pre-show, you spoke about the adaptability quotient as being very critical in this artificial intelligence era, and we will talk more about that later as well. At a high level, how should talent leaders be thinking about assessment criteria beyond traditional intelligence quotient and emotional intelligence metrics?

Diana: We are entering an era where technical knowledge has a shorter shelf life than ever. Intelligence quotient and emotional intelligence still matter, but they are no longer sufficient on their own. Adaptability quotient is becoming the real differentiator.

Talent leaders should rethink assessments in three ways. First, shift from static to dynamic evaluation. Do not just test what candidates know today or what they knew in the past. Explore how they learn, unlearn, and respond to the unknown.

Second, value trajectory over titles. Look for patterns of growth. How quickly did someone pivot? How do they handle ambiguity?

Third, integrate behavior-based interviewing. Real-world simulations reveal far more than theoretical questions.

In short, we must stop assessing for who someone has been and start assessing for who they are capable of becoming. It is about hiring for potential.

Assessing Adaptability

Lydia: When you are recruiting senior executives, how do you actually go about assessing these qualities in candidates?

Diana: With senior executives, the stakes are higher, and the signals are subtler. I use three layers of assessment.

First, I test the narrative. I look for crucible moments, times when they were stretched or disrupted, and I probe for what they learned, not just what happened.

Second, I look for patterns. Do they repeat the same playbook over the years, or do they reinvent themselves based on context? Executives with high adaptability quotient show evolution, not repetition. They see failure as a learning opportunity.

Third, I assess proactive change philosophy. I ask what change they initiated before it was necessary. Leaders who drive change instead of waiting for pain points typically have a strong adaptability quotient. I look for demonstrated adaptability, not just claimed adaptability.

Systemic Leadership and Barriers

Lydia: There is often tension between hiring for deep technical expertise and adaptability. With artificial intelligence handling more technical tasks, what advice would you give leaders on striking this balance?

Diana: My advice is simple. Hire for depth, but prioritize agility. Artificial intelligence is already taking over technical execution faster than most job architectures can keep up with.

What remains uniquely human is the ability to contextualize, innovate, collaborate, and lead through complexity. Deep expertise is still valuable, but it should not come at the expense of flexibility. Build teams with T-shaped talent, people who have depth in one area but can stretch across many. In the long run, adaptability compounds, and expertise expires.

Lydia: You also mentioned systemic coaching. How does that show up in your role?

Diana: Systemic coaching allows me to see leaders not just as individuals, but as nodes in a larger system. Adaptive leaders can read patterns, understand relational dynamics, and change not just their own behavior, but also influence the system around them.

When interviewing executives, I listen not just to what they achieved, but how they shaped culture, how they navigated resistance, and how self-aware they are of their impact. Coaching helps me assess these nuances, the deeper mindset that enables sustainable adaptability, not just short-term results.

Lydia: Looking ahead, what soft skills do you believe will be non-negotiable as artificial intelligence continues to take over more workplace tasks, and how should talent leaders prepare?

Diana: Adaptability is one of the most important skills, the ability to pivot rapidly and learn continuously. Critical thinking is essential, knowing how to question and validate artificial intelligence output. Self-awareness is key for managing reactions and biases in high-change environments.

Collaboration is increasingly important, especially in distributed, cross-functional, global teams. Storytelling also matters, translating complexity into clarity using simple language.

Talent leaders should integrate these skills into hiring, development, and performance management. Soft skills must move from nice-to-have to core competencies in the artificial intelligence era.

Assessing Adaptability

Lydia: In your experience, how often should adaptability be assessed? Is it an ongoing process?

Diana: From a recruitment perspective, adaptability should be assessed at the beginning of the hiring process. After the person starts in the role, it becomes a leadership responsibility.

Leaders should conduct ongoing dialogues and performance reviews to see how well the adaptability muscle is being trained over time. This is a continuous leadership task.

Lydia: What challenges might impede adaptability in the workplace?

Diana: Resistance to change is a major challenge, as well as anxiety about the upcoming change. Addressing this is a leadership responsibility. Leaders must contextualize change through dialogue, understand what causes resistance, and find ways to make change feel positive. It is about handling change together.

Adaptive Talent Strategies

Lydia: Final question. What is one piece of advice you would give recruitment leaders who want to build more adaptive talent strategies?

Diana: Invest in potential, not perfection. Adaptive strategies require space for experimentation, ongoing learning, and cross-functional mobility.

Hire people who can grow faster than the world changes, people who are comfortable with change, and give them the conditions to succeed. Accept failure as part of growth. Think of your talent strategy as a living system, not a fixed structure.

Lydia: Thank you very much for your time and insights. I am sure anyone who wants to learn more about using the adaptability quotient proactively will want to continue the conversation. Where can they find you?

Diana: Thank you, Lydia. You can find me on LinkedIn under my name, Diana Gajic. You can also learn more about SAP and our opportunities on our official careers website. I would love to connect with listeners who are passionate about future-ready leadership.

Lydia: We have been in conversation with Diana Gajic, Senior Executive Recruiter at SAP, discussing the critical importance of the adaptability quotient in building future-ready organizations. Thank you.