Early Learnings from our SuccessFactors and SmartRecruiters Integrations

Many organisations moving from SAP SuccessFactors to SmartRecruiters have been eagerly awaiting the release of the official Connectors integration suite. We got our hands on the second phase of the Connectors in June 2026 and have already worked with multiple clients using the connectors. SAP is workin

g hard to further increase the abilities of the Connectors and there are a number of future enhancements already underway with delivery dates planned over the coming 6 months.  

Why integrate?

For those who haven’t embarked on a full ATS/HRIS implementation before integrations are often a “nice to have”, misunderstood during the sales process and under scoped during the Tender process. Those who have been through an implementation or five, know how critical they are to reaching the transformative goals and ROI for the project. 

The pre-built connector provides an excellent foundation. Compared with SmartRecruiter’s existing “syncs”, which are still available, very useful and we more cover below, the out of the box connectors are a much lighter lift from a technical (IT) perspective but like any enterprise integration, success depends just as much on planning your processes, data and governance as it does on connecting two systems. 

Here are some of the lessons we've learned along the way. 

What does the standard integration cover? 

Before we start, remember there is a product roadmap for the Connectors so they will continue to grow in capability and should never “be perfect”. If you’re on the sidelines thinking “when will the connectors be ready enough for us to move from SF RCM to SmartRecruiters?” start the conversations internally and with us now. We can give insights into how the connectors can facilitate your process and by the time you get through the internal process there will be more functionality available. 

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now." 

• Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) 

The standard SAP SuccessFactors integration is designed around a simple principle: SuccessFactors remains the system of record, while SmartRecruiters becomes the recruiting execution platform. Out of the box, the standard integration includes four core connectors. 

User Synchronisation 

Users are created and managed in SuccessFactors, with Single Sign-On (SSO) allowing employees to access SmartRecruiters using their existing SuccessFactors credentials. User creation, updates and deactivation are all managed centrally through SuccessFactors, reducing duplicate administration. 

Master Data Synchronisation 

Organisational data such as legal entities, departments, locations and other foundational objects are synchronised from SuccessFactors into SmartRecruiters. This ensures recruiters are working from the same organisational structure as the wider HR function. 

Jobs Connector 

Rather than creating job requisitions independently inside SmartRecruiters, approved positions (from the Position Org chart) in SuccessFactors can be used to generate new job requisitions in SmartRecruiters. This creates a direct relationship between workforce planning and recruitment activity while reducing duplicate data entry. 

New Hire Connector 

Once a candidate reaches the Hired stage, their details are transferred into SuccessFactors Employee Central or Onboarding, depending on your environment. HR teams can then complete their existing onboarding and employee creation processes without needing to re-enter candidate information. 

Note: Marketplace integrations to third party platforms like Enboarder are not part of the New Hire Connector but are still available and can be integrated. 

Taken together, these connectors cover the majority of a typical implementation. However, understanding what the connector doesn't do is just as important as understanding what it does. 

Learnings from previous implementations

Every implementation is different, but a few themes consistently emerge during planning workshops. 

Understand when data actually synchronises 

One of the most common assumptions is that every change made in SuccessFactors immediately appears inside SmartRecruiters. 

"It’s API driven, why can’t it update in real time?”  

Theoretically APIs do allow data to update in real time, but keep in mind API calls have a monetary cost, and constantly calling your API multiple times an hour to keep your data “real time” can end up being very costly. 

In reality, many synchronisations occur on scheduled intervals rather than in real time. For most organisations this isn't an issue, but it can become important if you're expecting organisational changes or newly created data to be available immediately. 

During design, take the time to fully understand how frequently the different data objects synchronise to help avoid unnecessary troubleshooting later. 

For example, the Master Data Synch runs twice a day while the Jobs Connector is run each time a user triggers the button. 

Not every field belongs in both systems 

It can be tempting to bring every available field across from SuccessFactors into SmartRecruiters. In practice, this often creates unnecessary complexity. 

A position may have all sorts of attributes from Position Number, Position Name, Job Title, Pay Scale, Pay Grade, Location, Work Area and numerous Custom fields.  

Consider which information recruiters/approvers genuinely need during the hiring process. Keeping the integration focused makes configuration simpler, reduces maintenance and creates a cleaner recruiter experience. Sometimes less really is more. 

Design your data model before building it 

Field mappings are about much more than matching names between systems. 

Field types need to align correctly, parent and child relationships should be carefully designed, and picklists need to behave consistently across both platforms. 

Making these design decisions early avoids significant rework later in the project and helps maintain data quality over time. 

Know what continues to synchronise 

Not every integration behaves like a continuous two-way sync. For example, jobs are generally created in SmartRecruiters from approved positions in SuccessFactors. Once the job exists, the details copied from SuccessFactors become "point in time". Changes to the position in SuccessFactors do not flow through to the job requisition, and vice versa. Those who are using SuccessFactors RCM are probably already familiar with this situation. 

The logic behind this one-time sync is thus: 

 "When a job requisition is approved, it is approved with a specific set of attributes. If the attributes are updated via the Jobs Connector the end users may not be aware and the attributes approved no longer match what is being recruited. Positions on the Org Chart exist with a set of attributes, so changes to these attributes could have serious repercussions not just for data integrity in EC but also from an Employment Law perspective". 

We all understand that recruiting is extremely fluid, so good communication and working relationships between Talent Acquisition and the Position Management Teams are essential. 

Understanding which information is synchronised continuously, and which information represents a one-time transfer, helps set realistic expectations for project teams. 

Decide who owns each piece of data 

This is probably the most important conversation of the entire implementation. If recruiters can edit imported information inside SmartRecruiters, what happens if that information changes later in SuccessFactors? What is the business (not system) process to govern changes to job req or position details? 

For every piece of information, there should be a clear answer to one question: 

Which system is the source of truth? 

The most successful implementations establish these ownership rules before configuration begins rather than trying to resolve them after go-live. 

Remember that integrations are business projects 

Although integrations often appear highly technical, the biggest decisions usually aren't made by IT. Although all the technical talk may be daunting, TA should lead the conversations so that what the integration does and the experience it facilitates is clearly understood. From there IT can challenge and build on the ideas before executing it. Translating between TA and IT can take a bit of “IT whispering”, this is definitely a skill that the team and I at TalentTech have built up overtime. 

Successful projects involve Talent Acquisition, HRIS, HR Operations, implementation partners and business stakeholders working together to define future processes. 

Questions like these often have a bigger impact than any technical configuration: 

• How should positions become jobs? 

• Which fields should recruiters maintain? 

• What happens after a candidate is hired? 

• Which reports will each team rely on? 

When these conversations happen early, the technology simply supports the agreed process rather than forcing one. 

Beyond the standard connector 

The standard SuccessFactors connector covers a significant proportion of integration requirements, but it isn't the only option available. 

Depending on your environment, you may also consider: 

• Marketplace integrations 

• SmartRecruiters APIs 

• Custom integrations 

• Hybrid approaches that combine standard connectors with bespoke development 

For example, we have one client who decided to build a custom integration for Job creation while using the standard Connector for Master Data and User Sync.

Greater flexibility naturally comes with greater responsibility. 

Custom integrations can solve highly specific business requirements, but they also introduce additional maintenance, testing and long-term support considerations. Before building something bespoke, it's worth asking whether the business requirement genuinely justifies the ongoing complexity. 

In many cases, adapting the process to suit the standard integration delivers a simpler and more sustainable outcome. It also alows the organisation to benefit from future improvements to the Connectors. 

Questions to ask before you begin 

Before any implementation workshops start, we'd encourage every project team to answer a few key questions. 

• Which system should own each piece of data? 

• What information genuinely needs to synchronise? 

• What is the process to manage position/job req changes while reqs are in flight?Who needs to participate in design workshops? (Talent Acquisition, HRIS, IT, HR Operations and implementation partners all bring different perspectives.) 

• Do successful candidates go straight to EC or do they go through Onboarding? 

• Are you designing around today's recruitment process, or the process you'll want three years from now? 

Taking the time to answer these questions early almost always leads to a smoother implementation. 

Final thoughts 

No integration is ever simply "fully integrated." 

The standard SAP SuccessFactors and SmartRecruiters connector provides an excellent foundation, covering user provisioning, organisational data, position-led hiring and new hire transfers. But technology alone doesn't deliver a successful implementation. 

The organisations that see the greatest value invest just as much time defining ownership, governance and future-state processes as they do configuring the connector itself. 

Every SuccessFactors environment is different, which is why every integration deserves thoughtful planning rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. 

If you're planning a move to SmartRecruiters, we'd be happy to help you map out an integration approach that fits your people, processes and long-term roadmap.