Questions to Ask Prospective SAP Candidates

Finding the right candidate is vital for any position. But when filling a role for an SAP position, it’s essential that the candidate is qualified, as their role contributes to the holistic view of the company. The ideal candidate should have experience and expertise in the SAP system, along with programming, project management, problem-solving, and more. It can be easy to narrow down candidates based on their résumés, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. What you ask your SAP candidates during the interview process can help you, as a hiring manager, gain a deeper understanding of the candidate’s hard and soft skills alike.  

Below, we outline a handful of questions to ask prospective SAP candidates during the interview process. 

Questions to Ask

What is your background in SAP? 

Any candidate applying for an SAP position should be well-versed in all things SAP. What do they know? What was their training like? Are they adaptable and eager to learn new systems? Candidates should have the skills and understanding needed for the role, and how they got there can tell you a lot too. This open-ended question also provides you with the opportunity to learn more about the kinds of SAP projects the candidates have worked on previously. 

Tell me about the different SAP products and tools. 

This question helps dive further into the candidate’s knowledge of SAP. Do they know the difference between SAP systems like SAP Fiori and SAP CRM or SAP ABAP and SAP BI? Depending on the position for which they are applying, hiring managers may be seeking a candidate who can work in various areas. This is your chance to test their knowledge and expertise across SAP functions. 

Do you have experience with machine learning and AI? 

Machine learning and AI continue to be integrated into SAP and data systems. With that being said, it is important that candidates understand these systems as they are becoming increasingly sophisticated and pronounced. Working in an SAP position will require knowledge outside of SAP, so ensuring that the candidate is well-versed in different data systems is crucial. 

Tell me about a successful SAP implementation that you have worked on. 

Asking a candidate to describe a successful SAP implementation can provide much-needed insight into their experience, work ethic, and even character. First, have they and can they do it? This question gives the candidate the opportunity to describe a previous project that they worked on and gives you a chance to analyze their methods. How did they approach it? How did they solve it? How did they communicate with others throughout the project? This also allows candidates to boast about their greatest skills or accomplishments in a project. 

How have you handled conflict with a coworker or client? 

Conflict resolution is a key skill for any candidate to possess, especially in the SAP realm. Any appropriate candidate well-suited for the job should be a good problem-solver and communicator. They must be able to find a compromise, while not only fulfilling but exceeding expectations. 

Final Thoughts 

What you should be asking your SAP candidates may depend on the specific position for which they are applying. But, regardless, these questions are the perfect steppingstones for understanding how compatible a candidate is for the job based on their skills, experiences, work ethic, and character. To learn more about SAP staffing and recruiting, reach out to our team of expert consultants at BCTG.