DKSH’s AI-powered recruitment: Beyond the hype to real-world impact in Asia

Adeline Foo, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at DKSH, recently shared insights at HR Tech Asia 2025 on how the company is leveraging AI and automation to transform high-volume hiring across 36 diverse markets while delivering a more human-centric candidate experience.

In today’s dynamic recruitment landscape, AI and automation are often touted as game changers. However, realising their actual potential demands a strategic approach that goes beyond mere technological adoption. DKSH, a Swiss-headquartered market expansion services company with a significant presence in Asia, is demonstrating how to translate the promise of recruitment automation into tangible impact, scalability, and a more human-centred experience.

Adeline Foo, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at DKSH, recently shared insights into the company’s journey, highlighting how it navigates the complexities of hiring across 36 diverse markets and 29,000 associates. With approximately 5,000 annual hires—predominantly in frontline roles across sales, distribution, and customer care—DKSH recognised the need for a more efficient and candidate-friendly approach.

Addressing critical challenges

In 2022, DKSH rolled out SuccessFactors as its Applicant Tracking System (ATS). But while it streamlined internal processes, it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t meeting the needs of frontline candidates. “We saw three key issues,” said Foo. “Many candidates applying to junior roles weren’t proficient in English, weren’t tech-savvy to navigate the platform, and found the process too lengthy. We needed a better way to meet them where they were.” This realisation spurred the search for a solution that could simplify the application process for candidates in their native languages.

After a rigorous evaluation process involving research, demos and peer references, DKSH selected Paradox, a conversational AI recruitment platform known for its scalability, multilingual support, and strong regional presence in Asia. The solution involved implementing Genie, an AI-powered assistant designed to automate administrative hiring tasks, including screening, interview scheduling, and candidate communication.

When candidates visit the DKSH career site, Genie engages with them, guiding them to search for relevant roles and apply through a simple, conversational application process, without requiring them to navigate the SuccessFactors interface. If a candidate is qualified, Genie immediately offers interview time slots for the candidate to choose from, streamlining the overall process and reducing manual coordination.

Recognising that automation could not be applied with a one-size-fits-all approach, DKSH proactively addressed the diversity in hiring needs across its business. For example, hiring criteria for frontline sales in healthcare differed from those in Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), and even more so across different markets. Overcoming these complexities required meticulous mapping of requirements and extensive cross-functional collaboration among the core project team, local recruiters, IT, Paradox, and the system integrator to ensure Genie’s workflows reflect real-world hiring nuances.

Change management: A people-centred approach

DKSH recognised that the success of the new automated tools depended heavily on their adoption by recruiters and hiring managers. “Change is people-centred,” Foo stated. “Whilst we had the best intention of automating the candidate care and interview scheduling process so that recruiters and hiring managers can focus on quality conversations with the right candidates, it was not easy to drive this change. We are still in the change process as we speak.”

Their change management strategy involved a multi-pronged approach:

• Constant communication: A series of communications with customised key messages for different stakeholders was released throughout the project lifecycle to build awareness and excitement. The use of videos to demonstrate the new recruitment process through Genie proved particularly impactful.
• Empowering training: Recruiters were trained first and then empowered to train hiring managers, fostering ownership and buy-in.
• Providing assurance: It was crucial to reassure that automation was intended to enhance their work, not replace them.
• Celebrating success: Timely recognition of the team’s efforts on the ground helped to reinforce positive adoption.

Foo shared a key lesson learned: “We cannot underestimate change. If we want full adoption, enabling others with the skills through training isn’t enough. We need close follow-up post-launch, communicate clear metrics for success and relentless tracking, and make ourselves available to resolve issues promptly.”

The Results: Faster hiring, happier candidates

Five months into the pilot, Genie has already made a significant impact. “To date, Genie has answered over 11,000 candidate questions over 70 hours of talk time. We are pleased to have achieved a 99.5% positive interaction rate, indicating that candidates are satisfied with Genie’s responses. It had a tremendous impact on our employer branding as Genie is answering candidate questions and offering job matches 24/7.”

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Furthermore, DKSH has received nearly 1,000 job applications and scheduled 300 interviews through Genie, resulting in a 95% reduction in the time required to schedule interviews. This has freed up recruiters and hiring managers to focus on higher-value activities, such as interviewing.

Embracing continued evolution

Looking ahead, DKSH envisions a continued evolution in its use of AI in the recruitment process. Beyond Genie, they have piloted CV ranking powered by large language models (LLMs) to help recruiters prioritise screening and provide timely feedback to all applicants. They are also exploring the use of LLMs to match internal and external candidates with job requisitions.

For other talent acquisition leaders considering AI implementation, Foo offered this advice: “If you are still considering whether to adopt AI in recruitment, be courageous and embrace it. AI offers numerous opportunities for automating recruitment processes. Begin by understanding the business pain points and determining whether AI can effectively address those issues. Please keep an open mind and engage with others who are further along in their AI journey. Learn from their successes and failures.”