Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode, Rudi Bauer talks with Kerstin Wagner, Executive VP Talent Acquisition at Deutsche Bahn, about building future-ready talent strategies in a large, complex organization.
They explore how to balance strategic vision with daily operations, keep retention high, and rethink jobs in light of technological change. Kerstin shares insights on using AI to scale recruiting, identifying hidden talent beyond CVs, tackling age discrimination, and building sustainable talent acquisition strategies. She also offers her perspective on what recruiting excellence will look like ten years from now.
00:57 Intro
04:15 Balancing strategic vision and daily operations at Deutsche Bahn
10:00 Retention strategies that work
11:30 The future of jobs and recomposing roles through technology
13:04 Writing the job descriptions of the future
14:50 Scaling recruiting with AI
16:01 Finding hidden talent beyond CVs and investing in upskilling
20:00 The broken talent market and age discrimination
21:45 Building a sustainable talent acquisition strategy
27:42 Balancing headcount and workload
30:20 The importance of failure culture and experimentation
38:40 Recruiting excellence in 10 years
44:04 This or That
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Welcome to WeAreDevelopers, Europe’s leading platform for connecting companies with top tech talent! We understand the challenges HR professionals and recruiters face in bridging the gap with developers—and we’re here to help overcome them.
Stay ahead with Tech Recruiting Insights, our bi-weekly newsletter designed specifically for HR leaders and recruiters. Get the latest trends, tech job market insights, leadership strategies, and employer branding tips. Subscribe now at wearedevelopers.com/business/newsletter.
Looking to hire developers or position your company as an employer of choice? Explore our recruiting platform at wearedevelopers.com/en/business.
Join the HR Leaders Summit, Europe’s premier event for HR and work innovation, embedded within the WeAreDevelopers World Congress. Network with, learn from industry experts, and uncover cutting-edge strategies in employer branding, talent acquisition, and work culture.
In this episode, Rudi Bauer talks with Kerstin Wagner, Executive VP Talent Acquisition at Deutsche Bahn, about building future-ready talent strategies in a large, complex organization.
They explore how to balance strategic vision with daily operations, keep retention high, and rethink jobs in light of technological change. Kerstin shares insights on using AI to scale recruiting, identifying hidden talent beyond CVs, tackling age discrimination, and building sustainable talent acquisition strategies. She also offers her perspective on what recruiting excellence will look like ten years from now.
00:57 Intro
04:15 Balancing strategic vision and daily operations at Deutsche Bahn
10:00 Retention strategies that work
11:30 The future of jobs and recomposing roles through technology
13:04 Writing the job descriptions of the future
14:50 Scaling recruiting with AI
16:01 Finding hidden talent beyond CVs and investing in upskilling
20:00 The broken talent market and age discrimination
21:45 Building a sustainable talent acquisition strategy
27:42 Balancing headcount and workload
30:20 The importance of failure culture and experimentation
38:40 Recruiting excellence in 10 years
44:04 This or That
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to WeAreDevelopers, Europe’s leading platform for connecting companies with top tech talent! We understand the challenges HR professionals and recruiters face in bridging the gap with developers—and we’re here to help overcome them.
Stay ahead with Tech Recruiting Insights, our bi-weekly newsletter designed specifically for HR leaders and recruiters. Get the latest trends, tech job market insights, leadership strategies, and employer branding tips. Subscribe now at wearedevelopers.com/business/newsletter.
Looking to hire developers or position your company as an employer of choice? Explore our recruiting platform at wearedevelopers.com/en/business.
Join the HR Leaders Summit, Europe’s premier event for HR and work innovation, embedded within the WeAreDevelopers World Congress. Network with, learn from industry experts, and uncover cutting-edge strategies in employer branding, talent acquisition, and work culture.
