In our latest episode of the Cavendish Professionals Technology Podcast, we sat down with technology leader Patrick Moisson, who brings over 30 years of experience, including integrating AI into tools like the SAP Sustainability Control Tower and helping to transform ESG reporting. In this episode, we explore how AI is transforming recruitment through SAP’s innovative AI assistant, Joule.
From Mechanical Engineering to SAP Leadership
Venu’s path into SAP began in an unexpected place: mechanical engineering. His early interest in solving technical problems led him to pursue an MBA in Finance and Information Systems. In the mid 90s, as SAP was gaining traction with Fortune 500 companies, Venu was inspired by thought leaders in the space and transitioned into a techno-functional consultant role.
That move marked the beginning of a long and impactful career in SAP. Over time, Venu held various leadership positions, developing a deep understanding of both business processes and technology. His extensive consulting background, particularly his time with Deloitte and KPMG helped hone his ability to lead large scale transformation initiatives and drive enterprise wide efficiency.
Meet Joule: SAP’s AI Recruitment Assistant
Joule is a generative AI assistant built to streamline both the candidate and hiring manager journey. It’s integrated into SAP’s HR systems, which means it works within the same environment where people already post jobs, manage applicants, and schedule interviews.
For job seekers, Joule analyses CVs with contextual understanding, not just keywords. It interprets experience and skills holistically and matches candidates with roles that truly suit their backgrounds. It even suggests improvements to better align a CV with a job description, giving applicants a leg up they may not have had otherwise.
From the employer’s perspective, Joule generates job descriptions based on past postings, understands role structures, and ranks incoming CVs by relevance. It can also auto-schedule interviews, freeing up recruiters to focus on meaningful conversations, not admin.
Honesty, Effort, and Transparency Still Matter
As much as AI can enhance hiring, Patrick was quick to emphasise the timeless importance of honesty and effort from both sides.
He said that making sure that we really are communicative and intentional in the decisions we make, whether we’re hiring people or applying for jobs, is extremely important.
He stressed that tailoring your CV is crucial, just not at the expense of truth:
“You can’t put 30 years of experience into two or three pages. But whenever you adjust your CV, it should reflect reality. Please don’t lie, we can cross-check. In interviews, we’ll ask questions, and it’s easy to find out if someone doesn’t have the skill. That’s a waste of everyone’s time.”
He also said it’s not possible to put 30 years of experience into two or three pages. But whenever you adjust your CV, it should reflect reality. He went on to advise against lying, as in interviews, questions are asked which can give away the false information. Lies create wasted time on both sides.
Human Decisions Still Rule
AI helps identify great matches faster. But once the shortlisting is done, it’s still humans making the decisions; that’s where intuition, chemistry, and personality take the lead.
Patrick is a big proponent for trusting your instincts when it comes to personality culture fit. Case in point – it once took Patrick one minute to know he wanted to hire a candidate. The CV was right, the chemistry was instant. Ferdinand got the job that same day and stayed with the company for three years.
Balancing AI and Humanity
Patrick emphasises that unlike other AI tools like Joule isn’t here to replace people. It’s here to support them.
Even though AI is changing the game and making us more productive, it can’t replace the human instinct and connection where some of the greatest hires can be made.
Key Takeaways
Whether you’re hiring or applying:
- Use AI wisely: Tools like Joule can simplify and speed up recruitment, but they work best when paired with thoughtful human input.
- Stay honest and intentional: Tailor your CV, but don’t misrepresent yourself. Authenticity builds trust.
- Connection matters: Chemistry, communication, and likability still play a massive role in getting hired, or hiring well.
If you’re curious to learn more about how SAP is integrating AI across its processes or want to hear the full conversation with Patrick, check out the latest episode of the Cavendish Professionals Technology Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch
