AI in Recruitment at Small and Medium-Sized Businesses: First Understand the Costs of Vacancies, Then Automate
In April 2026, I was a guest in the Handelsblatt supplement Future of CEOs. The interview dealt with a question that I constantly encounter in conversations with CEOs at the moment: When does AI really pay off in recruiting and when is it just expensive actionism on a shaky process basis? You can find the […]
External recruiting support: three decision questions
I have conversations with HR managers every day. Head of TA, HR Director, People Lead – SMEs, scale-ups, sometimes corporate. And the conversation almost always starts the same way: “We have a pretty tense situation at the moment.” What comes next varies in the details but not in the structure. Either someone has dropped out […]
Kooku named top personnel consultant 2026: Full points in the brand eins / Statista ranking
We have an announcement that we are proud of. Kooku Recruiting GmbH, based in Berlin, is one of the best recruitment consultancies in Germany in 2026. In the first brand eins / Statista Ranking The Best Recruitment Consultants of 2026, Kooku scored full marks in the Professional Search category and is therefore listed as a […]
The Kooku Employer Branding Score: Why we reject every 7th recruiting mandate
By Mathias Mengel, CEO Kooku Recruiting GmbH | March 12, 2026 | Reading time: approx. 10 minutes We do not accept around 15 % of all inquiries that reach us immediately. Not because we don’t have the capacity. But because we know that a recruiting mandate is doomed to failure under certain circumstances – no […]
Recruiting for banks: Why interim recruiters are more successful than traditional headhunters
Banking recruitment doesn’t have to be frustrating. Despite high employer loyalty, regional roots and limited salary scopes, qualified specialists can also be recruited in the financial sector – if you know the right methods. VR-Bank Rhein-Neckar commissioned Kooku Recruiting with 12 positions. These included challenges such as real estate appraisers (extremely small candidate pool), branch […]
Recruiting challenges 2026: Back to the employer market and passive recruiting?
Recruiting has changed massively over the last few years. Companies that used to be able to place a job advertisement and wait for qualified applications had to adapt to active sourcing, employer branding and the employee market. Now the picture is changing again. The economic situation has shifted the rules of the game: Companies are […]
AI superworker organization vs. recruiting in German SMEs… still in the fax age in many places
Proven active sourcing methods with concrete KPIs: from keyword strategies and personalization to realistic response rates.
Kooku strengthens strat. Sales: Michael Budzowski becomes Director Strategic Sales & Partnerships
Recruiting as a growth lever instead of an isolated service. With this conviction, we are expanding our management structure and focusing on long-term recruiting partnerships. New role, clear focus As of January 1, 2026, we have created a new position: Director Strategic Sales & Partnerships. Michael Oliver Budzowski has taken on this role and is […]
Active sourcing methods: 7 strategies that really work
Proven active sourcing methods with concrete KPIs: from keyword strategies and personalization to realistic response rates.
Recruiting for management consultancies: Practical report from 10 years of experience – How we support consulting firms in talent acquisition
Why consulting recruiting is particularly challenging The consulting market is one of the most competitive recruiting markets of all. While many industries are competing for specialists, management consultancies are not only competing with each other – from large consulting firms to specialized boutiques and medium-sized companies – but also increasingly with private equity portfolio companies, […]
