Darussalam Assets: Mastering the use of AI in HR for inclusive recruitment to personalised learning and development
Explore Darussalam Assets’ AI journey with SAP
Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd implemented the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio to strategically align HR processes, technology, and data-driven insights to manage its extensive cross-industry workforce. Taking advantage of SAP Business AI technology embedded in SAP SuccessFactors solutions, Darussalam Assets further fine-tuned talent management capabilities.
| Industry | Region | Company Size |
| Public sector | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam | >9,000 employees (group) |
more efficient hiring process.
industries in its portfolio running standardised processes.
reduction in recruitment duration thanks to SAP Business AI.
Senior Human Capital Development Manager, Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd
Increasing productivity and efficiency from integrated HR operations
Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd is a diversified holding company that owns and manages a number of Brunei’s government-linked companies across various industries, providing infrastructure and services to the country. As part of the government-led initiative to spur economic development in Brunei, Darussalam Assets has a portfolio encompassing over 30 subsidiaries in 14 sectors, including telecommunications, agribusiness, healthcare, hospitality, education, and power utilities.
With such diversity in operations, its talent management needs to cover different skill sets and certification requirements for each industry in its portfolio. For example, the recruitment process for telecommunications engineers involves technical skill assessments, while multiple certifications and skill checks are required for healthcare professionals. Likewise, the hospitality sector has another set of unique requirements. This variety made the recruitment process complex and inefficient, leading to delays and inconsistencies.
Needing to streamline and standardise these processes across the different companies to reduce administrative burdens and improve efficiency, Darussalam Assets sought a centralised and adaptable system capable of supporting the various requirements of these companies. As each company operates with unique processes and data needs, finding a unified yet flexible technology foundation that could handle complex data management requirements, maintain security, and operate efficiently across sectors was essential.
Senior Human Capital Development Manager, Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd
Paving the way forward with artificial intelligence in HR processes
Darussalam Assets evaluated potential solutions to meet its significant needs. The flexibility and functionality offered by the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio proved to be a winning drawcard. The portfolio enables Darussalam Assets to standardise HR processes while allowing customisation to meet the specific requirements of different industry sectors.
To streamline talent management operations, including recruitment, learning and development, and performance management, Darussalam Assets adopted the SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting, SAP SuccessFactors Learning, and SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals solutions.
Apurv Sharma, senior information technology services manager at Darussalam Assets, comments, “Darussalam Assets covers so many different companies and industries. The SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting solution was able to fit all the processes of our different companies into the same framework. This enables one of our companies to hire a neurosurgeon and another to hire a call center agent using the same process while keeping it absolutely transparent.”
Then, with the SAP Business AI capability embedded in SAP SuccessFactors solutions, Darussalam Assets could further recalibrate its recruitment processes by automating the generation of job descriptions, résumé parsing, and the provision of instant quality feedback.
Sharma adds, “We were one of the first organisations in the region to use artificial intelligence in our existing HR solution. When SAP embedded SAP Business AI technology in SAP SuccessFactors, we implemented it and adopted the AI functionality, which delivered immediate benefits. Now, our recruiters can generate job descriptions with just a few keywords in a matter of seconds, where before it was taking days. And for interviews, integration into Microsoft Teams means interview questions are created by the generative AI tool, allowing the interviewer to focus on the candidate’s answers.”
Senior Information Technology Services Manager, Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd
Embracing new technologies to attract and develop top talent
Thanks to the adoption of SAP SuccessFactors solutions embedded with SAP Business AI, Darussalam Assets has realised considerable talent management efficiency gains. In terms of attracting and hiring the best talent, it has transformed a several-months-long manual and nonstandardised recruitment process into a slick experience that takes just a couple of weeks on average. For example, the time to hire a healthcare professional is now just four weeks compared to four to six months previously. And with an equitable hiring process that is faster and more transparent, Darussalam Assets is replicating efficiency gains across the companies under its purview.
With automatically generated job descriptions and interview questions, candidates can be evaluated on the same criteria, helping Darussalam Assets enhance fairness and consistency. This standardisation proved to be especially valuable in the healthcare sector where precise certifications and skills are critical, and likewise in the telecommunications sector where technical expertise is essential. By using a standardised approach, Darussalam Assets also improved the candidate experience by providing clear, consistent information and feedback throughout the hiring process.
Salehin Basir, senior human capital development manager at Darussalam Assets, describes the adoption of SAP Business AI as being transformative. “It has not only automated routine tasks, such as creating or updating job descriptions, but also generated competency-based interview questions for a more equitable and skills-based interview process.” These capabilities have also improved how the company manages its group talent pool and shortened the recruitment cycle.
Adopting SAP SuccessFactors solutions has also given Darussalam Assets access to deeper insights into important HR metrics, such as time to hire, employee turnover rates, and performance trends. These insights inform decision-making and strategic planning, helping align HR activities with strategic business goals. The ability to analyse recruitment data enabled the HR team to identify bottlenecks and implement targeted improvements.
Senior Human Capital Development Manager, Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd
Deepening AI capabilities to continue to attract top talent across industries
With the efficiencies gained from implementing SAP SuccessFactors solutions permeating through Darussalam Assets’ group of companies, the organisation is now intent on continuously honing its recruitment process. It can do this by refining the AI algorithms used in candidate screening and evaluation to make these processes even more effective and accurate.
Darussalam Assets is also looking to tap more potential from SAP Business AI to further transform its business. “Ultimately, we want to leverage AI not just for automation but to foster a culture of innovation that drives our leadership in the industries in which we operate,” explains Sharma.
Having implemented SAP SuccessFactors Learning and SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals, Darussalam Assets is taking advantage of integrated features to align critical aspects of employee management with its strategic goals. By implementing the performance management module, the organisation can track and improve employee performance, while learning and development tools are now supporting continuous skill enhancement and career growth. For help with skills shortages within its organisation, Darussalam Assets is looking to extend the use of SAP Business AI with SAP SuccessFactors Learning to trigger recommendations on which courses are required to develop particular skills.
Elsewhere, Darussalam Assets is exploring integrating SAP SuccessFactors solutions with other enterprise systems for a more cohesive and efficient IT infrastructure to improve data management and enable more advanced analytics. With a unified view of HR and business data, the company can gain richer insights to inform decision-making across the organisation.