Recruitment plays a central role during digital transformation because companies in many industries need to hire employees who possess IT-related knowledge, skills and abilities to digitalise their products, services and processes. However, extant research so far mainly has focussed on the use of digital technology in recruiting processes and its outcomes, whereas strategic aspects have received little attention. Based on 26 interviews with recruiters in 22 organisations, this study examines the interplay between recruitment and digital transformation beyond the use of digital technology in recruitment, focussing on more strategic aspects. The study examines recruitment’s role in organisations’ digital transformation. We found that the recruitment of digital talent as a new target group triggers change within the company, and does so in three ways: First, recruiters have realised the necessity to adapt their measures and processes to the new target group. Second, recruiters have developed a new self-understanding. Third, recruiters have recognised the need to support the organisation’s digital transformation by taking on a bridging function. Our study makes two contributions: First, we identified two new roles for recruitment during digital transformation: It acts as a ‘sensory organ’ that enhances the organisation’s absorptive capacity; and it takes on the role of a ‘mediator’ between external and internal groups. Second, this study builds on the human resources (HR) literature by analysing the strategic implications that digital transformation imposes on recruitment, highlighting recruitment’s part in renewing an organisation’s human resource base, which is crucial for its digital transformation.

招聘在数字化转型中起着核心作用，因为许多行业的公司都需要聘用拥有与IT相关的知识，技能和能力的员工来对他们的产品，服务和流程进行数字化。但是，到目前为止，现有的研究主要集中在招聘过程及其结果的数字技术使用上，而战略方面却很少受到关注。在对22个组织的招聘人员进行的26次访谈的基础上，本研究考察了招聘和数字转换之间的相互作用，而不仅仅是在招聘中使用数字技术，而是着眼于更具战略意义的方面。该研究考察了招聘在组织数字化转型中的作用。我们发现，招聘数字人才作为新的目标群体可以触发公司内部的变化，并且可以通过以下三种方式进行变化：首先，招聘人员已经意识到有必要使他们的措施和流程适应新的目标群体。其次，招聘人员已经有了新的自我理解。第三，招聘人员已经认识到有必要通过桥接功能来支持组织的数字化转型。我们的研究做出了两点贡献：首先，我们确定了数字化转型过程中招聘的两个新角色：它充当增强组织吸收能力的“感觉器官”。并在内部和外部团体之间担当“调解人”的角色。其次，本研究以人力资源（HR）文献为基础，分析了数字化转型对招聘产生的战略影响，强调了招聘在更新组织人力资源基础方面的作用，