How to screen SAP consultants without being an SAP expert

You're a recruiter. Your client needs an SAP S/4HANA Finance consultant. You have 50 CVs on your desk. You don't know the difference between FI and CO. How do you figure out who's real?

This guide gives you a practical framework for screening SAP consultants without needing to become one yourself.

Step 1: Understand what the client actually needs

Before you look at a single CV, get clear on three things from your client:

Which modules? SAP has dozens of modules. FI/CO (Finance), MM (Materials Management), SD (Sales), PP (Production), HCM (Human Capital), BW (Business Warehouse), and many more. Your client needs specific modules. Get the exact names.

What kind of project? Implementation (building from scratch), migration (moving from old to new), support (maintaining existing), or upgrade (updating to S/4HANA). Each requires different experience.

What seniority? A functional consultant configures the system. A solution architect designs the overall approach. A project manager runs the team. A program director manages multiple projects. Get clear on the level.

Step 2: The 5-minute CV scan

You don't need 30 minutes per CV. You need 5 minutes and the right checklist.

Module names in the first third. If the CV doesn't mention the required modules (by name, not generically) in the first page, it's a weak match.

Employer quality. Big 4 (Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG), system integrators (Accenture, IBM, TCS, Infosys, Capgemini), or product companies (SAP, Oracle) signal professional training and methodology exposure.

Project names and clients. Real consultants name their projects and clients. "Led SAP FI/CO implementation for Etihad Airways" is credible. "Worked on SAP projects for various clients" is vague and probably padded.

Numbers. Team size, project budget, duration, outcomes. Consultants who can quantify their work are generally more senior and more credible.

Recency. SAP technology moves fast. Experience from 5+ years ago in ECC may not translate directly to S/4HANA. Look for recent S/4HANA experience specifically.

Step 3: The phone screen framework

You don't need to understand the technical answers. You need to know whether the candidate can give specific, detailed answers or just generic ones.

Ask: "Tell me about your most recent S/4HANA project."

Good answer: Names the client, the industry, the timeline, the team size, their specific role, and what they delivered. Uses specific module names and technical terms naturally.

Bad answer: "I worked on an S/4HANA implementation. I was responsible for the finance module. The project was successful." Vague. No details. No numbers.

Ask: "What was the biggest challenge on that project and how did you handle it?"

Good answer: Describes a specific problem (data migration issues, scope creep, stakeholder conflict), what they specifically did, and the outcome with numbers.

Bad answer: "There were challenges but we overcame them as a team." No substance.

Ask: "How many full life cycle implementations have you done?"

Good answer: Gives a number and can name them. "Four. ThyssenKrupp, Rheinmetall, EDGE Group, and TII."

Bad answer: "Several." If they can't count them, they probably haven't done many.

Step 4: Reference checking the SAP way

Standard reference checks ("Was John a good employee?") don't work well for consultants. Instead, ask:

"What module did John work on and how would you rate his depth?"

"Would you hire John for your next project?"

"What kind of project is John best suited for: greenfield, migration, or support?"

These questions get specific answers that help you match the consultant to the right role.

Step 5: Use tools to verify

Upload the CV to an ATS checker that understands ERP terminology. See the module depth scoring, industry verification, and keyword analysis. This gives you an objective baseline before you even pick up the phone.

ERPCV's recruiter tools are built for exactly this. Upload a candidate CV. Get module depth scoring, project verification, and interview questions generated from their actual experience. 3 scans free.

The shortcut

If you want to skip the learning curve entirely, you can have us interview your candidates for you. Full technical and behavioral interview, structured scorecard, clear hire recommendation. 48-hour turnaround. Starting at $95 per candidate with volume discounts.

Upload a CV. Get module depth, project verification, and interview questions.