I Don't Pick Up the Phone for Recruiters Anymore
If you've been in the HCM ecosystem long enough, you've heard this — at conferences, in conversations with other consultants, in LinkedIn comments. Experienced professionals with certifications and real implementations under their belt — they've had enough.
Enough of recruiters offering "some SAP thing" without knowing if it's SuccessFactors or S/4HANA. Enough of 40-minute calls that end with the discovery they're looking for someone completely different. Enough of sharing your rate only to watch it circulate across the market without your control.
But there's something worse than bad offers. It's the moment when your current project ends in three months — and you have to start looking. You update your LinkedIn status. You write posts. You send messages. Suddenly the whole market knows you're looking. Your client might find out too. And instead of calmly finishing the job — you're stressing about what comes next.
That's exactly why we built something to solve this problem.
Why HCM Consultants Hate Looking for Projects
Not because they're lazy. Because the process is embarrassing.
You get LinkedIn messages from recruiters who can't tell Employee Central from SAP Basis. You waste time on phone calls only to learn after 40 minutes that they need someone completely different. You share your rate — and you have no idea where it ends up or who sees it.
Or you reply to a "Senior SAP Consultant — exciting global project!" post, and it turns out to be a support role at half your rate, full-time, on-site somewhere you don't want to go. Sound familiar? Most consultants we talk to know this all too well.
Looking for a Project Shouldn't Be a Project in Itself
At Smart People, we have a network of SAP SuccessFactors, Workday and Oracle HCM consultants from across Europe and beyond. We built something we needed ourselves — because we've been training, advising and connecting people with projects in this ecosystem for years.
It's called the Smart People Consultant Network, and here's how it works:
How the network works
You register once. You enter your modules, certifications, payroll experience by country, preferences (remote, hybrid, on-site), and availability. 5 minutes.
Your data is yours. We don't publish your profile anywhere. We don't share your rate with anyone without your consent. Clients see an anonymised competency card — no name, no rate. Only when both sides want to talk do we arrange a meeting.
When a project comes up for you — we reach out. You decide whether you're interested. No spam with offers that have nothing to do with your profile.
Nobody has to know you're looking. Your current client won't see your profile on any portal. You don't have to change your LinkedIn status to "open to work". You're in our network — and when the right moment comes, we reach out.
This Is Not a Job Board
We match people to projects by hand.
We don't have a "Browse 5000 consultants" tab. We don't collect CVs for stockpiling. We don't send mass emails with offers.
Every consultant in our network is either known to us personally or verified through real projects. A consultant with EC certification and DACH payroll experience is not the same as a consultant with EC certification who's only done core HR in one country. A recruitment agency can't see that difference. We can — because we've been operating in this space for years and we know it inside out.
Where Are the Projects
Europe from Scandinavia to the Balkans — Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary. A growing number of projects in the US, Brazil, India, UAE and Australia.
Remote, hybrid, on-site — it depends on the project. But you always know upfront, before you decide.
5 Minutes Now, Peace of Mind for Months Ahead
Registration doesn't commit you to anything. You don't sign a contract. You don't pay commission. You leave your profile — and we do the rest.
Next time your project is coming to an end, you won't have to look for anything. Because the right project will find you.
Let's Talk
Join the Smart People Consultant Network — register in 5 minutes and let the right project come to you.
Or reach out directly with any questions. It's a conversation, not a pitch.
Join the Network