Become a Direct-to-Talent Professional!
That is what it is about
What is the Direct-to-Talent certificate about?
How do you find the right talent — and make sure they stay? The labor market is changing rapidly, budgets are becoming tighter and traditional HR approaches are no longer effective. What is needed now is a new strategy for recruiting & retention that is efficient, data-based and future-proof.
In our 5-week D2T certification program, we'll show you exactly that!
You develop a recruiting and retention strategy that uses modern technologies — including AI — to attract and retain talent in a targeted manner. We combine strategy with direct implementation so that you not only learn new methods, but also put them into practice immediately.
For HR managers who want to future-proof their HR and talent strategy and make their team a success factor.
Become a D2T Champion and make HR an active shaper of transformation — using the latest methods, tools and AI-supported strategies to attract and retain talent in a targeted manner and create real impact in the company.

From Cost Center to Profit Center
Week 1: Strategy as a basis
#D2T #HRStrategie
🎯 How to set up recruiting as an ROI-driven strategy & make success measurable.
📌 Content: Market situation, D2T success principles, ROI curve & strategic levers.
Week 2: Data as a success factor
#PeopleAnalytics
🎯 How to use data to make better decisions and track success—from talent acquisition to long-term retention.
📌 Content: People analytics, recruiting dashboards, the SMASH funnel & retention data, e.g. early warning signs of migration.
Week 3: Automation, Standardization & AI
#HRTech
🎯 Which processes & tools really get you ahead — and where technology is reaching its limits.
📌 Content: Basics of AI & automation in the HR department, data protection, specific applications.
Week 4: Convince & implement stakeholders
#HRLeadership
🎯 This is how you implement your strategy in a targeted manner, prioritize the right topics and attract stakeholders for sustainable success.
📌 Content: Develop roadmaps, methods for stakeholder involvement, pitch techniques for decision makers
Week 5: Degree & certification
#D2TExpert
🎯 Present your D2T strategy & learn how to anchor it in the company
📌 Content: Final workshop, individual roadmaps & C-level pitch training.
For each Module, a D2T Expert as well as a presenter will accompany you throughout the Week.
Mark-Christian Schmidt is Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) at talentsconnect and is one of the leading minds in strategic HR and data-driven recruiting in Europe. With over a decade of experience in global HR roles, including at Viessmann and Zalando, he has made a name for himself as a thought leader for modern talent strategies.
As a speaker, Mark impresses with his ability to communicate complex HR topics in an understandable and practical way. His focus is on topics such as retention strategies, active sourcing, preboarding and the transformation of HR departments into strategic profit centers.
In doing so, he combines in-depth knowledge with an inspiring presentation style that encourages rethinking and provides concrete recommendations for action.
Michael Löffler has extensive professional experience in an international environment on a global level. His common thread is the analysis, transformation and improvement of HR processes, HR organizations and HR IT systems. His attitude: Where there is a will, there is also a way! Over the course of his professional career, he held various management positions in operational and strategic HR functions, both as a top manager and as a consultant in international consulting firms. Even though his professional career (as he says) began somewhat exotically as an officer in the German Air Force, his commitment to sustainable solutions and appropriate analytics form the basis of his work. As Vice President HR Analytics, he is currently responsible for the “Workforce KPIs” relevant to annual reports, embedded in the group-wide CSRD/ESG reporting of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA
Oliver Breucker is co-founder and managing director of the strategy consultancy Roover Consulting. As a former consultant at management consultancy Roland Berger, he has supported numerous companies that have come under pressure in the digital transformation process. With Roover Consulting, he helps organizations make targeted use of future technologies such as artificial intelligence to increase efficiency potential, reduce costs and achieve sustainable competitive advantages.
As an experienced AI trainer, Oliver has conducted over 50+ training courses and workshops — for managers, specialist departments and entire organizations. In doing so, he combines strategic vision with didactic sensitivity and shows in a practical way how artificial intelligence can be used effectively in everyday working life.
Samira brings over 10 years of experience in talent acquisition and people & culture and helps companies attract, develop and retain the right talent over the long term. Whether it's a small craft business, a fast-growing scale-up or an established corporation — thanks to her diverse experience in a wide range of business phases and industries, she has comprehensive insights into the combination of strategic HR thinking and operational effectiveness. In her role as a senior consultant at talentsconnect, she supports companies in phases of growth and change and helps them build scalable structures, strong teams and a sustainable people strategy. Your approach: Strategic vision combined with pragmatic implementation so that HR actively becomes a driver of corporate success.
E-Learning
Duration: 1 hour per week
Short learning videos with exciting insights and hacks from experts.
Variety through various formats such as presentations, video interviews and lectures.
Practical exercises that can be tried out directly in practice.
Remote workshop sessions
Duration: 2 hours per week
Full practical power: Topics are worked out in concrete terms.
Opportunity to share experiences and ask questions.
Experts and moderators actively guide the session.
Community
In the exclusive D2T certificate Slack group, you can exchange ideas with other course participants and ask questions.
You will receive helpful materials and information.
5 Weeks of compact knowledge
Strategy as a basis
What is behind the direct-to-talent strategy — and why is it essential for modern and successful HR today? Week 1 is about the basic understanding of strategic personnel planning in conjunction with corporate goals. The focus is on the logic of calculating ROI in an HR context: You learn how to realistically estimate the value of employees and how well-founded measures and priorities can be derived from this — with real business impact and measurable cost savings.

Data-driven recruiting & retention strategies
People analytics is not a topic of the future, but a must have for a long time. Week 2 explains what modern HR teams need to know about relevant key figures — from vacancy costs to talent lifetime value. You will learn how to use data in a targeted manner to improve decisions in recruiting and employee retention, and gain insights into how to build effective dashboards for daily practice.

Increasing efficiency through automation and modern technologies
What can AI really do — and what is simply good automation? This week, the buzzword chaos will be unraveled: It's about the clear difference between automation and artificial intelligence, its possible uses along the candidate journey and concrete tools that are already working in everyday recruiting and retention. To do this, we take a realistic look at feasibility, data protection and ethical issues — so that you can make informed decisions about what makes sense for your organization.

Strategically anchor recruiting & retention in the company
The best strategy is useless if it doesn't reach the company. Week 4 is about how recruiting and retention are successfully placed as business-relevant topics. You'll learn how to build roadmaps, convince stakeholders, and use targeted communication to drive change. The focus is on change management, internal visibility and the role of HR as a transformation driver.

Putting implementation into practice
Finally, it gets concrete: Your own direct-to-talent roadmap is finalized, presented and transferred into the corporate context. This includes feedback from experts, tips on internal positioning and convincing communication with decision makers. With the official certificate and LinkedIn badge, you are ready to make the next development stage of your HR work effective and visible — both internally and externally.

What does the D2T certificate give you?
Career Booster
Become visible as an HR expert & strengthen your profile.
Competitive advantage
Learn innovative recruiting strategies & implement them directly.
Exclusive Network
Be part of a community of leading HR professionals.
Official certificate & LinkedIn badge
For recognition.
Original sounds from Participants

Thanks to all speakers. The content was really well prepared and the exchange in the sessions was terrific 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 it was super fun 🏻😍
Benedikt Kölsch

Thank you for this unique learning journey. That was 6 weeks with lots of knowledge impulses and very practical topics. I took away a lot for myself and in addition to professional topics, I also met many wonderful people from the recruiting scene 💚
Sebastian Mosch

Community learning is simply super powerful and then with relevant and high-quality content/ speakers - great! This learning journey shouldn't remain a one-hit wonder. That's a no-brainer, dear talentsconnect team 😁
Daniel Stevens

How fast do 6 weeks go by please?! I can absolutely recommend the course, and the exchange with the other participants was a real asset. Now it's time to implement it! 😁
Dr. Constanze Homburg
Countdown to the next D2T certificate
How to become a Direct-to-Talent certificate participant
- Select an appointment®istration form infill
- Confirmation email received
- Calendar invitation received on the start date (within 2 working days)
🚀 Let's go - have fun!