In conversation with Avature Founder and CEO Dimitri Boylan, Steve Page reflects on what it takes to modernize recruitment and people operations inside one of the world’s most values-driven organizations. Drawing on a career spanning recruiting, HR, and product leadership, Page explores how IKEA is navigating digital transformation without losing its deeply human core. At stake is not just efficiency at scale, but the ability to remain local, inclusive and connected in a rapidly changing talent landscape.
5 key takeaways from IKEA’s HR innovator on global recruiting at scale
- Digital transformation in HR is as much about culture as it is technology, requiring new ways of working alongside new systems.
- Reducing administrative burden unlocks recruiter impact, freeing time for meaningful human connection in talent acquisition strategy.
- The future of recruitment is about engaging digital users, not just candidates, reflecting shifts in attention, behavior and expectations.
- Localization remains central to global strategy, with recruiting and talent practices tailored store-by-store and market-by-market.
- Responsible use of people data enables better decisions and retention, helping organizations spot opportunities before talent walks away.
Balancing Scale with Togetherness
For Page, the defining challenge of IKEA’s transformation is not rolling out technology across dozens of countries, but ensuring those tools strengthen — rather than dilute — the company’s values. As processes become more automated and data-driven, the risk is distance: fewer conversations, fewer shared moments, fewer chances to pass on culture. IKEA’s response has been intentionally balanced. Technology is designed to empower coworkers — to swap shifts, explore internal moves, and shape their own working lives — while leaders remain accountable for listening, explaining and staying present.
That emphasis on togetherness also shapes IKEA’s thinking about the future of work. Recruiting at scale no longer means broadcasting roles into the void; it means meeting people where they already are as confident digital participants. Yet even as the company builds global data hubs and consolidates technology, Page is clear-eyed about the responsibility that comes with insight. Data, used well, becomes a way to understand patterns, predict needs and invest in people before disengagement sets in. Used poorly, it risks eroding trust. The difference lies in intent — and in staying anchored to the human story behind every data point.
It’s not just a technology rollout. It’s actually a change in ways of working and a shift in global mentality. It’s a cultural change that we’re going through in every country.”
Steve Page
Global VP of Product Management, IKEA
Listen to the full episode to hear Steve Page in conversation with Dimitri Boylan on how IKEA is reimagining recruitment, data and culture on a global scale.
