In conversation with Avature Founder and CEO Dimitri Boylan, Kerstin Wagner shares how Deutsche Bahn approaches talent acquisition across a workforce of more than 300,000 people worldwide. From cultivating curiosity to rethinking learning and employer branding, the discussion explores how large organizations can adopt a startup mindset—without losing coherence or purpose.
5 key takeaways from Deutsche Bahn’s HR innovator
- Innovation in talent acquisition starts with leadership behavior, not mandates or slogans.
- Involving recruiters in shaping strategy unlocks collective intelligence, especially at scale.
- Continuous learning reduces fear during change, enabling teams to adapt as roles evolve.
- Employer branding must be revisited regularly to stay aligned with market realities and organizational truth.
- Technology adoption should serve candidate experience, supporting speed, transparency and engagement.
Training Curiosity at Scale
For Wagner, innovation is not a personality trait, it’s a capability that can be developed. Leading a talent acquisition function of more than 1,000 people, she is acutely aware that curiosity doesn’t flourish by accident. It requires leaders who model it openly, invite ideas before decisions are made and create space for “unrealistic” thinking before constraints are applied. By asking her entire recruiting organization to help define roadmaps and challenge assumptions, Wagner reframes innovation as a shared responsibility rather than a top-down directive.
Learning plays a central role in sustaining that mindset. Deutsche Bahn’s TA academy, with dedicated weekly learning time, reflects a belief that change becomes less threatening when people feel equipped to navigate it. As recruiting roles shift under the influence of new technologies and candidate expectations, learning becomes both a stabilizer and a catalyst. The result is a function that can respond to constant labor market change while staying grounded in purpose, connecting people not just to jobs but to the broader mission of sustainable mobility.
You can’t say, ‘You have to be innovative right away.’ You have to train that.”
Kerstin Wagner
Vice President of Talent Acquisition, Deutsche Bahn
Listen to the full episode to hear Kerstin Wagner and Dimitri Boylan explore how innovation, learning, and leadership come together in one of the world’s largest talent acquisition teams.
