KTH strengthens gender-equal recruitment through structure, digitalization, and an enhanced candidate experience
Industry
Academia
Head office
Stockholm, Sweden
Employees
5 000+
Customer since
2014
“Our candidates are also our ambassadors. That’s why the experience throughout the entire recruitment journey is incredibly important – and we’ve made significant progress with Grade’s recruitment tool.”
Maria Salling, Head of Recruitment and Employer Branding, KTH
Background
KTH is one of the world’s leading technical universities and an attractive employer – both in Sweden and internationally. With high standards for competence, transparency, and gender equality, the recruitment process must meet equally high expectations.
The Swedish government has set clear requirements for all universities to promote sustainable development and gender equality. For KTH, this has become a natural part of its strategic HR work – particularly in connection with recruitment for senior academic positions.
“At the highest academic levels, we still see a gender imbalance. That’s why we actively work to identify female candidates, especially when appointing professors,” says Katarina Bröms from the HR department for faculty recruitment.
To support this work, KTH has established an Equality Office and works systematically with competence mapping, attraction initiatives, and structured assessment support. At the same time, the university receives a high volume of international applications – placing additional demands on clear communication and smooth candidate management.
Solution
Since 2014, KTH has managed its entire recruitment operation through Grade’s ATS. Through digitalization, the university has streamlined what was previously a highly manual process, where candidates had to submit multiple copies of applications and publications in paper format.
“It was unsustainable – both for the candidates and for us. Now everything is digital, legally secure, and easy to manage,” says Katarina.
System support has become particularly important in international recruitments. KTH appoints external reviewers from all over the world, and with Grade’s platform, it is easy to grant them access to the necessary materials, regardless of location.
To create as inclusive a process as possible, KTH also works with competency-based recruitment (CBR) through a dedicated module in Grade’s tool – built on research by Dr. Malin Lindelöw. HR professionals, managers, and committees are trained in structured interview techniques and the fundamentals of CBR.
“With Grade’s CBR module, our processes become both more structured and fairer. It strengthens our work with diversity and equal treatment,” says Maria Salling.
Result
Thanks to Grade’s recruitment tool, KTH has established a unified and professional workflow – one that both simplifies and improves the process. The candidate experience has been strengthened, internal ways of working have been aligned, and managers’ administrative workload has been reduced.
- Digital management of all applications and assessment documentation
- Seamless access for international reviewers
- Efficient CBR process and strengthened gender equality efforts
- Support for employer branding through a positive candidate experience
“Our employer brand is more important than ever. We work hard to ensure that all candidates – regardless of background – receive a fair, inclusive, and professional experience,” says Maria.
To ensure a consistent approach, KTH also launched an internal recruitment network, where HR functions from the different schools share experiences and build a common process.
“We share best practices, develop together – and build a recruitment model that will stand the test of time.”
Margita Nilsson, Recruitment Officer
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