The People Factor Podcast with Thomas Kohler

Florian Blaschke is Co-Founder and Managing Director of HRCast. In this episode we talk about the challenges and solutions in headcount planning and HR controlling. Florian highlights the inefficiencies of traditional spreadsheet methods and advocates for specialized software to centralize and secure HR data. He also emphasizes the importance of regular updates to HR plans and integrating various HR functions into a single decision-making platform.

Katharina, is Head of People & Culture Recruiting, Employer Branding Manager and lives the People Mindset People Experience (PX). She has been working as a manager and trainer in HR for just over 13 years and juggle a wide range of topics in parallel. Initially between personnel planning, management, interviews, training and recruiting, before moving deeper into recruiting, employer branding and looking at the experience in the people area. This path has always made me the main point of contact for people.

Kim Breuer is deeply passionate about psychology, focusing on how an understanding of human behavior can shape a sustainable world. She champions the concept of “sustainable individuals” who are equipped to maintain their mental health and contribute positively to society. With her company, Likeminded, Kim aims to provide widespread access to psychological resources and care. This platform offers a range of services tailored for corporate environments, empowering employees to thrive beyond mere freedom from mental issues, towards realizing their fullest potential and leading fulfilled lives. Kim’s work underscores her belief in the transformative power of psychology to foster personal and communal well-being.

With over 20 years of experience in people, culture and organizational development, Francia is passionate about creating and implementing strategies and scalable processes that align people capabilities and talents with the overall business mission. Francia enjoys working along side, sparring, coaching and developing leaders who are empathetic, visionary, and who are committed to creating an impact and making a difference in the world.

Wiebke began her professional journey studying business and sociology, which laid the groundwork for her career. She first joined the sourcing department at Zalando and later transitioned into broader roles in People & Culture. Her experience spans startups, agencies and corporates, showcasing her versatile skill set and strong interest in organizational development. Within just seven years, Wiebke became a VP at Linearity, a powerful graphic design software known for its remote-first approach.

Barbara Imm leads the People & Culture department of roadsurfer and has +10 years of experience in scaling and leading a people function that operates globally. In this episode she discusses the strategic role of company culture in roadsurfer’s success, detailing how a well-defined cultural framework can offer a competitive edge. She shares insights into the company’s approach to scaling up blue-collar hiring — achieving a remarkable feat of 500 hires in a season — and the implementation of Ashby ATS to enhance recruitment processes. Barbara also reveals how roadsurfer maintains its growth trajectory and cultural integrity through data-driven hiring assessments and robust employee feedback mechanisms. Join us as Barbara unpacks the complexities and triumphs of managing people and culture amidst rapid corporate expansion and operational challenges.