
The People Factor
Welcome to "The People Factor," where we explore the role of the people function in driving business success.
We dive into the strategies, tactics, learnings & failures from top organizations to drive strategic objectives impacted by the people function.
Weekly, Thomas chats with industry experts and thought leaders about news, the latest trends and best practices related to develop an organization.
Tune in to "The People Factor" to learn how to unlock the full potential of your team and organization.
Latest episodes

Nov 20, 2024 • 34min
#100 - Prof. Dr. Anja Luthy | BWL- Professorin, Coach für Führungskräfte und Gründerin von #FemaleHRexcellence
Anja ist seit 1998 Professorin für Betriebswirtschaftslehre mit den Schwerpunkten Dienstleistungsmanagement und -marketing und lehrt seit 2001 an der Technischen Hochschule Brandenburg. Nebenberuflich ist sie seit über 20 Jahren als Speakerin, Beraterin, Trainerin und Coach in Gesundheits- und Sozialeinrichtungen aktiv, mit einem Fokus auf Themen wie Unternehmenskultur, Online-Recruiting und Employer Branding. Im Jahr 2020 gründete sie das Frauennetzwerk #FemaleHRexcellence, um Frauen im HR-Bereich zu unterstützen und zu vernetzen.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:00 - Corporate Influencing als neues Recruiting-Tool12:00 - Erfolgsbeispiel aus der Praxis45:00 - Herausforderungen und Chancen für Frauen am ArbeitsmarktLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-dr-anja-l%C3%BCthy-6721b932/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Nov 13, 2024 • 31min
#99 - Fabian Kuhnt | Partner bei EY
Companies need talent from abroad in order to remain competitive in the future. I design the structures for this. So that working abroad is legally secure and feasible.Technically, working abroad is not a problem in many sectors. But legally, it remains a major challenge. That's why structures are needed that take the requirements of companies and talents into account.If decentralized working and virtual teams are to become a resource for companies, they need a secure framework and someone who has a comprehensive view of the structures. So that talent acquisition abroad really works.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context15:00 - Flexibilität durch Employer of Record22:00 - Herausforderungen für den Mittelstand45:00 - Zukunft der Global MobilityLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabian-kuhnt/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Nov 6, 2024 • 34min
#98 - Robin Miguel Betz | Co-Founder at midlane.com, Shaping the future of frontline HR
Robin Betz ist begeisterter „People Tech“ Leader und Mitgründer von midlane.com. Er hat das Unternehmen gemeinsam mit seinem Studienfreund Mathias Klenk gegründet, mit dem er an der TUM und in den USA studiert hat.Die Idee hinter der Gründung basiert auf zwei Grundüberzeugungen: Erstens, dass gewerbliches Personal das Herzstück des Mittelstands ist, und zweitens, dass Technologie Verwaltungsaufgaben übernehmen sollte, damit mehr Zeit für Menschen bleibt.Die Vision von midlane.com ist es, eine ganzheitliche Personalverwaltung für den operativen Mittelstand in Europa zu erschaffen. Die Gründer wollen mithilfe moderner Technologie die Personalverwaltung neu gestalten und so operative Firmen zukunftssicher aufstellen.Schon heute hilft das Unternehmen Personalabteilungen dabei, Verwaltungsaufgaben zu automatisieren, sodass sich Mitarbeitende auf ihre eigentliche Arbeit konzentrieren können.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:30 - Midlane’s Weg: Vom Headcount Planning zum Blue Collar Payroll Space18:45 - Herausforderungen in der Lohnbuchhaltung für operative Mitarbeiter32:10 - Die Vision für die Zukunft der operativen PersonalverwaltungLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinmiguelbetz/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Oct 30, 2024 • 30min
#97 - Xenia Meuser | Business Leader at Hummingbloxs GmbH, Senior Advisor, Speaker, EX CHRO
ShownotesXenia Meuser begann 1995 ihr duales Studium der Betriebswirtschaftslehre in Hamburg. Nach ihrem Abschluss begann sie 1998 ihre Karriere im Personalbereich bei Tchibo. Drei Jahre später wechselte sie zur Otto Group, wo Meuser verschiedene Führungspositionen innehatte.2013 wechselte Meuser zur New Work SE und baute als Vice President HR den internationalen HR-Bereich auf. In den letzten zwei Jahren wechselte sie als Senior Vice President Attract & Retain und Brand & Marketing auf die B2B-Seite von New Work SE. Dort war sie für die Bereiche Marketing, E-Commerce, Brand und den Produktbereich Employer Branding verantwortlich.Zuletzt war Xenia Meuser als CHRO bei der RTL Deutschland GmbH tätig bevor sie die Humminbloxs GmbH gründete und nun mit ihrem Team die HR Transformation im Deutschen Mittelstand vorantreibt.Links00:00 - Intro & Context05:00 - Die ersten Schritte in die Selbstständigkeit: Fähigkeiten, Leidenschaft und Realismus15:00 - Erfahrungen aus 25 Jahren HR: Wie du HR-Strategien aufbaust und umsetzt30:00 - Herausforderungen der Selbstständigkeit: Emotionen, Partnerwahl und finanzielle FragenLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenia-meuser-24146313b/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Oct 23, 2024 • 29min
#96 - Björn Kastl | Chief People Officer at Mytheresa - MBA, Strategic HR Leadership
With 20 years of experience in human resources, Björn is currently the Chief People Officer at Mytheresa, a global luxury e-commerce platform. In this role, he leads the HR strategy and operations for over 2,000 employees across numerous countries, supporting the company's rapid growth and expansion. He is responsible for developing and implementing HR programs that foster a diverse, inclusive, and high-performance culture, as well as attracting, retaining, and developing top talent.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context10:00 - Arbeitsmarkt 2025: Kurze Entspannung oder langfristige Herausforderungen?15:00 - Politische Einflüsse auf den Arbeitsmarkt: Migration und Fachkräftezuzug25:00 - Der Strukturwandel in Schlüsselindustrien: Automobil und Chemie unter DruckLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bj%C3%B6rn-kastl-58290a2/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Oct 16, 2024 • 34min
#95 - Scarlet Bahr | Talent Sourcing @ Personio
Scarlet is a Sourcing Leader with 9 years of experience and recently built a Sourcing team for Luno including systems, processes, and scaling the team. Above all, she is essentially a ‘Sourcing Nerd’ with an immense passion for the industry and my job.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context02:00 - Applications of Talent Intelligence15:30 - Complex Roles and Candidate Sourcing25:00 - Effective Use of Historical Data in SourcingLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarletbahr/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Oct 9, 2024 • 29min
#94 - Yeliz Castillo | Career matchmaker & certified career Coach @pplwise
Yeliz Castillo is a dedicated TA professional starting her journey in London with little English, she embraced the challenge and became fluent in her third language while developing a passion for recruitment. Yeliz thrives on connecting with people, making an impact on their lives, and building meaningful relationships. She values authenticity, collaboration, and stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue her goals. Liz is currently TA Lead & Sr. Talent Partner at pplwise.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:00 - The Importance of Clear Communication10:45 - Candidate Feedback Strategy18:30 - Recruitment Market DynamicsGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-akin/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Oct 2, 2024 • 33min
#93 - Teddy Dimitrova - Rondhuis | Freelance Talent Acquisition Manager, Speaker and Author
Teddy Dimitrova is driven by a passion for self-improvement and organizational growth. With experience spanning start-ups, scale-ups, and larger organizations, she excels in balancing people, processes, and technologies, enjoying the challenge of finding solutions to strategic puzzles. Her strength lies in identifying bottlenecks and developing actionable solutions both in the short and long term. As a proponent of servant leadership, she focuses on enabling and inspiring colleagues to excel and find fulfillment in their work. Her core values include connection, balance, flexibility, and progress, while she continues to work on enhancing patience and refining her communication style.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context03:45 - Panic Hiring: A Recipe for Disaster18:20 - Building a Recruitment Infrastructure from Scratch29:50 - Scaling Challenges: The Double-Edged Sword of GrowthLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddydimitrova/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Sep 25, 2024 • 31min
#92 - Mark Lundgren | Senior Talent Acquisition Manager bei CarOnSale
Mark is a Global Recruitment Manager who plays a key role in helping companies achieve their growth goals by sourcing top talent, building strong employment connections, and efficiently managing teams. A native Danish speaker, Mark is also professionally proficient in both German and English, allowing him to operate seamlessly in diverse, international environments. His expertise in recruitment and team management makes him an asset in driving organizational success.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context02:10 - AI im Sourcing: Hype oder Realität?14:30 - Unkonventionelle Ansätze: Vom LinkedIn hinaus in die Nischen-Communities28:45 - Personalisierung durch Video: Mehr als nur Text-TemplatesLinksThomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Sep 18, 2024 • 37min
#91 - Philip Horvath | Partner @ Luman, Principle@ philip, LLC, Redner, Moderator, Berater
Philip has spent over thirty years studying and practicing transformation, witnessing waves of new technologies and their systemic impacts. He combines wisdom from global transformational modalities and modern neuroscience to guide leaders in preparing their organizations for constant change. As a partner at LUMAN, he develops strategies to elevate leadership, culture, and innovation in the most innovative companies, serving as an inspirational keynote speaker and executive advisor.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:30 - Happiness Linked to Purpose.18:45 - Lifelong Mission as a "Cathedral Project."32:10 - AI Integration Driving Innovation at Siemens.LinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiphorvath/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/
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