Season 9, Episode 2:- Becoming Insight led while working in partnership with work councils and unions

In this Employee Experience episode of The Experience Perspective, Bhavna is joined by Albrecht Küfner, Team Lead for Employee Experience at Deutsche Bahn, to explore what it really takes to move from running employee surveys to becoming a genuinely insight-led employee experience professional, while successfully operating in a highly unionised, works-council-led environment.

Drawing on his journey from academic psychology into large-scale organisational research, Albrecht reflects on how his role evolved from being highly operational to becoming deeply strategic, political, and people centred. Together, they unpack what “insight-led” means in practice, particularly within a complex, state-owned organisation, where unions and works councils play a critical role in shaping employee experience programmes.

The conversation goes beyond theory, offering a candid look at trust-building, stakeholder partnership, and the realities of designing and running employee listening programmes in environments shaped by strong external influence and competing priorities. Albrecht explains why operational excellence is necessary but not sufficient, how letting go of the “survey manager” identity creates space for strategic impact, and why genuine connection (across hierarchy levels, functions, and perspectives) is the foundation of effective employee experience.

Key takeaways from the episode:

1. Operational excellence is essential, but impact comes from translating employee data into insight that leaders understand, trust, and act on.

2. Insight-led practitioners must connect shop-floor realities with C-suite priorities, acting as interpreters rather than just analysts.

3. Early involvement, honesty, and shared ownership turn works councils into ambassadors rather than blockers of EX programmes.

4. Long-term success depends on open dialogue, clear boundaries, and the willingness to say no, while maintaining respect and transparency.

This episode is essential listening for anyone running employee listening or experience programmes in complex, unionised organisations and for EX professionals looking to elevate their role from execution to strategic influence.