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.

Happy New Year! And welcome to Season 9 of The Experience Perspective Podcast!

For the first episode of our new season, join Rob Rose as he explores the many different roles that Mystery Shopping can play for businesses and organisations, in the company of Craig Bradley, Global Service Line Leader for Channel Performance at Ipsos.

In this episode, Craig shares how ‘Real people, going to real places, to deliver real impact’ sits at the heart of the work Ipsos do, and provides insights on the Ipsos ‘Better Promise’.

Learn how these approaches not only help the clients we partner with to identify and measure the ‘moments of truth’ within their customer interactions, but also how this data enables clients to develop strategies to further improve their performance and elevate their levels of customer service.

Please use the link below to learn more:

Channel Performance | Ipsos

At Ipsos, we combine research excellence with deep CX expertise. We know the quality of insight depends on the quality—and the experience—of the questions you ask, and that real impact comes from the governance that surrounds your listening ecosystem.

In this episode, we reset survey programmes for 2026 by treating surveys as a designed service and a true part of the customer journey. Host Helen Bywater‑Smith is joined by Mariam Nabilsi, SVP, Ipsos CX Canada. Together they apply a service design mindset to the entire survey micro‑journey—from invite timing and value exchange to mobile‑first flow, thank‑you and follow‑up—so your measurement drives action, not fatigue.

Tune in to learn how to blueprint your survey experience, visualise from the customer perspective, set smart KPIs, and streamline questions to improve response, completion, and trust. Reset your CX programmes for 2026, kick off the year right and unlock the Experience Advantage.

Join Bhavna Sawnani in conversation with Ena Rivera, Chief People Officer for Asia Pacific at Ipsos, as they explore what it takes to transform people teams into strategic, future-focused partners. Drawing on insights from Ipsos 2025 Empowering People Teams report, they discuss the shift from transactional HR to influencing organisational priorities and shaping long-term success.

Ena and Bhavna talk about the importance of turning culture into observable behaviours, and why financial fluency and strategic courage are essential for earning credibility at the decision-making table.

The conversation also looks at today’s talent landscape, from the rise of skills-based hiring to the need for building capability within existing teams and creating meaningful, growth-oriented work environments that attract high performers.

They touch on future readiness, the growing role of AI and the powerful combination of artificial and human intelligence in elevating impact across organisations.

This episode provides strategic depth, practical guidance and a bold vision for how HR and People teams can lead organisations into the future: stronger, smarter and more human.

Join Rob Rose as he shares recorded highlights from the Automotive Event hosted by Channel Performance in the UK entitled “Rev up your Revenues with Data Analytics”.

At the event held at the Silverstone International Grand Prix Circuit, special guest Verity Mercer, Head of Customer Experience and Quality at Renault Group held a Q&A session alongside Ipsos Channel Performance Head of Client Success in the UK, Kendra Jones.

As a result of the questions and the discussions that followed, insights were shared on a number of key topics, from how Renault Group use Mystery Shopping alongside other research initiatives to create a full picture of how dealerships operate, through to the bold and innovative steps they have taken to achieve buy-in and position their Mystery Shopping activity as a valuable insight and learning tool.

At a time in the industry where changes such as the growth in demand for electric vehicles are shifting the requirements customers have in a dealership environment, the conversation also highlights how key priorities have been developed and acted upon.

Join Bhavna Sawnani as she explores a crucial aspect of employee experience surveys: driving high participation and engagement, in conversation with Chrystal Kennedy, Head of People Partnering at Mitre 10 New Zealand.

Together, they unpack how Mitre 10 achieved exceptional participation rates across a highly operational and decentralised organisation, even while transitioning to new platforms. The discussion dives into the vital role of senior leader buy-in, effective communication and promotion from boardroom to frontline, and how embedding the ‘why’ behind the survey can inspire action and trust.

Listen to gain practical tactics for promotion and mobilisation, the power of networks and local champions, and ways to remove friction so people can and will respond. Discover what messages resonate, when and how to target communications, and how closing the loop builds trust for the next cycle.

This episode offers actionable insights and practical tips to help organisations boost survey participation and build a culture of listening that drives long-term impact.

Join Helen Bywater-Smith as she dives into the crucial aspect of customer Loyalty with Andrew Custage, Head of Research Insights at Medallia, and Jean Francois Damais, Global Chief Research Officer at Ipsos CX.

Based on insight from the recent collaborative paper between Ipsos and Medallia, Beyond Transactions: The Shifting Dynamics of Customer Loyalty, the trio discuss the evolving landscape of customer loyalty and the crucial shift beyond transactional metrics to emotional attachment and customer sentiment.

Listen to gain actionable strategies to enhance loyalty programmes and understand the new dynamics of customer engagement. Explore generational differences in loyalty and understand the growing influence of artificial intelligence in loyalty programmes.

This episode provides valuable insights into creating authentic, emotionally resonant loyalty strategies that align with brand vision, enhance customer experience, and foster long-lasting customer relationships.

We invite you to explore the world of modern luxury—a place where artistry meets experience. This three-part film series is a journey into the heart of indulgence, revealing the stories, skill, and passion behind the world’s most exclusive experiences.Join Helen Bywater-Smith, alongside Ipsos Luxury Expert Stéphane Paoli and Channel Performance lead in Switzerland Annamaria Foldes with our luxury specialists: • Robert Herr - General Manager Beau Rivage Hotel Geneva• Vivienne Tang - Founder and CEO Destination Deluxe• Antonio Teixeira - Managing Director, Bucherer Geneva• Felicitas Morhart - Professor of Marketing at University of Lausanne and Founder of Swiss Centre for Luxury Research • Nóra Demeter - Architect, Founder and Director of Demeter Design Studio

As they decode the intricacies of luxury across three engaging films that were shot in Geneva, the world’s luxury watch centre.

Todays's Episode will cover Part 3: Delivering Luxury.The final element is the art of luxury delivery itself. Learn how to synthesise technology, people, and processes to create true operational excellence.Go back and listen to Parts 1 and 2, which were posted over the last two weeks.

This series invites you to reinterpret luxury, not just as a state of wealth, but as an art form - experiences painted with passion, precision, and deep insight. Join us as we unveil the layers of opulence and redefine your understanding of what it means to deliver pure luxury.