The Human Factor Podcast

The Human Factor Podcast Episode 33: Turning Instinct into Insight with Sascha Härtel

The Human Factor Podcast

Show Notes

In all walks of life, and one of the great natural feelings of being a human being is that gut instinct for something. That feeling about something, a feeling in the stomach, a nagging doubt or a natural intuition. It’s fair to say we will have all experienced it at some point in our life.

In the world of business or sport or any industry where decisions made purely on instinct can be extremely costly, turning instinct into hard fact is an absolute imperative. In the world of work, this is where reporting and analytics support the process in a very big way and this is where the importance of raw data surfaces its head again. Data pulled from multiple sources can be examined to support or reject hypotheses (those gut feelings).

In the world of sport, analytics has become more and more integral to successful performance across a multitude of processes and disciplines – providing insights into individual and team performance both on and off the field of play. For example – it is used to determine tactics to win a match, it is used to monitor and prevent injuries to players, it is used to assist decisions made on buying or selling players where huge sums of money are spent on talent. To support this, more and more data is captured and analysed than ever before.

How then can technology sift through all this data and provide insights that will lead to the promised land of successful performance outcomes.

For this episode we will be diving back into the world of football and are super excited to be joined by someone who is leveraging analytics in a VERY big way to support the organisation and performance of his club TSG Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga – the highest football league in Germany.

More from The Human Factor Podcast

Oct 16, 2026

In this episode, we speak with Claire Meadows from Mitie about the evolution from transactional excellence to intelligent service delivery, and how AI is reshaping processes, workforce design, skills, and the future of operational performance.

Sep 18, 2026

In this episode, we speak with Nicholas Toko about how Jungian psychology can help leaders better understand culture, resistance and organisational change.

Aug 18, 2026

In episode 76 of The Human Factor Podcast, we explore what it really takes to build talent from within and why internal talent development requires far more than a commitment to promoting from within. Many organisations say they believe in developing their people, but far fewer have the systems, leadership expectations, and organisational structures in place to make that belief a reality. In large, global growth organisations, internal talent development is a long-term strategic choice that can shape leadership continuity, cultural coherence, capability depth, and resilience in the face of constant change. Joining us is Cecilia Sandberg, Senior Vice President, HR at Atlas Copco Group. Together, we explore what it means to build from within in a decentralised, engineering led organisation with a significant global workforce and a strong growth trajectory. Throughout the conversation, we discuss how organisations can turn internal development from a philosophy into a disciplined system, what effective succession planning looks like in practice, and how leaders can be supported and held accountable for developing others. Cecilia also shares insights into the role of mentoring, mobility, structured development, and other reinforcement mechanisms, as well as how organisations can balance internal promotion with the need for fresh perspectives and diversity of thought. We also explore how organisations can measure whether their talent development model is actually working, the tension between long-term development and short-term business pressures, and where leaders should begin if they want to take internal talent development more seriously. If you're looking to strengthen your talent strategy, build stronger leadership pipelines, and create an organisation where people can grow from within, this episode offers valuable insights and practical takeaways. Keywords: Talent, Leadership, Development, Mentoring, Growth, Workforce, Progression

Jul 16, 2026

In episode 75 of The Human Factor Podcast, we explore how AI is transforming talent acquisition and what it takes to build hiring processes that are not only faster, but fairer and more human. Talent acquisition has faced significant pressure in recent years, with organisations navigating tight labour markets, changing candidate expectations, and increasing demands to hire more effectively. As AI moves from experimentation to becoming a core part of recruitment, leaders have an opportunity to rethink how they attract, assess, and engage talent. Joining us is Alan Walker, CEO of Udder. Together, we discuss how AI is reshaping every stage of the talent acquisition lifecycle, from sourcing and screening to candidate engagement and hiring decisions.

Jun 18, 2026

In this special anniversary episode, we celebrate 5 years of conversations by bringing together four guests who have each helped shape the discussion around work, leadership, wellbeing, and inclusion: Sue Yell, Gethin Nadin, Eric Tinch, and Dr Nancy Doyle.

See all episodes →