"HR must lose its fear of numbers"

Strategic thinking in focus at the first CHRO event organized by CEOs for Berlin

Text: Philipp Zettl | Policy Officer

In addition to EgonZehnder and KPMG, the VBKI CEOs for Berlin forum has gained a third strategic partner: Quadriga University of Applied Sciences has joined the almost 150-strong top network as a partner that will share its professional knowledge and future trends gained from years of research and teaching. The event was kicked off not by the CEOs themselves, but by their CHROs. The participants spent an afternoon discussing the strategic impact of HR. The focus was on current trends and formats for evaluating potential and skills - both among up-and-coming managers and senior executives.

Frank Schach, CEO, and Linda Schmid, Head of Talent & Development at Schindler Germany, called for a new understanding of the role of HR - away from being a service provider and towards being a strategic co-creator. However, the changed self-image requires CHROs to "lose their fear of numbers, because a company is managed on the basis of numbers", warned Schach.

Linda Schmid then explained which KPIs can be involved. With targeted employer branding measures and a redesign of the recruiting strategy - "more proactive we are the applicant, see if we are a match approach" - the number of applicants per position could be increased. The introduction of AI tools also showed measurable results: the time that interested parties needed to apply was reduced by an average of 63%. This also significantly reduced the bounce rate during the process. At the same time, up to 5 hours of admin time per week were saved internally.

Especially when it comes to the use of AI, companies can hardly avoid the issue of employee co-determination. Holger Faust, lawyer and Principal Counsel at KLIEMT.Arbeitsrecht, described the works council as a "doorman". However, it is not about pushing it aside, but about going through the door together with good arguments. The prerequisite for this is knowing the legal boundaries, understanding the context, identifying risks and then working out options for action on how cooperation can be organized efficiently.

Potential analysis formats were then on the agenda because, as Johannes Lotz, Senior Consultant at Hoffmann & Partner Executive Consulting, explained: "It's not the past that counts, but the potential." For him, the question at the heart of every new appointment is: What can someone do - not just what they have done so far? In addition to the classic executive review, consisting of an interview, case study, discussions with references, etc., there are also creative potential analysis formats. Jörg Reckhenrich, independent consultant and lecturer at Quadriga University, presented how "works of art as an associative surface and third interlocutor" can be used to explore questions about potential and development. What all formats have in common is that they offer added value to both sides, applicants and companies, and should therefore be seen as a sign of mutual appreciation. The company learns more about a potential new employee, the applicant finds out where their strengths and weaknesses lie and can continue to work on themselves.

The CHRO event clearly showed that HR is more than ever a business enabler - data-based, strategic, formative. The continuation in 2026 is entitled "Performance Navigation through HR" - a further signal of change in HR management.