Florian Keppeler

Practice

“No research without action, no action without research” is an idea Kurt Lewin formulated already in 1946. My work follows this principle. I co-design field experiments with government partners and bridge research and practice through advisory roles, media engagement, public service organizations, and speaking.

Research-Practice Partnerships

I co-design field experiments with public sector organizations to ensure research directly informs policy and management decisions. My current flagship project, funded by the Carlsberg Foundation (Semper Ardens Accomplish), investigates how to sustainably recruit, select, and retain skilled international nursing staff. The project is led by principal investigator Christian B. Jacobsen, together with Diana Galos and myself at Aarhus University.

Speaking & Workshops

Florian Keppeler at a King Frederik Center event
Photo: Jens Hartmann, Aarhus University

I regularly speak at practitioner conferences, government agencies, and academic institutions across Denmark, Germany, and internationally. I present in English, German, and Danish. For speaking inquiries, please get in touch.

AI in Public Administration

How artificial intelligence is reshaping decision-making in the public sector, including both opportunities and risks of algorithmic tools.

Evidence-Based Hiring

What works in attracting and selecting talent for public employers, drawing on large-scale field experiments with municipalities, public utilities, and healthcare organizations.

International Workforce

How to sustainably recruit, integrate, and retain international employees, with a focus on healthcare professionals and the Danish and European labor market.

Behavioral Interventions in Government

Designing and testing behavioral interventions in collaboration with government partners, from vaccination campaigns to public service delivery.

Public Leadership

Managing workforce challenges in the public sector, including retention, motivation, and the role of leaders.

Advisory & Board Roles

Lokalprojekte

Co-founder of this non-profit public service start-up enabling 6-month fellowships for talents from the private and non-profit sector to support modernization projects in local governments. Co-CEO from 2021 to April 2023.

Stiftung Flexible Arbeitswelt

Member of the Advisory Board since 2022. The foundation supports change processes in the world of work in exchange with business, science, and politics.

PCG Forschungsgesellschaft

Member of the Executive Board from 2017 to 2021. A non-profit start-up offering customized compensation benchmarks for executive positions of public enterprises.

Selected Media Coverage

Television & Radio

Print & Online

Podcasts

Policy and Practitioner Writing

Written for public employers, policy readers and a general audience rather than for journals, in the two languages of the sectors this work is closest to.

Danish

Den attraktive arbejdsplads: En spørgeskemaundersøgelse af danske kommuner Jørgensen, M., Keppeler, F., Bertelsen, A. M. H., Kjær, K. S., Grøn, A. B., & Jakobsen, M. L. (2024). Komponent and the Crown Prince Frederik Center for Public Leadership, Aarhus University. doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/3W6ZX
Rekruttering, udvælgelse og tilknytning af personale i fremtidens sundhedsvæsen Keppeler, F., Axelsen, B. O., & Jacobsen, C. B. (2024). In M. Bech, P. Jørgensen, & S. B. Rasmussen (Eds.), Hvordan leder vi fremtidens sundhedsvæsen? FADL’s Forlag, Copenhagen, 160–173.
Det ved vi om rekruttering: White paper om evidensbaserede strategier til rekruttering i den offentlige sektor Keppeler, F., Højberg, N., Pedersen, A. T., & Jacobsen, C. B. (2023). Crown Prince Frederik Center for Public Leadership, Aarhus University. Cited by the Danish Government Commission on Robustness in the Healthcare Sector. doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/J7G9S
Kronik: Udlandet skal komme den danske sundhedssektor til undsætning Jacobsen, C. B., Keppeler, F., Højberg, N., & Bech, M. (2023). Jyllands-Posten.

German

Wie Verwaltung durch Zusammenarbeit mit Startups die digitale Transformation gestalten kann: Ein vergleichender Blick auf Deutschland und Dänemark Prokop-Scheer, C., & Keppeler, F. (2025). In F.-R. Habbel, D. Robers, & C. Meineke (Eds.), GOV-TECH Start-up und Verwaltung. Springer, Wiesbaden. Forthcoming.
Wie Europa zur Lösung beitragen könnte Keppeler, F. (2024). In Lünendonk (Ed.), Arbeitsmarktintegration ausländischer Fach- und Arbeitskräfte, Mindelheim.
Ausgewählte Fragen und Befunde zur künstlichen Intelligenz im Personalmanagement Keppeler, F. (2023). Stiftung Flexible Arbeitswelt (Ed.), Arbeitsmarkt und zur Entwicklung der Arbeitswelt, Berlin. Reprinted in D. Alt, A. Haller, & M. Kaiser (Eds.), Digitalisierung in Gemeinden: Praxis-Leitfaden, KSV Medien, Wiesbaden, 143–149.
Erfolgsfaktoren für die KI-gestützte Personalgewinnung von Fach- und Führungskräften bei öffentlichen Arbeitgebern (KISS-Studie) Keppeler, F., & Borchert, J. (2022). Chair of Public Management & Public Policy, Zeppelin University, and Verband kommunaler Unternehmen, Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, Friedrichshafen. doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11010.35528
Neue Wege bei der Personalgewinnung und -entwicklung der kommunalen Arbeitgeber als Innovationsmotor: Public Entrepreneurship Keppeler, F. (2022). In D. Robers, J. Stember, & F.-R. Habbel (Eds.), Die innovative Kommune. Springer, Wiesbaden, 155–171. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35675-0_11
Flexible Arbeit im Miteinander zwischen Praxis und Wissenschaft gestalten: Gesellschaftspolitische Anforderungen, Projekte, Herausforderungen Hetz, T., & Keppeler, F. (2021). In M. Dohm, A. Große-Jäger, K. Rüffler, & J. Staff (Eds.), Expedition: Werte, Springer, Wiesbaden.
Personalgewinnung kommunaler Unternehmen: Feldexperimentelle Ergebnisse und Handlungsoptionen für ein evidenzbasiertes Employer Branding Keppeler, F., & Papenfuß, U. (2020). StArk-Forschungsprojekt, Friedrichshafen.