Jodi Armit
Chief People and Administration Officer
Bold Commerce
Episode 315
HR's New Mandate: Data-Driven Impact, Not Just Perks.
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleFebruary 5, 2025 · 14:19
Thesis
“HR leaders must transcend administrative tasks and superficial perks by adopting a data-driven, business-centric approach that aligns people strategy with organizational goals, thereby demonstrating measurable impact and earning a strategic voice at the executive table.”
Show notes
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, host Dave D'Angelo welcomes Jodi Armit, an HR executive with over 30 years of experience across various industries. Jodi shares her extensive career journey, highlighting crucial lessons learned from diverse roles in compensation, talent acquisition, and development. Jody emphasizes the importance of HR professionals understanding data and using it strategically, addressing workplace transformations from process-driven environments to purpose-driven work, and the significance of bridging communication gaps across generations. She also discusses key strategies for aspiring HR leaders, including understanding business numbers and trusting employees with critical information to foster commitment and drive success. 00:16 Sponsor Message: Financial Well-being with Previ 00:44 Guest Introduction: Meet Jodi 00:55 Jodi's Career Journey and Key Experiences 02:58 The Importance of Data in HR Decision Making 05:27 Transforming Workplace Culture: From Perks to Purpose 08:13 Bridging Generational Communication Gaps 09:52 Preparing the Next Generation of HR Leaders 11:50 Maintaining a Voice at the Executive Table 13:29 Final Advice for HR Professionals 14:11 Conclusion and Farewell
What you'll take away
- 1HR professionals must deeply understand business financials, such as employee-to-revenue ratios and cash burn, to justify decisions and demonstrate tangible impact.
- 2Shift focus from traditional 'bells and whistles' (e.g., foosball tables, large offices) to purpose-driven work, clearly connecting individual roles to overall company success.
- 3Cultivate curiosity within leadership and HR teams to effectively bridge generational communication gaps and enhance feedback mechanisms.
- 4Prepare next-generation HR leaders by emphasizing business acumen, industry understanding, and the ability to craft HR plans that directly support company strategy.
- 5Maintain a strategic voice at the executive table by consistently articulating the 'why' and impact of HR initiatives, rather than merely discussing administrative processes.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Traditional office perks like foosball tables and private offices were largely 'smoke and mirrors' that didn't genuinely motivate or retain employees, unlike being part of a winning team.
- •Conventional performance management tools like the 'nine-box' are outdated; instead, focus on algorithms and personalized employee experiences to assess performance and behavior against job requirements and company values.
- •Avoid chasing 'shiny new trends' in HR; instead, ground all initiatives in their fundamental business impact and how they contribute to the company's success.
In Jodi's words
“HR is the biggest cost any business has. So you need to understand that when you're bringing people in, what is that doing to the revenue?”
This highlights the crucial financial implications of HR decisions that are often overlooked by HR professionals.
“If you don't do your due diligence and you just go by gut feeling and go by emotion, you can't justify the decisions you're making.”
This emphasizes the critical need for data-driven decision-making over intuition in HR strategy.
“Truth be told, people were too busy to appreciate this space and everything that it offered. And so it really just kept people there longer and then hopefully to work harder.”
This challenges the conventional wisdom that office perks effectively drive employee motivation or productivity.
“The key ingredient here is making sure that people know what winning looks like, and then how does their role impact that winning?”
This succinctly defines the core of effective employee engagement: connecting individual purpose to organizational success.
“We've thrown out the nine box. We don't use it anymore. We have algorithms that we use to talk to people about how they're doing against the job, how they're showing up and behaving at work against our core company values.”
This showcases a modern, data-informed shift away from traditional performance review systems.
“What we need to do is we need to talk about impact. So why would you even do a Ninebox? Why would you even do talent identification? Why would you do performance reviews? How does this help the business win?”
This directly challenges HR professionals to reframe their initiatives in terms of quantifiable business impact to secure executive influence.
The problems this episode addresses
- •HR professionals often lack a deep understanding of core business financial metrics (e.g., employee-to-revenue ratio, cash burn) required to make strategic decisions.
- •Decisions in HR are frequently made based on 'gut feeling' or emotion rather than robust data, leading to difficulties in justification and sub-optimal outcomes.
- •Traditional office perks ('bells and whistles') are ineffective and unsustainable motivators; companies struggle to inspire employees in hybrid/remote settings.
- •Bridging communication gaps and providing effective feedback across a multi-generational workforce proves challenging for leaders.
- •Aspiring HR executives are well-versed in HR pillars but often lack the holistic business acumen and strategic understanding needed for executive roles.
- •HR struggles to maintain a 'seat at the table' by focusing on administrative tasks and timelines rather than articulating direct business impact.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Dave Gentry shares a little bit about his career journey
Your Career Paths
HR professionals need to understand how hiring and compensation affects the business
In the Elevator: Data-
The workplace has changed from systems and processes to purpose-driven work
Workplace transformation: What motivates employees?
With multiple generations in the workplace, what strategies have you found most effective
How to Give and Receive Feedback Across Generations
Jodi is passionate about developing the next generation of HR leaders
Jodi On The Challenges of Executive Leadership
Jodi: HR professionals need to talk about impact more than busywork
HR Professional Voice at the Executive Table
Jodi, what advice would you like to share with our audience
Jodi On The Built by People
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
Expand transcript (0 words)
Transcript is not available yet.