John Malanowski
Interim Chief Human Resources Officer
N/A (Interim)
Episode 185
HR's Financial Imperative: Proactive Talent Strategies Drive Business Growth
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleMay 19, 2025 · 11:18
Thesis
“HR must operate with a business operating background, using data and a financial lens to proactively address talent challenges through innovative programs that directly drive measurable business outcomes and revenue.”
Show notes
Revolutionizing HR: Insights and Innovations with John MalanowskiIn this episode of the Built by People Podcast, Dave welcomes John, a seasoned HR professional with over 40 years of experience.
John shares his diverse career journey from financial services to head of HR at tech and healthcare companies.
Notably, at Raytheon, John addressed workforce planning challenges by creating leadership development programs and improving talent acquisition strategies.
At Dartmouth Hitchcock, he implemented an apprenticeship program for medical assistants, recognized by the Obama administration, which significantly increased revenue and patient care efficiency.
John emphasizes the importance of understanding how a company makes money and advises HR professionals to diversify their experiences and follow their passions.
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:53 John's Career Journey
01:48 Workforce Planning at Raytheon
04:54 Apprenticeship Program at Dartmouth Hitchcock
09:02 Understanding Business Impact in HR
10:35 Parting Advice and Conclusion
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What you'll take away
- 1Proactively analyze workforce demographics (age, length of service) to identify and address talent gaps like the 'bathtub' effect, rather than just reacting to attrition.
- 2Implement accelerated learning and apprenticeship programs to rapidly upskill talent and fill critical roles, even for individuals without prior industry experience.
- 3Always apply a financial lens to HR initiatives, understanding how they enable the company to make money and generate revenue (e.g., by increasing patient flow or mechanic efficiency).
- 4Diversify your HR experience across different industries and roles to build a robust business operating background and differentiate your career.
- 5Don't be afraid to try new and unconventional solutions to complex HR challenges, especially when traditional methods are failing.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Malanowski emphasizes 'following money' and putting a 'financial lens' on HR work, pushing against a perception of HR as solely a cost center or purely 'people-centric' without direct revenue impact.
In John's words
“I like to think of myself as an HR professional with a business operating background.”
This quote highlights his unique approach to HR, integrating business acumen with people management.
“We had a huge gap in our workforce. We called it the bathtub, actually.”
This vivid metaphor describes a common and challenging workforce demographic issue.
“The insight was our innovation from filling that bathtub, to say it that way, comes from facts and data.”
This emphasizes the critical role of data-driven insights in developing effective HR solutions.
“If I've got a mechanic on a car and the mechanic is spending time intaking people coming into the garage and filling out paperwork, you're not making money, at least as much money as you would have otherwise. The mechanic wasn't working on the car that he or she should be.”
This analogy clearly illustrates the direct financial impact of optimizing roles and enabling employees to work at the top of their license.
“Don't be afraid to try new things and different things. Diversify your experience.”
This parting advice encourages HR professionals to be adaptable and innovative in their career development.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Difficulty recruiting for critical roles (e.g., medical assistants taking two months to hire) due to talent shortages in specific geographic regions.
- •Significant workforce demographic gaps, such as a lack of mid-career professionals ('bathtub' effect), leading to challenges in succession planning and leadership pipelines.
- •High attrition rates for early-career employees (100% in 7 years) indicating issues with engagement, development, or retention strategies.
- •Inefficient utilization of highly skilled and paid employees (e.g., nurse practitioners or physicians performing administrative tasks that a medical assistant could do).
- •Lack of direct business and financial understanding among HR professionals, hindering their ability to justify initiatives with measurable ROI.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
And as a starting question, I always love to ask about your career journey
The Journey of Career
John Miller spent 10 years at Raytheon as head of talent acquisition
The Workforce Plan at Raytheon
Dartmouth Health has hired hundreds of medical assistants through an apprenticeship program
The 40% Return on Investment for Medical Assistants at Dartmouth-
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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