Jon Caldwell
Chief People Officer
Valvoline
Episode 374
HR Leadership: Balancing People & Data Drives Real Business Impact
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleDecember 18, 2024 · 17:44
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership requires a constant balance between strong relationships and data-driven decision-making, coupled with strategic agility and consistent execution, to drive business outcomes and foster employee well-being.”
Show notes
After 25 years in HR—including a 14-year run at Fifth Third Bank and now as CPO at Valvoline overseeing a $2 billion revenue operation—Jon Caldwell has a candid self-description: recovering people pleaser. His most important career lesson has been learning to say no, take a stand, and have a backbone—while still knowing which hills aren't worth dying on.
Caldwell's framework for modern HR leadership centers on a duality that most practitioners struggle to hold simultaneously: deep interpersonal relationships and data-driven decision-making. You can't have one without the other and operate at the executive level. The relationships build the trust that gets you in the room; the data gets you heard once you're there. He's equally direct about what happens when HR forgets to do its internal marketing—most HR teams, he notes, are not good at communicating the impact of what they've built, and that gap costs them budget, headcount, and credibility.
On building teams, he's learned what most senior executives eventually learn: at the executive level, the job is to surround yourself with people who are stronger than you in their areas, and then get out of the way. His advice for new HR leaders is deceptively simple: get close to the business. Schedule introductory meetings. Get in the field. Listen before you prescribe.
- The HR leader's duality: why both relationship capital and data fluency are non-negotiable at the executive level
- Strategic agility vs. execution: how to hold vision and operational follow-through at the same time
- Internal marketing for HR: why most HR teams under-communicate their impact—and how to fix it
- The art of influence in the C-suite: when to take a stand, when to let it go, and how consistency builds credibility over time
- Addressing burnout in retail and service environments: specific practices Valvoline uses to keep a distributed workforce engaged and recognized
- Career advice for HR professionals: why proximity to the business is the most important investment you can make
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What you'll take away
- 1Balance strong interpersonal relationships with data-driven insights to effectively speak the language of the business in HR.
- 2Cultivate strategic agility to envision the future, combined with a strong focus on execution to translate vision into tangible results.
- 3As an HR leader, empower and rely on your team, surrounding yourself with individuals stronger than you in their respective areas.
- 4Prioritize and 'market' HR initiatives internally with a crisp strategy, aligning with business objectives and securing executive buy-in for investments.
- 5Build credibility through consistency, facts, and the courage to take a stand, while also discerning which battles are 'not worth dying on' to maintain influence.
What most organizations get wrong
- •"as a, you know, still recovering people pleaser, is just being willing to say no and have a backbone in human resources, taking a stand." (This challenges the notion that HR should always be accommodating and supportive without asserting its own position.)
- •"if it's not that important and it's not illegal, or out of compliance. I also coach my team sometimes that like, there are hills that are, it's not worth dying on, right?" (This counters the idea that every issue requires HR to dig in and fight, suggesting a more strategic approach to influence.)
In Jon's words
“I think it's a role that requires balance between relationships and the connections that you build and the— just the interpersonal capital that you develop and making sure that everything that you do in leading your team and directing your efforts is data-driven, that you're speaking the language of the business...”
This quote succinctly captures the essential duality of modern HR leadership, emphasizing both human connection and analytical rigor.
“The further up you ascend in an organization, the larger your remit is. The less you can do on your own. So it's really key to surround yourself with people who are stronger than you, especially in the area that you've tasked them to lead.”
This highlights the critical importance of delegation and building a high-performing team for senior HR executives.
“HR is generally— we're not very good marketers a lot of times, and a lot of it is kind of internal marketing and promoting of what you've done, the impact that it's had, what you need to do, that compelling vision and story for the future...”
This identifies a common challenge for HR professionals and underscores the necessity of proactive communication to gain organizational buy-in.
“as a, you know, still recovering people pleaser, is just being willing to say no and have a backbone in human resources, taking a stand.”
This offers personal and practical advice on developing assertiveness and influence, which is crucial for HR leaders.
“just get as close to the business as possible. You know, ask, listen, learn, get in the field, schedule introductory meetings with leaders that you support.”
This emphasizes the fundamental importance of business acumen for HR professionals at all career stages.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Balancing the need for strong human relationships with data-driven decision-making in HR.
- •Translating strategic HR vision into actionable business results and tangible execution.
- •Managing the unpredictable pace and wide variety of demands placed on HR executives daily.
- •Securing budget and headcount for human capital investments amidst ongoing cost-cutting pressures.
- •Effectively 'marketing' HR's impact and compelling vision to gain executive team alignment and advocacy.
- •Developing influence and negotiation skills, including the courage to take a stand when necessary, in the C-suite.
- •Addressing employee burnout and fostering work-life balance in fast-paced, retail-centric environments.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
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The Journey of Valvoline's Chief People Officer
Valvoline has transformed from senior director to chief people officer
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John says pace and variety are biggest challenges in HR
John, what's a major challenge you faced in your career as
Cost considerations. Are often a centerpiece to any business strategy
Employee-centric strategy and cost considerations
HR leaders must exert a lot of influence and excel at negotiation
In the Elevator With HR Chair
How are you helping your team address issues like burnout and work-life balance
How Companies are Helping Team Members Achieve Work-Life Balance
John, any parting advice you'd like to share with our community
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Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
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