Karina Young
VP of People
15Five
Episode 35
Empower Your Managers: Data-Driven HR is the New Performance Engine
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleOctober 3, 2025 · 9:12
Thesis
“The strategic role of HR in tech companies is to leverage data-driven insights and empowered managers to continuously improve performance, engagement, and retention, thereby driving better business outcomes.”
Show notes
HR burnout is a problem that rarely gets discussed directly — probably because the people it affects are the same ones expected to address everyone else's burnout. Karina Young, VP of People at 15Five, is unusually candid about it: as HR teams have gotten smaller while organizational complexity has grown, the imbalance has become untenable. Her answer isn't a wellness program. It's data.
Karina uses data to make the case for HR headcount, structure, and investment — not because it's the most comfortable approach, but because it's the one that works in front of executives. HR professionals who show up with a business case backed by outcomes data get different conversations than the ones who show up with anecdotes. She knows this because she's done both, and the gap in response is significant.
The other thread running through this conversation is manager enablement — one of HR's most enduringly difficult challenges. The resistance to manager training programs rarely comes from the top. It comes from the managers themselves, who often perceive "HR training" as fluffy, compliance-flavored, and disconnected from the actual challenges they face. Karina's solution: reframe the program completely, get strong executive sponsorship, and build peer-to-peer learning into the structure so managers get community alongside development. When isolation is part of the problem, the intervention has to address it directly.
What you'll learn:
- Why HR burnout is getting worse — and how to use data to make the case for the right resources
- The data-backed approach to advocating for headcount and HR investment with executives
- Why manager resistance (not leadership resistance) is the real obstacle to manager enablement programs
- How to reframe mandatory HR trainings so managers see them as leadership opportunities, not compliance requirements
- The peer-to-peer learning structure that builds community and drives engagement in manager development
- How to use HR platforms to measure segmented performance, engagement, and retention for critical teams
Built by People is presented by Previ — the free tool that helps HR teams boost internal communication engagement.
What you'll take away
- 1Advocate for HR initiatives with clear, data-backed stories, and solicit feedback from trusted peers to refine your pitch to executives.
- 2Transform mandatory HR trainings into unique leadership opportunities by securing strong executive sponsorship and framing the program messaging effectively.
- 3Leverage peer-to-peer learning within manager development programs to build community and combat feelings of isolation among leaders.
- 4Utilize HR platforms and outcomes dashboards to granularly measure impact, focusing on segmented performance, engagement, and retention data for critical teams.
- 5Embrace continuous personal and professional development by committing to one small, different action each day, rather than waiting for large, infrequent changes.
What most organizations get wrong
- •HR burnout is not solely a function of team size but is significantly impacted by imbalanced priorities and the inherent isolation of the role.
- •The primary resistance to manager enablement programs often comes from the managers themselves, especially if they perceive them as 'fluffy HR training', rather than from senior leadership.
In Karina's words
“I love coming into tech companies and helping them build the people foundation from the ground up.”
This highlights her passion and expertise in foundational HR build-out within rapidly scaling tech environments.
“HR burnout is unfortunately, I think, more and more common given, you know, shrinking team sizes and people functions paired with increasingly complex workplaces.”
She identifies a critical and growing challenge for HR professionals, linking it to broader workplace dynamics.
“One of the things I learned from that experience in particular was really being able to advocate for the right balance with data.”
This emphasizes the crucial role of data-driven advocacy in securing resources and strategic alignment for HR.
“We had our executives play a really big role in the rollout of this program, meaning They shared the invitation, they shared the messaging, and instead of this being another HR training you have to complete, this was a unique opportunity for you as a leader.”
This quote perfectly illustrates a successful strategy for overcoming resistance and boosting engagement in manager development.
“The peer-to-peer learning and connection was so cool to see... It made them feel less isolated and alone, and really created this cool community that we did not plan or intend for, but was a big driver of engagement.”
She highlights an unexpected but highly impactful element of their manager enablement, underscoring the power of community.
“My biggest parting advice for the community is just try one thing differently every day for yourself, whoever you are, whatever role you're in, whatever you're trying to do. If you're working at a job right now, you're looking for a job, just remember that one small shift every day makes you a little bit better versus waiting to make that big, big change that is much harder to tackle. Just take it one slice at a time.”
This offers practical, actionable advice for continuous personal and professional growth through incremental improvements.
The problems this episode addresses
- •HR teams experience burnout due to shrinking sizes, increasing workplace complexity, imbalanced priorities, and the isolating nature of their role.
- •Difficulty in advocating for HR headcount and resources to C-suite without a clear, concise, and data-backed story, especially when priorities are misaligned.
- •New or less experienced managers, particularly from non-tech or operational backgrounds, resist 'fluffy HR training' and struggle with foundational leadership skills in rapidly scaling environments.
- •Challenges in accurately measuring the tangible business impact of HR initiatives (e.g., performance, engagement, retention) across specific employee segments to demonstrate ROI.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
You've been a longtime HR strategic leader specializing in scaling tech organizations
How to Get Out of Your Career Path
Corinna says HR burnout is becoming more common due to shrinking teams
WSJD Live: HR Burnout
Karina Lozano developed manager enablement program at an organization
Employee Experience: Manager Enablement
How do you measure the impact of your HR initiatives at 15Five
Former 15Five HR Lead Karina on the Impact of HR Initi
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
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