Paul Brubaker
VP Human Resources - US
KARL STORZ
Episode 300
Strategic HR: Driving ROI and Building Resilience Through Human Connections
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleFebruary 14, 2025 · 17:30
Thesis
“HR must operate as a strategic business unit, demonstrating measurable value and ROI, while also prioritizing the human element and ethical decision-making, particularly during times of crisis and career transition.”
Show notes
Paul Brubaker started his career in finance at an oil and gas company. His path to VP of HR at KARL STORZ — a global medical device company — wasn't planned. But the finance background became a permanent advantage: he has never once forgotten that HR is a cost center with the potential to be a value center, and the difference lies entirely in whether you can demonstrate the ROI.
"I look at it as a business and we are part of the business. We help the business function better — hopefully. We're a cost." That's a more honest framing than most HR leaders will offer, and it's exactly why Paul's approach to building credibility works. He times his budget requests to periods of strong business performance. He quantifies retention programs against the fully-loaded cost of turnover. He builds the financial case before the room asks for it. The result: an HR function that earns its seat at the table by speaking a language everyone understands.
Paul is also a strong advocate for veteran hiring — and one of the more practical voices on it. He doesn't just argue that veterans bring discipline and commitment (they do). He identifies the specific translation problem: military resumes don't map cleanly to civilian job descriptions, and the gap costs companies access to exceptional talent. At KARL STORZ, he's built support infrastructure to close that gap. His broader philosophy of professional networking is similarly grounded: don't collect contacts, build relationships — and be the person who helps others first, because the network you invest in is the one that shows up when you need it.
- HR as a cost center with value center potential — demonstrating ROI rather than assuming your worth is self-evident
- Finance fluency as HR's superpower — using business metrics, turnover economics, and timing to build internal credibility
- Veteran hiring strategy — why the military-to-civilian translation gap costs companies access to exceptional talent
- Authentic professional networking — going beyond collecting contacts to building relationships that generate genuine mutual value
- Balancing metrics and empathy — HR decisions that hold business accountability and human dignity simultaneously
- Supporting employees through crises — how HR responds when personal or community disasters intersect with work
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What you'll take away
- 1Approach HR with a business and finance mindset, focusing on ROI and cost control, and timing requests strategically within the business cycle.
- 2Actively recruit veterans, providing support for resume translation, as they offer valuable training, commitment, and diversity to the workforce.
- 3Cultivate an authentic, deep professional network, going beyond superficial connections, as it is invaluable for career resilience and opportunity, especially during transitions.
- 4Balance business metrics with human empathy in HR decisions, especially during challenging times like layoffs or natural disasters, ensuring fairness and demonstrating care.
- 5View every professional endeavor as a 'self-portrait,' committing to consistent quality and integrity to build a strong personal and professional brand.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Networking isn't about the quantity of LinkedIn connections, but the quality of authentic relationships built through intentional engagement, challenging the modern emphasis on digital network size.
- •HR should critically evaluate itself as a 'cost center,' actively seeking to quantify and articulate its ROI to the business rather than being perceived as purely supportive without clear financial justification.
- •The 'harder decisions' in HR are often the 'soft ones' related to human-centric issues during crises, rather than purely data-driven financial decisions, which challenges a common perception of decision difficulty.
In Paul's words
“I look at it as a business and we are part of the business. We help the business function better, hopefully. We're a cost center.”
This quote encapsulates his core philosophy of treating HR as a strategic, value-driven business unit.
“You almost need to have your hiring managers have a class in how to read the resume. And you really need somebody to be helping the veterans fix their resume so that they read so people can understand.”
He highlights a practical barrier for veteran hiring and suggests a clear solution for companies.
“It's not about how many people do you know on LinkedIn? In fact, I refuse many or most on LinkedIn that are cold, that they just send a note, I want to be part of your network. And there's no value in that for them or for me, really. I'm another number.”
This statement challenges the conventional wisdom of superficial networking and advocates for genuine connection.
“But the harder roles or the harder decisions really are the soft ones.”
He offers a contrarian perspective on decision-making, emphasizing the complexity of human-centric choices over purely financial ones.
“Every job you do is a self-portrait. You leave behind your brand. This is your brand. So you need to deliver.”
This quote provides a memorable metaphor for the importance of consistent quality and integrity in one's work.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Organizations struggle to effectively translate military experience on resumes into corporate skill sets, hindering veteran hiring efforts.
- •HR departments are often perceived as cost centers without clear ROI, making it difficult to justify investments and strategic initiatives to leadership.
- •Professionals face significant challenges navigating career transitions and job loss, especially when lacking a strong, authentic professional network.
- •Companies grapple with making 'soft' human-element decisions during crises (e.g., natural disasters, layoffs) while maintaining fairness, consistency, and organizational values.
- •Measuring the true cost and effectiveness of internal recruiting against external outsourcing options is a challenge for many HR leaders.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Dave Storz shares a little bit about his career journey
How I Went From Finance to HR
Paul: I look at HR as a business and we are part of business
Paul Feuerstein on Human Resources and Talent Management
Carl's Stores has been really passionate about hiring veterans at its stores
Carl's Stores Hiring Veterans
Paul learned about the importance of networking during career transitions
Paul Hewitt on Networking During Career Transition
Paul sees HR as a business unit that needs to deliver value
Paul, HR as a Business Unit
Paul, any advice you'd like to share with our audience? Network, network, network
Paul Hewitt on Networking
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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