Episode chapters
00:00 - Intro: Bridging HR and finance through data with Courtney Brown
02:40 - What the CFO’s office taught Courtney about strategic data thinking
05:19 - Data integrity, storytelling, and the executive lens
07:58 - Survey design 101: Start with the decision you want to drive
10:39 - Boosting survey response rates by respecting employees’ time
13:18 - Communicating the why behind a survey builds trust and participation
14:18 - Scaling survey systems from UC to Oracle — templates, pulse checks, and trust
17:38 - Can AI design your surveys? Courtney’s perspective on balancing tech and human touch
18:21 - Using data to improve onboarding: checklists, feedback, and first-week productivity
21:14 - How qualitative signals help assess alignment and retention
Show summary
What separates an HR analyst who pulls reports… from one who drives change?
It’s not just about access to data — it’s about purpose, clarity, and a deep understanding of how decisions are made at the executive level.
On this episode of Pulse, we sat down with Courtney Brown, an HR Analyst at Oracle with a rare background: she started her career not in HR, but in the CFO’s office.
That early exposure to finance shaped the way she sees data — not as a collection of metrics, but as a strategic lever that can influence hiring, engagement, onboarding, and more. And today, that perspective is what helps her bridge the gap between HR and the business.
Here’s what we learned.
From Finance to HR: The Analyst Mindset That Drives Strategy
Courtney’s first role was inside a finance team, working directly with a CFO. That environment demanded precision and purpose: every request, every budget line, every report had to answer a core question — what decision will this data drive?
That lesson stuck.
“In the CFO’s office, accuracy and credibility were everything,” Courtney shared. “Even small errors could erode trust at the executive level. I learned that data had to be actionable — it needed to connect to strategy, and ultimately to outcomes.”
For many HR professionals, that connection can be hard to make. People data often lives in multiple systems, HR doesn’t always speak the same language as finance, and metrics can feel reactive rather than strategic. But for analysts like Courtney, the mission is clear: simplify complexity and surface insights that help leaders take action.
And it starts with understanding the audience.
“You have to anticipate the executive lens,” she said. “Think a step ahead of what leaders care about, even before they ask.”
Why Data Storytelling is a Strategic Skill in HR
One of the most consistent themes throughout the episode was the idea of storytelling — not in the marketing sense, but in how analysts make meaning from data.
“Storytelling with data isn’t about spin. It’s about taking complex, messy information and simplifying it in a way that makes the impact clear,” Courtney explained.
That starts with integrity. If the numbers aren’t accurate or the story doesn’t hold up, credibility breaks down — and leadership tunes out.
But when done well, data storytelling becomes a force multiplier. It can align a team, clarify a strategy, or reveal a problem no one else saw coming.
And as Courtney noted, it’s not just about the charts. It’s about why the data matters, who it’s for, and what decision it’s going to drive.
Designing HR Surveys with Intention
When it comes to HR metrics, one of the most commonly used (and misunderstood) sources of data is the employee survey.
Courtney has experience designing survey systems at scale — including for the entire University of California system — and she brought a thoughtful, practitioner-led perspective to how to do it right.
Her first principle? Start with the decision.
“Before you even draft a question, you should ask: what decision am I trying to make once I get this data back?” she said. “If you don’t know that, the survey probably isn’t ready.”
Too many HR teams send surveys that are too long, too vague, or too generic. The result? Low participation, unclear takeaways, and wasted time for everyone.
To fix that, Courtney recommends a few key practices:
- Be specific with your wording
- Mix quantitative and qualitative questions to get both numbers and narrative
- Respect employees’ time (brevity = better data)
- Communicate the why of the survey upfront to build trust
“When employees believe their input will lead to action, they’re far more likely to respond,” she added.
And for those experimenting with AI-generated surveys? Use them as a starting point — not a shortcut.
“AI can help get the juices flowing,” she said. “But you still need the human touch to make questions relevant and meaningful.”
Using Onboarding Data to Improve the Hiring Lifecycle
Courtney currently supports hiring and onboarding at Oracle, and in the second half of the episode, she shared how data is helping improve the new hire experience.
From tracking time-to-productivity to monitoring checklists and feedback loops, she outlined a simple truth: onboarding is often where hiring success or failure is determined.
“If a new hire can’t log in on day one or doesn’t feel supported, that’s a bad experience,” she said. “And it’s not just about morale — it delays productivity and creates a ripple effect.”
To combat this, her team built internal systems that track the onboarding journey — from offer acceptance to first-week access to long-term retention signals. But the real impact comes from surfacing that data to hiring managers.
“Sometimes the data tells us a job description is too broad. Or we see candidates dropping off at a specific stage. That allows us to adjust quickly — and that helps both the manager and the candidate.”
This is where HR analysts become strategic partners: they don’t just report problems, they help solve them in real time.
And again, it comes back to Courtney’s mantra: what decision will this data drive?
Why HR Needs Transparency to Turn Data into Action
As we wrapped the conversation, Courtney offered one final takeaway: transparency is what turns data into action — and trust into accountability.
Whether it’s survey design, onboarding feedback, or hiring metrics, people won’t engage if they feel like their input disappears into a black hole. Data only works when the organization is committed to acting on it.
“Transparency builds trust. And trust builds accountability,” she said. “That’s what turns HR from a support function into a strategic partner.”
Final Thoughts: HR Analysts Are the Bridge
Courtney Brown exemplifies the modern HR analyst: grounded in data, fluent in business, and focused on decisions that move the organization forward.
She’s part detective, part translator, part strategist — using people data not just to report what’s happening, but to help leaders make better decisions.
And in fast-moving organizations — especially those in private equity environments — that role is more important than ever.
If you’re an HR leader looking to connect your team’s work to executive strategy, you don’t just need more dashboards.
You need a Courtney.
Listen to the full episode of Pulse featuring Courtney Brown on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
🔗 Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn: Courtney Brown