What does it take to turn HR data into decisions?

In this episode of Pulse, we sit down with Courtney Brown, HR Analyst, to break down how she uses data to drive action across the employee lifecycle. From recruiting to onboarding and engagement surveys.

Courtney shares how her early career in the CFO’s office shaped her mindset toward data integrity and decision-making, how she helped build a survey system for the entire UC system, and how she now uses onboarding checklists and hiring metrics to help managers improve their processes.

Whether you’re building your first HR dashboard or trying to boost your survey response rates, this episode is packed with tactical insights for HR teams looking to connect people data to business strategy.

Everything we discuss in the episode:

• 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

🔗 Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn.

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