The CFO Handshake: People Analytics as a Finance Service

Move beyond platitudes to a durable HR–Finance operating model: a finance-grade value framework, a shared cadence, and decision rights that stop value leakage. Panellists from global enterprises unpack how co-ownership with data leaders changes prioritisation, how productivity and RUHCI are measured for revenue and staff groups, and how scheduling and capacity maths translate to P&L lines. You leave with templates and a cadence you can adopt immediately.

• The CFO handshake operating model: shared artefacts (assumptions register, owner/SLA, monthly value note), meeting rhythm, and decision gates that tie HR levers to P&L lines – across revenue units and staff groups.
• Decision rights and the data layer: where HR, CDO and IT co-own versus advise; how co-ownership changes prioritisation and vendor sequencing to prevent ROI stalls.
• Finance-grade metrics and proxies: productivity and RUHCI for revenue units; cycle-time, service levels and quality for staff groups; ranges, method, and who validates the adoption factor.
• Operator productivity mechanisms: revenue or contribution per labour hour, scheduling and throughput optimisation that inform FTE and incentive decisions.
• Monthly cadence that endures: a one-page CFO note reporting movement, method, adoption telemetry and next bets; kill, pivot or scale based on the signal.

• Design a shared CFO-grade value model linking HR levers to specific P&L lines, with ranges, methods and an assumptions register.
• Define and socialise a RACI that secures co-ownership of the data/tech stack with CDO/IT and sets sequencing rights to unblock ROI.
• Translate time saved into capacity, throughput, FTE-equivalents and budget calls using a clear adoption factor validated with Finance.
• Establish a sustained monthly CFO note and review, replacing low-impact dashboards with operator-style decisions.
• Apply proxy productivity metrics for staff groups and a return on human capital investment view that Finance accepts.

Rupert Bader

Group Director, Workforce Strategy & Planning · Walmart

Capital discipline and AI adoption are reshaping labour spend. CFOs expect finance-grade evidence of productivity, capacity and return on human capital – not dashboards. Sustained investment requires joint ownership of the data layer, P&L-relevant metrics for revenue and staff groups, and an operating rhythm that reports method and adoption.