HRIS Careers Podcast
Welcome to the HRIS Careers podcast. A podcast specifically for Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) Professionals. We always say, no one gets into HRIS on purpose, but it sure is interesting to find out how they did.
We interview your HRIS peers to find out how they got tricked into the industry, and what lessons and tools they used to progress their careers along the way.
We discuss industry trends, AI, and even talk candidly about all the most popular HRIS platforms.
Welcome to the HRIS Careers Podcast!
Hosted by Troy Wallace, an HRIS practitioner with over 25 years of experience, this podcast is the go-to resource for anyone involved or interested in Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS). Whether you're a current HRIS professional, an aspiring one, or even looking to hire HRIS talent, this podcast offers valuable insights, experiences, and discussions tailored just for you.
What We Cover:
- Career Paths: We interview HRIS professionals to explore how they entered the field and advanced in their careers. Discover the unique and often unexpected paths of your peers in the industry.
- Industry Insight: Gain expert knowledge from HRIS platform vendors about the future direction of their products and the skills currently in the highest demand.
- Candid Conversations: Join us for honest discussions about the real-world experiences and challenges faced by HRIS professionals. From system implementations to career highs and lows, nothing is off-limits.
Why Listen?
- Experience Sharing: It's our therapy session where we nerd out about all things HRIS. It's a safe space to share and learn from each other's experiences.
- Community Building: We aim to foster a supportive community not just for HRIS professionals but also for our close-knit cousins in HR and payroll.
Engage With Us:
- Share your story, challenges, or achievements. Visit https://hriscareers.com/podcast to submit a form or leave a voice memo.
- Reach out to Troy at troy.wallace@hriscareers.com with ideas, or if you're interested in being a guest on the show.
Listen and Follow:
Catch new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, I Heart Radio, YouTube, and wherever you enjoy podcasts. Don't forget to follow us for the latest updates and episode releases!
Upcoming Plans:
If there's enough interest from the community, we'll expand to include an online platform or community for live interactions and discussions.
Join us on HRIS Careers Podcast – where HRIS professionals connect, learn, and grow together.
HRIS Careers Podcast
CFO Whisperer CJ Gustafson On Critical HR Metrics and Getting Your HRIS Project Funded
In this episode, we sits down with CJ Gustafson — former Chief Financial Officer (CFO), creator of the Mostly Metrics newsletter, and host of the Run The Numbers podcast.
CJ shares his path from finance student at Boston College to CFO of a successful SaaS company, culminating in a high-stakes exit. He also dives into how he started building an audience of over 65,000 newsletter subscribers and offers practical insights for HRIS professionals looking to better communicate with and influence CFOs. From favorite HRIS systems like HiBob and BambooHR to key HR metrics like average revenue per employee and hiring velocity, CJ breaks it down with clarity and humor.
The episode blends Boston sports banter, tech insights, and actionable tips on aligning HR data with financial decision-making.
Highlights
🎧 We discuss:
- CJ’s journey from Boston College to CFO to newsletter entrepreneur
- Top HR metrics your CFO is watching 👀
- His favorite HRIS systems (hint: HiBob & BambooHR)
- Why hiring velocity and cost per employee matter 💼
- The wild world of selling a company… and giving your dog 65+ ice creams 🍦
Don’t miss this mix of Boston humor, practical HR finance advice, and career inspiration.
Listen On:
Resources Mentioned
- Mostly Metrics newsletter
- Run The Numbers podcast
- Top HR Metrics CFOs Care About article on Mostly Metrics
- CJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjgustafson/
- Full Show Notes
Chapter Timestamps
00:00 – Intro from Troy in Omaha
01:50 – Guest intro: CJ Gustafson’s background
05:10 – CJ’s journey from Boston College to CFO
08:12 – The Mostly Metrics newsletter and Walter’s ice cream bribes 🍦
10:30 – HR metrics your CFO cares about
14:00 – Hiring velocity, time-to-fill, and sales capacity
19:00 – The “GOAT” metric: Revenue per employee
22:00 – Unlimited PTO: Perk or accounting trick?
24:50 – Favorite HRIS systems (HiBob, BambooHR, Workday)
28:00 – How to build a business case for HR tech
32:00 – How CJ started Mostly Metrics
35:30 – Podcasting with Run The Numbers
37:40 – Selling a SaaS company – behind the scenes
40:40 – Transitioning into finance roles – CJ’s advice
43:00 – Lightning round: Google searches, OnlyFans, Boston sports
48:00 – Bonus: Behind the scenes, kids, pets, and ceiling disasters
If you have HRIS roles to fill you can post your job to HRISCareers.com for free.
If you are an HRIS professional submit your profile and sign up for Job Alerts at HRISCareers.com.
If you want to be on the podcast fill out the form at https://hriscareers.com/podcast