Comp and Coffee Turning pay into a business driver: A CHRO + CFO conversation
Aug 8, 2025
Lexi Clarke, Chief People Officer at Payscale, and Philip Watson, Chief Financial Officer at Payscale, delve into the synergy between HR and finance. They discuss how compensation can be a powerful business lever rather than a mere budget item. The conversation highlights strategies for effective collaboration, the importance of data-driven decision-making, and the value of healthy friction within teams. Insights on navigating budget discussions and aligning compensation with business goals offer practical takeaways for professionals in both fields.
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Transcript
Episode notes
Different Lenses, Same Goal
- HR and Finance bring different lenses but must drive toward the same overarching goal.
- Healthy tension is valuable when teams trust each other and share the end objective.
Bring Options And Trade-Offs
- Bring data, optionality, and trade-offs when defending compensation decisions.
- Present multiple clear options and the trade-offs for each to prepare for CFO scrutiny.
Anticipate Why And Explain Trade-Offs
- Expect the CFO to probe whether your numbers are defensible and thought-through.
- Explicitly state and quantify trade-offs, including opportunity and multi-year consequences.