Buying HR Tech Without Regret: Phil Strazzulla on ROI, RFPs, and Getting It Right
Phil Strazzulla’s Path to Head of People
Phil Strazzulla did not enter HR through a traditional path. He began in venture capital, investing in early-stage software, then earned his MBA at Harvard Business School where he built and scaled an employer branding SaaS platform.
After exiting that business, he led fractional HR and talent work, including helping a company scale from 300 to 3,000 employees in roughly 15 months.
That experience revealed a structural issue: most companies are poor at buying HR software. Today, as founder of SelectSoftware Reviews, Phil operates at the intersection of finance discipline and HR operations to help teams buy the right software for the right reasons at the right price with Free Advisory
Main Themes from the Episode
1. How to Quantify HR Tech ROI
Phil breaks down how to convert operational improvements into financial impact.
Time-to-fill reductions → revenue acceleration
Recruiter productivity gains → headcount leverage
Conversion rate improvements → lower cost per hire
For software spend to be approved HR Leaders must find quantifiable ROI.
2. How to Define the Problem Before the RFP
Most failed purchases start with vague dissatisfaction.
Phil outlines the discipline required to:
Identify the real constraint
Separate aesthetics from measurable friction
Attach metrics to system breakdowns
Defining the problem and quantifying the value are separate competencies — both are required
3. How to Structure a Clean Buying Process
The conversation details a practical procurement model:
Reduce vendors to 3–5 credible options
Document must-haves and tradeoffs
Track pricing and negotiation leverage
Maintain CFO alignment from the start
Buying HR tech is not about demos. It is about process control. Without strict
4. What Is Actually Happening with AI in HR Tech
Phil offers a macro view of the market:
Incumbents embedding AI into existing platforms
Legal and compliance risks emerging in hiring AI
Skepticism that AI-native tools will fully displace core HRIS/ATS systems near-term
A Repeatable Framework for Buying HR Tech the Right Way
Phil brings a rare combination of venture capital discipline, a Harvard MBA, hands-on SaaS operating experience, and real-world hyper growth scaling into one cohesive framework for buying HR technology. He understands how investors evaluate risk, how operators feel implementation pain, and how CFOs measure return. In this episode, he translates that perspective into a repeatable process that spans problem definition, ROI modeling, vendor shortlisting, negotiation, and executive alignment. Whether you are clarifying what to fix, evaluating the market, or trying to ensure you choose the right system at the right price, this conversation gives you the structure to run the process correctly end to end.