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Yael Oelbaum
Yael Oelbaum is the Head of People Data Insights at JetBlue, where she leads the team that turns people data into insights leaders can act on. An industrial and organizational psychologist, she believes the best people decisions start with good evidence and end with a clear story that leaders actually use.
Yael has been with JetBlue since 2017. She joined as a Senior Analyst in Assessment and Selection, moved up to Manager of People Data Insights in 2019, and has led the function since 2022. Before JetBlue, she worked in external consulting on assessment, selection, and leadership development projects for clients across industries, and she taught psychology at Baruch College.
Turning people data into better decisions for leaders
Yael's team sits at the intersection of analytics, research, and psychology. Their work helps JetBlue leaders make informed, people-centered decisions and guides talent strategy on outcomes like retention, mobility, performance, and the overall Crewmember experience.
That includes JetBlue's company-wide Crewmember listening programs, covering engagement, safety, candidate experience, onboarding, and exit, along with research that links what employees say to real business and talent outcomes. For people leaders working on culture, performance, and retention, Yael brings a practical view of what it takes to build a listening and analytics practice that leaders trust and act on.
Yael holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Baruch College and the CUNY Graduate Center, and a BA in Psychology from Barnard College.
Topics Yael speaks on
- Employee listening at scale: designing engagement, onboarding, and exit surveys that give leaders a clear read on the employee experience.
- Connecting people data to business outcomes: linking listening and talent data to retention, performance, and mobility.
- Making insights actionable: translating complex analysis into simple, clear stories that leaders at every level can use.
- Assessment and selection: using evidence-based assessment, including remote assessment, to hire and develop talent.
- Building a people analytics function: growing a team that blends data, research, and psychology in service of people-centered decisions.
Connect with Yael
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