'HR leaders are now heavily involved in business strategy, culture, and operational decision-making'
A majority of chief people officers in Australia and New Zealand believe that they need to upskill in the wake of their evolving responsibilities in the workplace, according to a new report from Hays.
The report, which surveyed more than 180 HR leaders in ANZ, found that 85% are seeking to upskill, with a particular focus on the following:
"These are not necessarily considered traditional HR skills and point to the more integrated part that Chief People Officers play in overall business and strategy," the report read. "They need to have strategic conversations at a very high level of the business."
The need to upskill in what are not commonly considered as traditional HR skills comes as their roles in the workplace expand.
Eliza Kirkby, Managing Director at Hays Australia & New Zealand, said the CPO role has broadened in terms of "remit and accountabilities."
"HR leaders are now heavily involved in business strategy, culture, and operational decision-making. This shift means they must not only understand people, but also drive transformation at the highest level," Kirkby said in a statement.
According to the report, CPOs consider leading work transformations as one of the biggest additional pressures that they are facing.
"Chief People Officers are clearly busier than ever and it's with large pieces of work at the heart of business: transformation, compliance with legislation, and their role as a senior exec are becoming their core activities, alongside recruitment," the report read.
And as the role of CPOs at work becomes bigger, the report noted that many of them feel the pressure of growing workloads and limited internal support.
"Chief People Officers are clearly busier than ever, with large-scale business transformation, compliance, and leadership responsibilities now at the core of their role," Kirkby said.
She called for greater support from organisations, especially as the report found that 63% of CPOs are looking to move to new opportunities this year (32%) or are considering it (31%).
Among the top factors they consider in making a career move are corporate culture (61%) and meaningful responsibilities (44%). Another 41% said they are also putting a premium on work-life balance.
"With two-thirds considering a career move, organisations must focus on supporting and retaining their senior HR talent," Kirkby said.
