The very essence of the Chief Human Resource Officer is changing, according to a Deloitte Review report entitled
Disrupting the CHRO: Following in the CFO’s Footsteps. The analysis, which contends that “…what needs to be recalibrated by the CHRO is the role itself,” states that CHROs of the future will need to specialize in four key target areas:
- Recalibrating the CHRO role
- Embracing open talent models
- Going long on analytics
- Curating the talent experience
Business leaders featured in the report emphasize that CHROs will need to take a more aggressive role in aligning the human resource function with overall business strategy.
“There are no longer ‘best practices’ in human resources,” said Lauren Doliva, managing partner of Heidrick & Struggles’ Global HR Officer practice. “Instead the CHRO must be an executive who, like top CEOs, can envision and shape the talent strategy and architecture to align with transformational business objectives.”
Doliva notes that the current job market makes talent scarce, making the CHRO ever more aligned to a company’s bottom line profits and long-term success.
In addition to this strategic mindset, a
Harvard Business Review (HBR) report argues contends that the CHRO will soon be expected to have functional knowledge in spaces outside human resources, such as operations, marketing and corporate law.
“If companies continue to award top HR jobs to non-HR executives, the CHROs of the future will be more likely to have an understanding of commercial models, as well as experience with change management and finding pragmatic solutions to complex issues,” reported its authors.
Finally, the CHRO of the future will be expected to possess a number of valuable skills, including:
- Examining industry trends to maintain competitive advantage
- Keeping apprised of new HR models, such as flexible work arrangements
- Using data and analytics strategically
- Overseeing employee engagement
This article was adapted from The transformation of the CHRO which was originally published in the April 2014 HRD Magazine. To read more click here.
