• Apr 09, 23
• Alana Causey
• C-Suite CEO COO CHRO, Interview Questions, Job Descriptions, Salary Guides
• 0 comment

The Ultimate CHRO Leadership Guide

How Chief Human Resources Officers Power C-Suite Success

Chief human resources officers are forward-thinking decision-makers who sit at the helm of several vital operations, from recruitment and talent assessments to training, compensation, performance evaluations, and more. As advocates of technology, efficiency, and company culture, CHROs are also key C-suite advisors and leaders who are focused on strategic planning, emerging industry trends, and unlocking better performance from an organization and the team behind it.

That’s true for organizations and teams across several industries, and it makes CHRO recruitment a mission-critical need for leaders focused on filling C-suites with exceptional talent that can ignite next-level growth.

Highlighting the importance and value of recruiting the best candidates for C-suites, this guide on CHRO leaders shares a deep dive into the following topics (simply click on a title or phrase to jump to any section).

CHRO Role

The role of chief human resources officer isn’t a cookie-cutter position that looks exactly the same from business to business. No — instead, CHROs can have different responsibilities, with unique skills and experience needed to fit a given role.

Nevertheless, the CHRO tends to be the key leader of a company’s talent objectives and agenda, devising and overseeing plans while providing guidance, reporting to the CEO, overseeing day-to-day HR operations, and keeping a keen eye on administration, compliance, and other issues.

Along with being a crucial advisor to the CEO, today’s CHRO typically works closely with other executives, including CFOs, CTOs, CAOs, and Chief People Officers (CPOs), to support, refine, and at times transform employee activities in an effort to fuel greater success.

Consequently, modern CHROs are often charged with cultivating and advancing company culture, overseeing DEI initiatives, training and upskilling staff, recruiting and retaining talent, and helping organizations stay on track to achieve their bigger-picture objectives. That’s why finding the right candidate to fill the CHRO role is more crucial than ever before.

CHRO Interviews

CHROs can find themselves on all sides of the interview process — including interviewing for the role of chief human resources officer at a company or overseeing the interviews of executives or other staff at a company. Beyond that, CHROs may participate in other executive interviews while screening talent for skills, company culture fit, and other industry- or organization-specific needs.

No matter what aspect of the interview process CHROs are dealing with, these resources can provide more insight into what it takes to recruit and hire the best talent for and outside of the C-suite.

CHRO Salary

Recruiting, hiring, and retaining world-class talent for the role of chief human resources officer can be challenging for any organization, from fledging startups to multi-million-dollar corporations. Essential to executive recruitment, CHRO salaries and compensation can be an integral piece of the puzzle here, providing an opportunity to attract the best candidates and outshine competitors as a better place for talent to sign on with.

While CHRO salaries can differ remarkably from organization to organization (based on industry, geographic location, and several other factors), typically, the best CHRO compensation provides some combination of a CHRO salary base, bonuses, benefits, and/or more.

Here’s a closer look at average COO salaries, with a deeper dive into how leaders craft competitive and attractive compensation packages to interest and retain the best candidates for their chief operating officer positions.

CHRO Recruiting

Identifying, screening, and recruiting the best talent for the role of chief human resources officer take far more than just a basic knowledge of the HR department, a company’s talent agenda, company culture, and the CHRO role in general.

In fact, executive turnover has been exceptionally high in recent years, with many cornerstone C-suite positions, including the CHRO, seeing tremendous turnover. That has brought new focus to how vital CHRO recruiting can be and how hiring a great CHRO can pave the way to optimal performance.

Insights for CHROs

Today’s top CHROs are empowered with vast knowledge while keeping a vigilant eye on the latest industry trends, emerging compliance issues, new technological innovations, talent objectives, and so much more. To fuel greater success in and outside of the C-suite, here are some of the latest matters, insights, and issues that are important for CHROs to stay abreast of.

CHROs in the C-Suite

Focused on diversity, upskilling talent, improving performance, and more, CHROs can be indispensable in C-suites, offering guidance, strategic insights, and future-minded solutions to help executives and organizations overcome complex challenges.

Often responsible for all things related to people and compliance, CHROs can be a public face of both the C-suite and a company while also serving as essential behind-the-scenes leaders.