Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)

🎯 Role Definition

The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) is the senior executive responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive human capital strategy that aligns with organizational goals, supports growth and transformation, drives culture and engagement, mitigates people-related risk, and enables the CEO and Board to achieve business outcomes. The CHRO leads all HR functions including talent acquisition, total rewards, learning and leadership development, employee relations, HR operations and HR technology, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), and workforce planning across domestic and international operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Global Head of Talent / Talent VP
Head of Total Rewards, HR Transformation lead

Advancement To:

Chief People & Strategy Officer (CPSO)
Chief Operating Officer (COO) or C-suite executive with broader P&L responsibility
Board-level HR/People Advisor or Non-Executive Director (People Committee)

Lateral Moves:

Head of Organizational Development
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Head of HR Transformation / People Analytics

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, articulate and implement a forward-looking human capital strategy that aligns with corporate vision, growth plans, and financial targets, and report on strategy progress to the CEO and Board.
Lead the design and execution of an enterprise-wide talent acquisition strategy that attracts high-caliber leaders and technical talent, reduces time-to-hire, improves quality-of-hire metrics, and supports scaling and critical skills pipelines.
Build and evolve a total rewards program (compensation, benefits, incentives, equity) that is externally competitive, internally equitable, aligned with performance, and sustainable for the business.
Oversee workforce planning and scenario modeling to anticipate talent needs, optimize headcount, and align resource allocation with business priorities and market cycles.
Architect leadership development, succession planning, and critical role readiness programs to ensure a deep pipeline of capable leaders and continuity in key positions.
Lead organizational design initiatives—redesigning structures, roles and governance—to increase agility, accountability, and operating efficiency across global business units.
Drive culture transformation programs that embed desired values, increase employee engagement and retention, and measure cultural health using regular pulse surveys and analytics.
Own employee relations strategy and set standards for fair, consistent, and legally compliant policy interpretation, investigations, disciplinary action, and remediation across jurisdictions.
Champion diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEI&B) strategy, set measurable goals, deploy targeted programs, and report progress to executive leadership and stakeholders.
Direct global HR operations and HRIS strategy, including selection and deployment of Workday / SAP SuccessFactors / Oracle HCM (or equivalent), integrations, data governance and process automation to improve HR service delivery.
Lead HR due diligence and people integration for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures, including harmonization of policies, benefits, pay scales and cultural integration efforts.
Establish and track HR metrics and people analytics (turnover, retention, engagement, cost-per-hire, diversity metrics, performance distribution) to inform strategic decisions and provide actionable insights to the Executive Committee.
Manage the HR budget, resource allocation, vendor relationships and contracts (benefits brokers, recruitment agencies, learning platforms) to optimize cost and outcomes.
Ensure global employment law compliance and minimize legal risk by partnering with Legal to oversee policies on privacy, workplace safety, labor relations, visas, and regulatory reporting in all operating jurisdictions.
Direct executive compensation strategy and serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and Board Compensation Committee on pay design, equity programs, benchmarking and governance of incentive plans.
Build, mentor and scale a high-performing HR leadership team and competency centers (talent acquisition, rewards, HRBP, L&D, HR operations) that can deliver consistent, high-quality HR services globally.
Lead change management programs for major transformations—organizational redesign, system implementations, restructurings—ensuring communication, training, and uptake across the organization.
Serve as a visible executive sponsor for employee well-being, mental health programs, workplace safety initiatives and flexible work policies to support retention and productivity.
Partner with Finance and the executive team to align people strategies with business financial objectives and to forecast the people-related impact of strategic decisions.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with key external stakeholders including investors, regulators, industry associations and vendors to represent the company’s people strategy and Employer Value Proposition.
Design and implement performance management and continuous feedback programs that enable fair assessment, career development, and rewards tied to strategic outcomes.
Oversee internal communications strategy as it relates to people initiatives, ensuring clarity and transparency across geographic regions and business units.
Lead crisis response and business continuity planning when people-related issues arise (e.g., mass layoffs, reputation events, pandemic responses), ensuring humane execution and legal compliance.
Ensure robust HR policy governance, consistent HR operating model and standardized processes to scale globally while respecting local legal and cultural differences.

Secondary Functions

Provide ad-hoc executive analysis and people-related scenario planning to inform board-level decisions and strategic planning cycles.
Contribute to enterprise data governance for people data and collaborate with analytics teams to expand workforce intelligence capabilities.
Act as executive sponsor for HR technology roadmap and participate in vendor selection, implementation steering committees and post-implementation optimization.
Support cross-functional programs such as CSR, sustainability reporting and employer branding initiatives with people strategy inputs.
Enable HR business partners to translate operational needs into strategic HR solutions and ensure the HR function is responsive to business priorities.
Oversee internal audits and compliance reviews of HR practices and lead remediation plans to close gaps.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strategic HR leadership and enterprise people strategy development
Talent acquisition strategy and candidate sourcing funnel optimization
Total rewards design (compensation strategy, equity, incentives, benefits)
HRIS strategy, implementation and administration (Workday, SAP, Oracle HCM experience preferred)
Workforce planning, headcount forecasting and scenario modeling
Labor law, employment compliance and global HR regulatory knowledge
Mergers & acquisitions HR integration and due diligence capabilities
People analytics — building dashboards, KPIs and translating data into decisions
Organizational design and job leveling frameworks
Performance management systems, succession planning and leadership development
Change management methodologies and program delivery
Vendor management and procurement for HR services
Executive compensation and Board-level reporting experience

Soft Skills

Strategic thinking and business acumen with the ability to translate people decisions into financial impact
Executive presence and experience advising CEOs and Boards
Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills across multiple functions and geographies
Exceptional communication and storytelling skills for diverse audiences
High emotional intelligence, coaching ability and talent development mindset
Resilience, sound judgment and crisis leadership capability
Collaboration and cross-functional partnership orientation
Strong ethical standards, integrity and respect for confidentiality
Cultural sensitivity and ability to lead diverse, global teams
Results orientation with capacity to prioritize and drive complex initiatives to completion

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, Industrial/ Labor Relations, or related field

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MBA, MHR, or related advanced degree) or relevant executive education
Professional certifications such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CIPD or equivalent

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources Management
Business Administration / Management
Organizational Psychology / Development
Industrial & Labor Relations
Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

12–20+ years of progressive HR experience with increasing leadership responsibility; minimum 7–10 years in senior HR leadership roles

Preferred:

15+ years of HR experience including multiple years as an HR executive or CHRO in a similarly complex organization (scale, industry, and global footprint)
Demonstrated track record of leading large-scale HR transformations, M&A integrations, global HR operations, and building high-performing HR teams
Prior experience interacting with Boards and Compensation Committees and handling executive-level compensation and governance matters