Savvy CHROs are successfully building bridges to the C-suite—here’s how they can influence executives
CHROs are getting more ambitious—and it seems to be working.
As the HR function moves out of the shadows and onto the corporate main stage, many HR leaders are realizing they need to build bridges to C-suite players at their companies. That leadership buy-in is critical for new HR initiatives, AI transformations, managing expectations, and making sure that strategy is aligned across functions.
Around 51% of CHROs reported higher levels of engagement with the C-suite this year compared to previous years, according to Mercer’s 2024 Voice of the CHRO report released this week. Last year, around 22% of CHROs said they wish they had known how to work effectively with the C-suite. And this year, around 56% say they meet with the C-suite every week, and 65% of CHROs who held meetings at that cadence made “significant changes to their HR operating models,” according to the report.
“The frequency of meetings is a little bit of a proxy and an identifier of how strong the CHRO/CEO relationship is,” says Shari Chernack, a senior principal of transformation at Mercer and a co-author of the report.
Building earlier-career relationships with rising corporate stars is one way for CHROs to start making those inroads. Cross functional projects are also a great way to build connectivity, says Chernack. But CHROs must also be ready and able to make the case for HR’s impact on business performance through data, and use benchmarks that compare their company to other similar organizations, according to the report. Creating a collaborative work culture, and considering coaching for C-suite interactions are also ways to start making connections.
To be sure, not all CHROs are capturing the attention of executives—24% of HR leaders do not meet as often as they need to with the board or the C-suite, according to the report. Around 18% meet once a month, 2% meet every other month, and 4% meet quarterly.
“I think that’s a big warning sign,” says Chernack. “If your CEO is talking to you once a month or less about HR, there are a lot of decisions that are being made in your absence.”
Azure Gilman
azure.gilman@fortune.com
Oct. 16, 2024: This story has been corrected to clarify the year in which surveyed CHROs were surveyed said they wished they had known how to work more effectively with the C-suite.
Around the Table
A round-up of the most important HR headlines.
British employees took home smaller pay increases over the summer, with average earnings rising about 4.9% in the three months leading up to August. WSJ
A senior U.S. official landed in Seattle with hopes of easing Boeing’s crippling worker strike, just after the news broke the company will roll out thousands of layoffs in the coming weeks. NBC News
Duolingo’s CEO says that the company didn’t lose any staffers after enforcing a three day RTO mandate because they told workers and new hires that they would eventually go back to in-person. Business Insider
Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Fortune.
Legends never die. Lilly Ledbetter, an iconic leader of the equal pay movement that drove the implementation of wage discrimination legislation, has died at 86. —Alexandra Olson, AP
RTO rebels. One in five workers ignore their company’s return to office mandates, according to a new report, and they’re getting creative in how to avoid the system. —Jane Thier
Out of work. Millions of working-age Britians claiming incapacity benefits don’t have the ability to apply to jobs or perform work-related activities, according to a new study. —Philip Aldrick, Bloomberg
Quirky. A London bakery owner went viral on TikTok for listing out unconventional qualifications young applicants list on their resumes, including “having a brat summer” and being a “Harry Styles enthusiast.” —Orianna Rosa Royle
