Reasons Why Every Company Must Invest in a CHRO

An organization equipped with an empowered and resilient HR department is one that will be able to handle crisis situations, better than most. Senior writer at CIO, Sharon Florentine, enunciates upon the growing significance of the HR unit and notes how most organizations fail to conceive the benefits that an effective HR department brings along, for the enterprise, as a whole. She demonstrates the profound importance of the emerging role of a chief HR officer or CHRO and the advantages that such a designated leadership at HR can bring forth, with relation to the company’s success, in the long run.

To begin with, Sharon points out that a chief HR officer provides the company with a sense of reliance in regard to the wellbeing as well as efficiency of its employees. On the other hand, a CHRO is also meant to voice the apprehensions, demands, and difficulties on the part of the employees, thereby facilitating a channel of communication. This clear communication invokes far greater clarity in terms of the enterprise’s objectives and ensures that the HR department ensures inclusivity throughout and remains true to recruiting and allocating people best-suited for specific, designated tasks.

Moving on, Florentine addresses the crucial question as to what criteria should serve as the determining factor, when it comes to hiring a chief HR officer. She mentions that while prior experience is an absolute must, a CHRO must also possess a broad outlook, and therefore, it is wise to choose someone who will truly be able to bring on board the adequate amount of diversity that the role requires. She points out that the objective should not be to hire one who knows it all but rather one who will be able to lead the department in connecting the dots in the different sectors and in establishing credible channels of interaction and coordination, thereby, furthering the success of the enterprise, as a whole. As for the question of who a chief HR officer should report to, Sharon provides the viewpoints of several leaders, all of whom suggest that direct interaction with the CEO is an absolute must for the chief HR officer. This will ensure that the vision and the plan of the HR, are communicated to the top tier governing the company and that they are duly aligned with the organization’s manifesto as well. Sharon concludes the article by flagging up the crucial function that the role of a CHRO is supposed to fulfill as she mentions that appointing a chief HR officer is as good as an investment to indicate the credibility of the work culture and the vision that an enterprise stands for, as a whole.