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The role of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) is at a crossroads.
Once defined by policy enforcement, compliance, and recruitment, the role is now undergoing one of the most dramatic transformations in the C-suite.
The average CHRO is no longer simply a steward of employee relations, but is increasingly expected to drive strategic growth, lead digital transformation, manage regulatory complexity, and champion human-centered workplace innovation, all without letting go of the traditional core responsibilities that once defined the job.
A recent report by Deloitte titled Reimagining CHRO Roles and Responsibilities for Strategic Growth outlines how the role’s evolution is progressing.
Based on an analysis of CHRO job postings across 20 industries and interviews with senior HR executives, the report outlines how the scope of the role is expanding rapidly, and raising serious questions about sustainability, capability, and leadership for the future.
Rising expectations, fixed responsibilities
Between 2018 and 2024, the number of unique skills expected of CHROs rose by 23% - the largest increase of any executive role. Unlike their peers in finance, strategy, or operations, CHROs are being asked to add new capabilities without shedding old ones. The result is a growing burden that demands intellectual flexibility and an agile mindset.
When we spoke to Philip Waddel, CHRO at Liberty Steel on the role of a CHRO, he said. “Be a purveyor of solutions. Understand where the stakeholder needs to go and why, then provide solutions and not block.”
No longer confined to employment law or benefits administration, the CHRO must now bring to the table a robust understanding of business operations, strategy, and innovation. For many HR leaders, this means becoming fluent in the language of shareholders, transformation, and digital acceleration.
If you’re a profit and loss leader or you’re a CEO, what are you thinking about? You’re thinking about growth, you’re thinking about innovation, you’re thinking about the capabilities needed to deliver on the expectations of the shareholders, and a CHRO needs to think along those same lines.
Peter Fasolo, former CHRO of Johnson & Johnson, said in the report: “If you’re a profit and loss leader or you’re a CEO, what are you thinking about? You’re thinking about growth, you’re thinking about innovation, you’re thinking about the capabilities needed to deliver on the expectations of the shareholders, and a CHRO needs to think along those same lines.”
Playing offense, not defense
The shift is part of a fundamental redefinition of the CHRO’s posture within an organization. The role is no longer reactive. Rather than waiting to implement policy once business decisions are made, the modern CHRO is expected to help shape those decisions from the outset, using human capital as a strategic lever.
CHROs interviewed for the Deloitte report describe this as “playing offense” rather than defense. Being asked to “own an agenda” that translates business imperatives into talent strategies. This can include workforce design, skills forecasting, culture shaping, and the adoption of emerging technologies such as AI.
“Build your relationships with key stakeholders, other managers, and leaders at your organization,” offers Tammy McCormack, CHRO at Nassco Inc. “If there is a volunteer committee, be an active member so that you can meet other people within the company.
“Do not stay in your HR silo, meet with other business groups. Go to lunch, chat, and introduce yourself. If possible, be in the office and not remote. That is how solid relationships are created.”
Analytical muscle and regulatory nous
One of the most significant skill expansions has been in data analysis and regulation. From 2018 to 2024, job postings for CHROs show a 60% increase in demand for policy analysis, research, and development capabilities. General finance and science skills have also seen double-digit increases.
The shift is not academic. As one healthcare CHRO told Deloitte, “HR leaders should be much more data-driven, and able to come to the table with a business case for everything.” Quantitative fluency is now a prerequisite, not a preference.
At Johnson & Johnson, Fasolo relied on an in-house HR data science group that used predictive analytics to anticipate turnover, identify workforce risks, and shape future skills needs. Those insights helped move HR from a compliance-oriented function to a proactive business partner.
Similarly, regulatory knowledge has grown in importance, with labour compliance skills increasing by over 90% in job postings. Where once the CHRO might have been seen as the organisation’s compliance monitor, today they are expected to offer strategic guidance on how regulatory frameworks can be navigated in ways that support business growth.
As one CHRO from a global electronics firm noted, “The old model of compliance policing has shifted… Now, I am more of a businessperson than I am an HR person.”
Context is everything
Importantly, the application of these skills is deeply contextual. The CHRO of a global toy manufacturer highlighted how HR strategy shifts in step with organizational maturity. In startups, the focus may be on innovation and recruiting exceptional talent. In more mature firms, the emphasis often shifts to scalable systems and long-term workforce sustainability.
In another quoted case, the CHRO of a US energy firm explained how their team had to lead a company-wide cultural and operational transformation as the organization shifted from a decentralized model to a technology platform-based structure. The pivot required new skills, new people, and an entirely reimagined approach to internal communications and leadership development.
The key takeaway is that CHROs must not only possess a broad range of capabilities, they must also know when, where, and how to apply them depending on the organization’s strategic lifecycle.
Emotional intelligence, in my opinion, is the most needed and sought-after skill in an HR professional
The enduring power of 'soft skills'
While digital, financial, and regulatory expertise is in high demand, certain human skills remain foundational. Deloitte’s job posting analysis found that employers still value core traits like initiative and leadership (listed in 74% of postings), communication (59%), and critical thinking (55%).
“Emotional intelligence, in my opinion, is the most needed and sought-after skill in an HR professional,” said McCormack.
As unpredictable social, economic, and technological change continues to reshape the business environment, these “enduring human capabilities” serve as ballast. In both Deloitte’s 2025 Human Capital Trends report and its C-suite research, leaders repeatedly emphasized that success will increasingly depend on human-centered leadership that is resilient, adaptable, and deeply connected to organizational purpose.
Courtney Harrison, CHRO at Auvik, told us in a recent podcast that that traditional “people” skills will still be a key requirement.
“They are (and I hate the expression) soft skills. Number one is analytical thinking. So no surprise there. Then…the rest of them are being good at resilience, flexibility and agility… leadership and social influence, creative thinking, motivation, self awareness.
“I would say human centric leadership has always been important. It's becoming more and more important.
“Listening and acting on your employees needs is going to be critical to get through the next five years, prioritizing fairness and transparency and investing in people's growth, has always been a top three of why people stay at a company. It's still going to be top three.”
Listening and acting on your employees needs is going to be critical to get through the next five years, prioritizing fairness and transparency and investing in people's growth, has always been a top three of why people stay at a company. It's still going to be top three
Human sustainability as a business strategy
CHROs are uniquely positioned within executive teams as advocates for people. It means understanding and communicating the downstream effects of business decisions on morale, productivity, and culture. As one financial services CHRO put it, executives must learn to recognise “the cost of emotions” in the workplace.
Deloitte's research shows that companies which prioritise human sustainability, and create value for workers as people, not just as performers, are significantly more likely to achieve both business and human outcomes. CHROs can help make the business case for belonging, well-being, and purpose, acting as a bridge between the workforce and executive leadership.
The CHRO of a global energy company said it best: “The people that work for us want to feel like they’re doing work that has meaning… So, you have to be really cognizant of what your company is, who it stands for, what it stands for, and how that shows up in its culture.”
Building the workforce of tomorrow
With the half-life of skills shrinking (now just five years on average) CHROs are leading the charge to reinvent workforce planning. At GE Aerospace, this has involved partnering with business strategy teams to forecast global talent needs and build training programmes tailored to new market demands.
Generative AI is accelerating the need for agility. Job postings for gen AI skills have quadrupled in the past year, and the pace shows no signs of slowing. Yet a recent Deloitte survey found that 30% of early-career workers don’t feel adequately trained to use such technologies.
This places the CHRO in a dual role: implementing transformative systems while ensuring employees are supported, engaged, and ethically empowered to use them.
A future defined by adaptability
As the business world continues to evolve at speed, a CHRO’s capacity to adapt intellectually, emotionally, and strategically, will define their success. The growing complexity of the role demands not just more skills, but a more dynamic mindset. From AI integration to social trends to regulatory shifts, the CHRO is now expected to be a visionary who can see around corners and mobilize talent in real time.
“For talent to be a multiplier for the organization, the workforce you have today needs to become the workforce you need tomorrow,” said one CHRO.
According to the report the challenge is to expand the CHRO skillset and knowledge, deepen their business alignment, while retaining a people-first ethos.
No small task, but those who can balance all three will not only survive the transformation, but lead it.
