When New CEOs Onboard, CHROs Are Often Gone...
August 15, 2019
One of the biggest reasons I wrote my new book (The 9 Faces of HR) was the sheer number of friends and colleagues I have in HR who have lost their positions, at least in part, to organizational change.
A recent report puts a number to how at-risk HR is when C-level leadership changes out. From The 2018 CHRO Trends Report from The Talent Strategy Group:
"There is a strong correlation between CEO and CHRO turnover. Within twelve months of a Chief Executive Officer appointment, 43% of Chief Human Resources Officers at that organization turned over. An additional 9% of CHROs came into the role three months or less prior to a CEO transition. Less than half (48%) of CHROs retained their seat for more than 12 months following a CEO transition."
Those numbers are staggering, but I believe them based on the experiences of my friends inside and outside of the Fortune 500.
When a new boss comes in, it's test time. Your new boss is really evaluating who you are as an HR pro. For best results, you'll need to understand who you are and make sure your new boss understands you have the ability to connect, pivot and change as part of your personal identity.
The 9 Faces of HR is a perfect companion for that prep - a career guide of sorts, but not the boring kind. Change is coming, you may as well dig in and get ready now. Order my book here.
The research is spot on, I agree 100%. However, it is never about our ablity to connect, pivot or change, its about a shared vision and the approach used to ensure the vision comes to pass. For a CHRO to stay for another 12 months or so, is usually a very strategic move, to evaluate if the new CEO is bringing on board something new, different and how competent they are to drive the company to the next level. If this is evident why leave, if its not why stay. In most cases, it is never us who are the problem, its the CEO not just comfortable working with new people they find in the organization, so what do they do, frustrate you until you throw in the towel. You would rather be part of a team that celebrates you than one that tolerates you. To find out more on your thoughts on this topic, am surely ordering my copy.
Posted by: Linda Wanyonyi | August 20, 2019 at 03:30 AM