Chief Human Resources Officer Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

The chief human resources officer (CHRO) is responsible for the development and execution of the human resource approach that supports the organizational business plan and strategy. You will be responsible for overseeing the human resources department and all of its functions including recruitment, orientation, training, benefits management, succession planning, compensation, compliance with state and federal labor laws, staff terminations, conflict resolution, incident documentation, etc. You will assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures for accomplishing human resources goals and objectives. You will provide strategic leadership and will communicate all HR needs and updates to the executive. 

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Clearly communicate HR efforts and goals to the company workforce
• Oversee the digitization of company infrastructure and employee practices 
• Create and evaluate new training and development programs to ensure future-proofing of the workforce
• Formulate career development plans
• Develop and implement comprehensive compensation and benefits plans that are competitive and cost-effective
• Provide overall leadership and guidance to the HR function by overseeing talent acquisition, career development, succession planning, retention, training, leadership development, compensation, and benefits globally
• Develop HR plans and strategies to support the achievement of the overall business
• Work with the company’s executive management team to establish a sound plan of management succession that corresponds to the strategy and objectives of the company
• Assist with the organization of team-building and staff development activities
• Brainstorm and implement incentives that increase staff morale and productivity
• Contribute to a healthy corporate culture that supports growth and equal opportunity  

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, strategic management, or related field
• Master’s degree a plus
• 7+ years of related experience

Required skills and qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations
• Knowledge of and experience with human resource information systems
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in strategic planning
• Extensive knowledge of HR software such as HRIS or ATS
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite or related software
• Previous experience as VP of Human Resources or similar role
• Excellent leadership abilities

Role and responsibilities

The company is growing, and the Chief Human Resources Officer, reporting to the CEO, is critical to enabling this growth. This person will be responsible for all elements of the people function including business partnership, recruiting, learning and development, talent management, total rewards, HR systems and operations, and compliance globally. This person will be a partner to the CEO and the leadership team in developing the company’s strategy and overseeing the company’s operations in a fast growing technology company.

As both a critical strategic and foundational, operational role, the CHRO will be in a unique position to develop business and people strategies to advance the company’s mission, principles and growth, helping to create the company’s culture, and own the full lifecycle of their people.

This position is a great opportunity to develop a world class people organization in a rising technology company, influence all aspects of our workforce, promote diversity and inclusion efforts, and build out a team of equally passionate human resources and talented professionals.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Think strategically and outside of the box to create programs that help the company gain a competitive advantage while also fostering the professional development of their people
• Participate in strategic planning by partnering with the leadership team to ensure HR initiatives are aligned with business objectives
• Advising, as a true confidante to the CEO and executive peers, on topics such as organizational design, critical hiring, workforce planning, employee engagement, performance coaching, talent assessment, change management, org communications, etc.
• Help the company mobilize their values to build a positive company culture that will allow employees to thrive and the business to scale
• Oversee the further development of our DEI initiatives, ensuring that the company is educated, engaged and actively building a culture of inclusion & belonging
• Create and launch or evolve several key people programs, including TA strategy, the development of the company’s people managers, and a recruiting strategy with a world-class candidate experience
• Improve processes and systems to ensure every aspect of the employee lifecycle is optimized
• Develop an employee communications strategy, forum and cadence to ensure alignment with the vision, mission and evolving culture to ensure employees feel a strong sense of connection

Professional qualifications

• Experience in a combination of HRBP, People Operations, Compensation, Employee Benefits and Recruiting, with experience managing teams
• Possess functional expertise across all general areas of HR, including organizational design, planning, diversity and inclusion, employee experience, talent and performance management, compensation, and employee relations
• Proven track record of success in implementing programs that attract and retain a high performing, diverse and global workforce
• High level of business acumen and proven effectiveness as an advisor working directly with executives to provide alignment of human capital initiatives with organizational strategy
• Experienced in data analytics and comfortable using results from that data to influence important decisions
• Well-versed on federal and state employment laws and HR compliance in order to ensure the business is set up for success. Experience with working with remote employees across multiple states, preferred

Personal characteristics

• Embody and uphold the company’s values and ensure that they influence all key decisions and initiatives
• No-ego leader that believes in the “owner-operator” model; will do day-to-day tactics to pitch in
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to develop a high degree of personal credibility at all levels of the organization
• Believes ideas come from everywhere and brings out the best in others

This is an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the growth of a rapidly developing company by transforming the HR function from a corporate divisional structure to a value-adding strategic partner in a stand-alone firm. The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) will report directly to the CEO. This person will lead the human resources team and be responsible for driving culture and alignment, developing and executing talent strategy, integrating acquisitions, and improving global processes and results.

The ideal candidate will be well versed in all aspects of HR required to support a stand-alone global company, combine a strategic mindset with the ability to be hands-on and process oriented, and be a versatile thought leader that can add value to the C-suite beyond the boundaries of functional HR.

Core functions:

• Overall leadership responsibility for the global human resources function
• Strategically partners with the other members of the senior leadership team to create a “first-team first” culture, driving alignment, clarity, and accountability
• Develops and implements the HR strategic plan, performance plan, and operating plan consistent with company goals and objectives
• Responsible for ensuring ABC Company has the human capital to continue to safely, efficiently, and profitably grow. This includes working across the global locations and roles to continuously improve the Company’s recruiting, onboarding, development, performance measurement and compensation capabilities (pay for performance)
• Provide the HR technical expertise required to successfully assess and integrate acquisitions
• Create a culture that embraces career growth and development at all levels
• Leads effort and provides advice and support for the development, implementation, oversight, and evaluation of HR information systems
• Develops and oversees Executive Compensation Plan under the oversight of the Board’s Executive Compensation Committee
• Be a connector and culture-driver across the company
• Be transparent with information to enable all stakeholders to be accountable to each other

Key requirements:

The successful candidate will be an experienced, global human resources executive with a minimum of 15 years of experience. S/he will have prior experience serving as a corporate or division-level CHRO and have had oversight of a similarly sized, high growth organization.

Other key requirements include:

• A commitment to the Company’s culture, mission, and values
• Demonstrated competence as a strong human capital strategist with both a broad and deep repertoire of human resources knowledge and skills
• Proven experience building, mentoring, motivating, and leading high performing teams and attracting and retaining top talent
• Successful track record of driving culture and performance across multiple locations
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills which allows her/him to communicate sensibly to private equity sponsors, senior leaders, and staff
• Demonstrated ability to think “out-of-the-box” in improving corporate performance by influencing colleagues and management to improve processes for the business

Education:

An undergraduate degree is required; an advanced degree (MBA) and/or human resources certification (SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP) is preferred

ABC Company is currently seeking a CHRO. The CHRO is a responsible thought leader capable of setting the overall strategy and direction of people programs, culture, structure, policies, and employee engagement. Reporting to the CEO, the CHRO will develop and execute the HR strategy for the organization and partner with the Senior Management Team to execute on the vision. Our employees are our biggest asset, and this person will be responsible for defining the people strategy for our team nationally.

Duties

• Guide the HR team in supporting Performance Management, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Engagement, Benefits, Rewards, Policy, and Compliance
• Develop and implement a human resources plan that aligns with the overall mission and strategy of the organization, resulting in innovative, best practices and policies that will service the full range of ABC Company’s HR needs and help build a high-performing culture of success, accountability, transparency, and collaboration
• Understand the needs of the organization and participate fully in all strategic deliberations. Provide insightful, innovative thinking and problem solving on critical HR issues
• Optimize the HR function/team, modernize and refine key processes and activities aligned toward achieving strategic objectives
• Provide HR guidance on special projects, HR analytics & reporting, talent reviews, training, change management, organizational design, diversity, and inclusion
• Oversee compensation practices and philosophy to ensure salary benchmarking and surveys are handled on a regular basis
• Oversee the core functional HRIS/People Technology processes, working in concert with IT. This includes business processes, organizational change, integrations, data reporting, and upgrades

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Able to build and maintain relationships at all levels within the organization, acting as a coach and mentor to team members
• A hands-on leader, serving as a subject matter expert who is comfortable updating leadership on key advancements with relevance to our work
• General business and financial acumen with the ability to develop and utilize HR data and metrics as they relate to and impact business topics in Finance, Legal, IT, payroll, and administration
• Executive presence and the ability to effectively communicate across varying audiences
• Passion for building outstanding teams and creating an environment where individuals can do their best work

Education, work experience and certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business management, psychology, technology or another relevant subject area, or equivalent years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified
• Advanced degree preferred, currently holds or willing to pursue certifications (PHR/SPHR)
• 10 or more years of experience in a progressive senior-level HC role developing people strategies and implementing solutions. (CPA or Compliance firm experience preferred)
• Experience with Workday highly preferred.