CPOs and CHROs are fastest growing C-Suite roles

The pandemic has transformed companies’ view of the HR department and profession for the better.

This is proven by recent data from professional networking platform LinkedIn, which found that chief human resources officers (CHROs) and chief people officers (CPOs) are two of the fastest growing C-Suite roles in the past year in the UK.

CHRO was ranked number one with a 56% growth in the share of hires, while CPO was ranked third with 45% growth. In the second spot was chief revenue officers (CROs) with 48%.

Talking about the findings, LinkedIn senior director Becky Schnauffer wrote: “This list highlights how business priorities are changing and the C-suite leaders needed most to help companies adapt to and thrive in a new world of work.

“CHROs and CPOs have demonstrated the highly strategic role they play in businesses over the past 19 months, and their impact has been clear.

“It’s positive to see them elevated to the top of this list as companies bolster hiring of these leaders to help their businesses introduce new ways of working, and transform culture and behaviors as they define what the future of work looks like.”“It’s positive to see them elevated to the top of this list as companies bolster hiring of these leaders to help their businesses introduce new ways of working, and transform culture and behaviors as they define what the future of work looks like.”

Comparison with the US

In the US, LinkedIn found that, for the second year in a row, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion (D,E&I) officers saw the fastest growth.

Chief D,E&I officers saw an 111% rise as a share of of all hires, which beats out the 86% growth in 2020. This shows the importance employers are placing on diversity and inclusion at work; it is clear that the business case for having diverse workplaces is finally hitting home with companies.

CPOs also came third in LinkedIn’s US research. There was a 61% increase in hiring this role, as well as more incidents where people holding this position held a seat at the table during discussions about geographic expansion and acquisitions.

Interestingly, coming in ninth on LinkedIn’s US list was the chief talent officer with a 36% hiring growth in the past year. It is abundantly clear that employers are starting to really understand that their people are their biggest asset.

Ultimately, these findings suggest that the pandemic has accelerated the transformation of HR into a strategic department for companies and organizations.

HR is definitely to be a strategic partner for the rest of the business as employers navigate the next disruption to the world of work.