CHRO Global Leadership Board

Pillar 1: Becoming a World-Class CHRO

The first pillar involves defining the global standard for a world-class chief human resources officer (CHRO) or group HR director, with a focus on chief human resources officer competencies and how aspiring heads of HR are developed. Members of the CHRO Global Leadership Board have defined this standard, and current and former CEOs representing large-cap companies from across industries have reviewed it rigorously. The result is a model that can be used by HR leaders around the globe.

To learn more about the chief human resources officer competencies detailed, refer to the model and related resources below.

Model of a World-Class CHRO

Chart showing the activities required to become a world-class chief human resources officer and drive business results

About the model: The Model of a World-Class CHRO establishes a global standard for excellence in chief human resources officers (CHROs). The model is:

  • Aspirational: It defines what its authors see as the high-water mark of CHRO performance today and into the foreseeable future.
  • Applicable: Its relevance crosses industries, geographic regions and business cycles.

The authors envision this “open source” model serving as inspiration for the development of a number of resources in helping incumbent CHROs to improve performance, aspiring CHROs to develop more thoughtfully and rapidly, and CEOs and corporate boards to hold the CHRO to a high standard commensurate with the evolving expectations of this critical role.

Using the model: The Model of a World-Class CHRO is intentionally aspirational and represents the best demonstrated qualities of HR leaders. The CHRO Global Leadership Board recognizes that HR leaders may find it difficult to simultaneously excel at every component of the model. To navigate this challenge, the Board encourages CHROs to sit down and discuss with their CEO how they should prioritize the five core roles at the center of the model, based on the CEO’s priorities and the strategic position and direction of the business. The key point is that leading CHROs never ignore any of these roles, even if they disproportionately prioritize one or two in a given year.

CHRO Self-Diagnostic

The CHRO Self-Diagnostic allows current and aspiring heads of HR to evaluate their mastery of and the importance of activities core to the CHRO role. Upon completion of the survey, participants will immediately receive a personalized feedback report detailing their strengths, development opportunities, and next steps based on responses. Importantly, the recommendations and development guidance come directly from the experiences and expertise of CHRO Global Leadership Board members. 

If you are a current CHRO, this CHRO Diagnostic helps you:

  • Assess your mastery and relative importance of world-class CHRO activities
  • Prioritize HR activities and development opportunities based on your results
  • Align with your CEO on the role of the CHRO and your key development areas

If you are an aspiring CHRO, this CHRO Diagnostic helps you: 

  • Assess your mastery and relatice importance of world-class CHRO activities
  • Pinpoint where you should focus development to prepare for the CHRO role

Take the Diagnostic

White paper

For an in-depth look at the Model of a World-Class CHRO, download the white paper, “Becoming a World-Class CHRO: A Practitioner-Defined, CEO-Validated Model.” This white paper explores the purpose of the Model of a World-Class CHRO and provides detail on each component of the model, including tactical advice for implementing features of the model and guidance from members of the CHRO Global Leadership Board on their experiences of each of the roles.

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Webinar

This complimentary webinar covers the refreshed Model of a World-Class CHRO and how HR leaders can leverage it to become a world-class CHRO. Also, get actionable tips on how to become a best-in-class CHRO straight from the guests- Kevin Cox, CHRO, GE and Carol Surface, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and CHRO, Medtronic.

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