What makes a great Chief People Officer?

Over the last 3 months, I have been privileged enough to provide references or recommend candidates for the critical position of Chief People Officer (CPO) within several diverse organisations. Having worked for many CPOs – 11 at the last count - over the last 20 years, I think it is fair to say that the incumbents were not all cut from the same cloth and it is their diversity of approach that has made career building within their teams so fascinating. I do however believe that there are certain attributes that would set the candidates up for success if they were to be successful in attaining the position. Furthermore, it intuitively makes sense to assume that the People Leaders (Talent, Reward, Systems) sitting around the CPO’s table should also be exhibiting some of the same characteristics. So, what are they?

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Before we get to them, I need to make an admission. Prior to writing this article, I did reflect on whether I had earned the right to a perspective on this subject. After all, I have not been invited to be a Chief People Officer….yet…unlikely, but you just never know. Then I was reminded of the fact that leaders are there to inspire followership in order to create value. I am surely entitled to a view on that basis. Metaphorically, it should go without saying that I want to travel on a bus driven by someone who knows where we are going, how to steer and when to accelerate or brake as dictated by the road conditions.

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As with any role, there are both the technical and softer skills to consider. During my career, I have heard it said many times that CPOs need to have Total Reward experience or must have been an HR Business Partner. I am not sure I wholly agree. That would be like saying that the great Jurgen Klopp (okay, I am biased) would need to have scored as prolifically as Mo Salah as a striker in order to become a world-class football manager. And yet despite being a defender as a player, Klopp’s team sit top of the league with the second most goals scored. More than any other position in the business, the CPO role is about creating the culture and environment that allows the technical and commercial teams to maximise the value of products and sales. CPOs don’t necessarily have to play the game, but need to understand how to put the best players on the pitch with a clear game plan and with the obstacles to delivery removed.

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Incidentally – and in fear of contradicting myself - I do remember one of my old bosses (now a CPO) recounting a story to me. Her friend, a pilot, suggested that the difference between his job and hers was that ‘nobody knocks on the cockpit door at 35,000 feet and suggests that they will take over from here. Whereas everyone thinks they can do your job’. For me, 2 points are worth making here. Firstly, a Chief People Officer does not have to have the technical expertise of a pilot, but they do need to have the clarity of thought to be able to make calls or advise the business on how to overcome challenges and maximise opportunities through its people. Secondly, and as a result of the first point, it goes without saying that not everyone can do the job of a CPO. You have to understand people in the same way a pilot understands air flow.

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So, what are the views of the experts in this space? What is the role of the modern Chief People Officer and what attributes do they need to have?

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The incumbent

Let’s start with someone who actually does the job in question. The LinkedIn profile of the Chief People Officer for Marsh & McLennan insurance company suggests, ‘I lead our HR team and partner with our board, executive committee and senior leaders to proactively address talent needs critical to and common across our businesses: ensuring colleagues experience our culture as inclusive and vibrant, our leaders as inspiring, our workforce as a place to grow and learn, and our value proposition as compelling and guided by trust”. This makes perfect sense to me.

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The researcher

Moving on to the researchers in their role as thought leaders. They emphasise the criticality of context with any role - after all, you don’t succeed or fail in a vacuum. The broader macro context has changed exponentially in the last 3-4 years globally with a pandemic, significant global conflicts and Artificial Intelligence all causing seismic shifts in the world of work. Research by Mercer published in 2022 makes this point, ‘This is a unique moment in time that is ripe for leveraging as companies transform to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world’.?It also went on to highlight five attributes it believes any CPO should exhibit, i.e., Listener, Cultivator, Storyteller, Activator, Transformer.

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The business school

Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge in the UK sees the role of CPO as one that can be developed into. They offer a Chief HR Officer Programme which markets itself thus: ?‘Accelerated adoption of digital technologies and a shift in how employees interact and work are necessitating transformation of the HR function. Companies need to improve employee experience and leverage human capital as a key driver of organisational performance. This requires progressive Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) who can rethink traditional HR models and shape company culture.’ In their view, the role of the CPO is changing. And becoming ever more critical.

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The Executive Search Firm

What do the Executive Search teams look for in the candidates for the top people role? Well, Rachel Farley, a partner at Heidricks & Struggles in London suggests that, ‘The CPO role has a complete, holistic view of the business. The quest for competitive advantage runs through everything the CPO does. For future-focused chief executives, hiring the right CPO is a commercial imperative. Their work impacts all of the people in the organisation, not just the HR function. It’s a business risk if the hire is wrong, and without a good fit in the role, business opportunities will be missed’. The relationship and alignment between CEO and CPO is a point worth emphasising. They must be in lockstep.

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The job board

And finally, what does the biggest job site in the world (Indeed) think? They have 350 Million active users, many of whom will end up working in cultures shaped by the CPO in partnership with the ExCo. Being a Chief People Officer not only requires the ability to oversee your company’s people strategy, but also effectively communicate with your entire team. This means that the ideal candidate for this role has a broad skill set, with them having to be thorough, systematic and diplomatic to achieve their goals.?They go on to say that a CPO will ‘need leadership skills, to be a strong communicator, to have business acumen, be able to interpret data, spot and retain talent and build trust. This means that CPOs are versatile employees who are able to implement people strategies in a way that provides growth outcomes, keeping your employees engaged and on board with your business’.?

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In summary, it appears that the experts are coalescing around 5 key themes. The modern CPO needs to be:

1.????? A leader & partner

2.????? A communicator: listener & storyteller

3.????? A cultivator of inclusive cultures

4.????? A versatile & agile operator: transformer & activator

5.????? A systematic & holistic thinker

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They need to help deliver the following 5 elements for the organisations they represent:

?1.????? An inclusive & high-performing culture

2.????? A set of inspiring leaders

3.????? A compelling value proposition

4.????? An improved employee experience

5.????? Access to the best talent

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I am fortunate to know several ambitious candidates ready to step up into the top people job, and feel energised at the opportunity to work in the teams they will lead to create the cultures that progressive organisations deserve. It cannot come soon enough.

?Footnote: For me, there are other well-known leaders whose role is akin to that of the Chief People Officer, i.e., they create the environments or cultures for others to succeed. However, they don’t climb the mountain, score the goal, play the instrument or live the life of the majority of those impacted by their decisions. Some examples of these leaders are Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Supreme Court Judge), Jurgen Klopp (football manager), Sir Simon Rattle (conductor), Lord John Hunt (expedition leader), Barack Obama (US President) & Angela Merkel (German Chancellor).