Dive Brief:
- Becoming a board member may be a smart career move for a chief human resource officer (CHRO), according to Human Resource Executive.
- HRE outlines some of the reasons why it makes sense for a CHRO to serve on boards. But a big reason: they can offer valuable advice on a wide range of HR-related issues, from recruiting to succession planning, change management to workforce planning.
- On the flip side, an HR leader serving on a board can also learn a lot about working with boards and chief executive officers, so it can often be a win-win scenario.
Dive Insight:
The article refers to recent research that found CHROs looking to join a board can't get there solely on their HR skills and experience. Organizations mostly seek a professional who can bring both HR smarts and a sharp business sense to the boardroom table.
For example, if the CHRO worked in areas such as sales/marketing or with "profit-and-loss experience," that could be one reason why they would be considered for a board position.
As far as actual moves, the article says an HR leader will need to build business expertise (financial would be the best choice), and should seek working with or at least becoming familiar with their own board. For some, mainly younger CHROs, it might even mean working outside of HR as a way to build business experience. And finally, it suggests that CHROs do some good old-fashioned networking with people who could be great connections for potential board positions.
