Andrew Stringer SPHR

The role of the CHRO has never been more complex or more critical. At the Gartner CHRO Inner Circle in New York this week, my colleague Catie Brand and I had the privilege of spending time with over 75 CHROs. The conversations were candid, and the patterns were hard to miss. Here’s some highlights that surfaced again and again: - AI’s real opportunity is long-term The focus should be on unlocking AI’s long-term potential. Coaching and recruitment stood out as the areas where AI can have the biggest impact, scaling access and insight, but only if it remains human-led and tech-enabled. - Change fatigue is hitting harder than ever LHH research shows 56% of leaders are burned out, and 75% want more support. I heard similar observations from the CHROs at this event: nonstop transformation is draining trust and energy. At LHH we see that the organizations that get change right prioritize investing in their leaders. They give them the development support to build the hard and human skills to manage change with confidence. And they create a coaching culture within the organization that makes it safe to talk honestly, learn quickly, and keep energy through disruption. - Reinvention is the new normal We spoke about how forces like AI, economic shifts, and demographics are reshaping careers, not just jobs. LHH research shows 58% of people in transition moved into completely new occupations in the last year. What we see making a big difference in talent management is companies adopting skills-based hiring, investing in upskilling on the job, and providing mobility or outplacement programs that help people spot transferable skills and step into new careers with confidence. The conversations at Gartner confirmed what our data shows daily: the future of work won’t be solved by one-off fixes. It will be built by CHROs who design systems that are adaptable by design and where talent strategies turn disruption into opportunity. A sincere thank you to the CHROs I met during this session. Your candor and insight were invaluable and a reminder of the depth of expertise driving this profession forward.   #FutureOfWork #CHRO #Leadership #AI

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The CHRO is no longer a support role. It's a co-pilot seat. During a powerful conversation last week at the Human Resources Policy Institute between Hubert Joly (former CEO of Best Buy) and Peter Fasolo, Ph.D. (Former CHRO of Johnson & Johnson), one truth kept rising to the top: The CEO and Board now expect CHROs to lead on the business, not just the people agenda. Not in theory. In practice. Hubert shared how his CHROs shaped strategy, drove cultural transformation, and even sparked his own personal evolution as a leader. From sending him to work a week in-store to shifting his view on perfectionism and vulnerability. Some takeaways that stuck with me: 1. Start every leadership meeting with people and org... not finance. It changes everything. 2. Co-create culture like a gardener tends to soil. Your job is not to micromanage the flower, but to make sure the environment helps it grow. 3. The frontline isn’t an abstraction. If the board doesn’t know what’s happening at the front lines, it’s flying blind. 4. We track ROI on tech. Why not on people? If we say talent is our top asset, we should hold ourselves to the same investment rigor. 5. It’s time to redefine what boardroom-ready CHROs look like. Not just strategic partners but actually growth partners. Would love to hear from other HR leaders: How are you helping your CEO and board see the connection between people investment and business outcomes?

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The question every CHRO should ask before starting payroll transformation, but most don’t: “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨��?” Not for the vendor. Not for Finance. Not for the sake of simplification. For the employee being paid. For the people doing the work behind the scenes. For the organization that runs on trust, data, and clarity.   Transformation isn’t a systems upgrade. It’s a leadership decision with operational consequences. If you can’t answer that question in one sentence, with strategic clarity and structural honesty, then you’re not ready to transform. You’re just rearranging complexity.

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When I first stepped into the world of Human Resources, people would ask, “Why HR?” Like so many others, I answered, “Because I like helping people.” Thirty years later, I still do, but I’ve learned that HR is a constant balancing act between helping people and managing… well, the occasional chaos that comes with them. 😄 One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of empowering managers to handle people issues effectively, and not just sending everything straight to HR. Over the years, I’ve focused on building manager coaching programs and practical reference tools that help leaders think through employee situations with an employment-law-conscious mindset. Does it always work perfectly? Of course not. But in organizations that invest in training and give managers the right tools, I’ve seen a huge improvement in how issues are addressed early and before they escalate or become an HR fire drill. At the end of the day, when HR shifts from being the “cleanup crew” to being a strategic coach, everyone wins — managers grow, employees feel heard, and the business runs smoother. How do you help your managers build confidence in handling employee issues? #HumanResources #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagerTraining #PeopleStrategy #HRReinforced

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If you’re in HR, you know what it’s like to: - Have legitimate business concerns dismissed as “fluffy” nice-to-haves - Sit in a room full of senior executives who think your only job is to plan fun parties and (ironically) act as the fun police - Partner with a stakeholder who constantly goes around you, only to call you in when it’s time for damage control If you’re tired of being perceived as “out of touch” with business needs, you’re not alone. The sad reality is: Most business leaders dismiss their HR counterparts before they’ve even entered the room. Maybe they’ve had bad experiences partnering with HRBPs in the past, maybe they’re convinced you don’t understand their team’s needs (after all: what could an HR professional possibly know about what it takes to run an efficient Sales team?), or maybe they believe the People function is strictly responsible for payroll and benefits (nothing else!), and therefore wish you would kindly take a step back and stop infringing on their territory. Whatever the reason, most HR professionals face an uphill battle when partnering with stakeholders. And difficult though it is to accept, just yelling at people to drop their preconceived notions and take you seriously usually doesn’t work. Which means that HR professionals looking to make an impact need to approach stakeholder buy-in more thoughtfully. My favorite approach? Start by learning everything there is to know about your audience, and then leverage that knowledge to demonstrate exactly the kind of expertise and value you bring to the table. Not sure where to start? Here are 4 questions to bring to your next stakeholder check-in: 1. What are the most significant risks on your team right now, and what are you doing about it? 2. Who are your strongest players, and what are you doing to retain them? 3. What are your top 3 priorities this quarter, and what’s going to make or break your chances of success? 4. And if you’re feeling extra bold: What’s the best and worst relationship you ever had with an HRBP, and what role did you play in its success or failure? Not only do these questions show you mean business, they’ll also get you a whole lot of valuable information you can then lean on to demonstrate your expertise as you help them tackle challenges, achieve goals, and avoid critical risks. Want to learn more about how to effectively partner with leadership stakeholders? Sign up for my webinar, happening tomorrow at 2pm EST / 11am PST. Register here: https://hubs.la/Q03NtkgP0

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We can’t live in our HR bubbles. If you think you don’t have time to read non-HR content? The truth is, you can’t afford not to. A few recent must-reads: 1. Post by Matt Green, CRO of Sales Assembly, with a deep dive into how we should be thinking about Sales hiring (an area most HR pros could improve on): https://lnkd.in/eqHTrYyy 2. Post by Iza Montalvo with 5 frequently ignored laws that can help increase your chances of success (#2 especially hits for HR): https://lnkd.in/e7x4V8bd -------------------------------------------------------    If this got you thinking differently about HR, you’re in the right place. Follow along.

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"The people function is your business function. The more you can see that they're the same, the better off you will be." – Dara Engle, CHRO of ORIX Corporation USA. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dara for an insightful episode of the WhatWorks podcast series. 🎙️ Dara shares her incredible journey from HR assistant roles to becoming a "Career CHRO", highlighting the importance of adaptability, strategic alignment, and the evolving role of HR leaders. We dive deep into how ORIX is leveraging HR to build resilient cultures, creating a global HR governance model in a distributed organization, the impact of technology on workforce dynamics, and effective strategies for managing change in today's fast-paced environment. 🌐 Key takeaways: 🔗 The pivotal role of HR in shaping organizational strategy and driving transformation 🤝 The importance of connecting the people function with the business function 💪 Advice for current and aspiring CHROs on being courageous and understanding all aspects of HR 🌍 The concept of Systemic HR and its impact on creating cohesive and integrated HR practices across the organization Whether you're an HR professional or just curious about the evolving landscape of HR, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical advice. Don't miss out on Dara's inspiring story and her practical advice on the future of HR leadership. 🚀 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/g3pXiXHY #HR #Leadership #GlobalHR #CHRO #HRTransformation #SystemicHR Josh Bersin The Josh Bersin Company Kyle Morrow, SHRM-CP

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I arrived at the Gartner HR Symposium this week with a question that is keeping me up at night: What is my role as Chief People Officer/CHRO to help my company face the AI revolution? Judging by the 7,000 attendees—including hundreds of CHROs—I wasn’t alone. The opening keynote was insightful: HR’s focus must shift from “the workforce” to “the work.” In other words, it’s not just about preparing people, but about reimagining what work needs to be done, and how. AI is changing work in three fundamental ways: 1. Augment: Helping people work better and smarter. 2. Reengineer: Redesigning workflows and even entire functions. 3. Invent: Creating entirely new, AI-driven ways of working. What does this mean for HR? 1. Augment – Be More Directive. Most employees are open to using AI, but don’t know where it adds value. We hand out powerful tools like Copilot, but often forget the playbook. The result? Limited returns. HR must guide AI adoption—tying it directly to business challenges, partnering closely with IT, and making it a priority to work hand-in-hand with the CIO. We need to shift employees from AI users to AI value creators. 2. Reengineer – Anticipate Ripple Effects. Some organizations are redesigning work without HR at the table, leading to empty talent pipelines, skills atrophy, and fractured career paths. The CHRO must be the master of ripple effects—asking not just “Can AI do this?” but “What are the implications if it does in the short and long term?” We must define principles for redesign ahead of time (e.g., keeping humans in the loop at key points), prioritize the biggest ripple effects, and plan the work—not just the workforce. 3. Invent – Sense the Timing. AI will eventually automate more decisions, but the hype is currently outpacing reality. Our role is to reset expectations, sense when AI will truly impact roles, and pave the path to new growth opportunities—through career pivots with upskilling. Gartner predicts that by 2032, 30% of top economies will require certified human quotas. It means we need to think of the importance of people even for these new ways of working including agentic AI that will do tasks autonomously. My key takeaways: • The CHRO and CIO will be instrumental in building the future of work together. Jean-Francois Gamache CIO and Emmanuel Levitte CTO we will get even closer :-) • HR must move from experimentation to intentionality—guiding, prioritizing, and orchestrating change. And for that, HR must elevate its own maturity, its own digital dexterity to be true business partners. We must plan for the work, not just the workforce, to mitigate talent risks and unlock AI’s true value. • HR will need to be the mastermind of ripple effects to ensure we anticipate and mitigate risks and debate them in the C-suite. We need to agree on principles ahead of time. I’m energized by the challenge ahead! #GartnerHRSymposium #FutureOfWork #AI #HRLeadership #CHRO #DigitalTransformation

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The Hidden Threat inside Workday Supervisory Organizations It’s not always the major changes that derail HR operations...sometimes, it’s the silent misalignments we don’t fix. Here’s what I see often: ->Reporting lines that don’t reflect actual management chains ->Security roles like HR Partner applied inconsistently ->Manual workarounds for every org restructure or job change And when Supervisory Organizations aren’t clean, everything suffers...approvals, audits, even employee experience. ->What Actually Works? -> 1:1 Manager to Supervisory Org Model Every manager owns their Sup Org. It simplifies security, approvals, and visibility across the board. -> Leverage Org Studio Preview before you publish. Visualize the impact of re-orgs and eliminate guesswork before changes go live. -> Use Matrix Org, But Use It Right Don’t overload Supervisory Orgs with dotted-line scenarios. Instead, use Workday’s Matrix Organization for cross-functional work—paired with clear policies around: → Who reviews performance → Who drives compensation → What stays confidential -> Position Management Over Job Management Track movement with less friction. When employees switch roles, the sup org shifts automatically...no manual fix needed. -> Add Validation Steps in BPs Stop the process if the new role doesn’t update the right Sup Org or leaves key fields blank. -> Enable Alerts Set up notifications during job changes so admins get a heads-up when hierarchy misalignment is likely. The real fix isn’t more customization. It’s clarity. The cleaner your supervisory structure, the less you’ll rely on workarounds...and the more you’ll enable real agility. Are you still battling legacy org setups? Let me know what’s worked for you. #workdayhcm #supervisoryorganization #orgstructure #workdaytips #matrixorganization #hcmconsulting #workdaybestpractices #hrtransformation #workdaysecurity #jobchanges #orgstudio #learnworkday

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The future of internal TA functions will require RPO as an integral component. The Future of RPO is bright, assuming they embrace a much more powerful business model. This article describes a new approach. https://lnkd.in/gVMkYRYg

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