After chief data officer and chief legal officer, chief human resources officer is the fastest-growing role in the C-suite, according to a recent report on the C-suite and executives from LinkedIn.
The list “paints a picture of companies prioritizing AI, data knowledge, and privacy in their leadership ranks, while also balancing that with a strong focus on executive positions focused on people and human capacity,” the three authors, data scientists with LinkedIn’s Economic Graph Research Institute, wrote.
The September analysis, which explored the evolving nature of the C-suite, found that executives are more frequently listing soft skills on their LinkedIn profiles, with the percentage of such skills listed growing 31% between 2018 and 2023. Top soft skills dealt with strategy and visualization (strategic thinking, strategic vision, storytelling) and collaboration and group work (conflict resolution, negotiation, teamwork), among other things.
The researchers also found the path to the C-suite has become less predictable and more varied, with executives having worked in more job functions and more industries. Women were more likely to bring a diverse set of experiences, EGRI found.
Demographically, there are now more women executives — 38.5% in 2023, compared with 34.8% in 2018. Assuming the current growth rate remains, LinkedIn expects the companies analyzed to reach gender parity by 2036. Millennials are the fastest-growing generation in leadership roles, researchers found, with the share of Generation Z rising very slightly and the share of Generation X and baby boomers declining. At the current rate, millennials are set to overtake Gen X as early as next year.
Skills-based hiring has led to a 12.6% increase in the share of execs without bachelor’s degrees — and a 2% decrease in the share with graduate degrees. This tracks with a separate LinkedIn survey cited by the report, which found that 60% of executives believe there are better ways to train and develop workers than a four-year degree, compared with 34% who still believe four-year degrees are the best approach.
LinkedIn attributed the change in C-suite trends to other changes to the workplace, including the increased focus on preparing for AI, the rise of remote and hybrid work and a new generation entering the workforce. “Against this backdrop, it’s no surprise that this new set of challenges has demanded a new approach to leadership,” the authors wrote.
In addition to the CHRO role’s growth, a recent report from leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds found that turnover has declined, signaling that organizations are holding on to their CHROs amid volatile market conditions — and that current CHROs are opting to stay in their roles.
And while representation of women broadly in the C-suite lags, women CHROs are not rare; a 2021 report found that women CHROs both outnumber and outearn their male counterparts.