Society for Human Resource Management President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. is reportedly in the running for Secretary of Labor — and he told HR Dive it’s an offer he’d consider.
Taylor said in an email Thursday it would be “an honor” to be considered to lead the U.S. Department of Labor as part of President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration, but he cautioned that Trump has not yet announced a nomination.
“Should the Trump administration extend an offer, it would speak to the magnitude of impact SHRM has on work, workers and workplaces globally,” Taylor said. “I would give it careful consideration, guided by my commitment to advancing the workforce and improving labor conditions for all Americans.”
Taylor is under consideration alongside other well-known names in the employment space, G. Roger King, senior labor and employment counsel for HR Policy Association, told HR Dive.
Other contenders include Patrick Pizzella, former acting secretary of labor and Andrew Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., according to King. Trump nominated Puzder to the role during his first term as president, but the fast-food executive dropped out of the running amid various controversies.
The news was first reported Thursday by Bloomberg Law. A SHRM spokesperson said Taylor was not aware he was being considered for the role prior to Bloomberg Law’s report.
But a Taylor nomination should come as no surprise, King said, as he is “a very prominent person in labor and employment circles.”
Should Taylor be confirmed to the role, King said it’s not clear who would helm the HR professional organization. “His leadership at SHRM has grown the organization and its stature tremendously, and it would be a major challenge, I think, to replace him.”
Taylor regularly speaks at SHRM events and delivers keynote addresses at the organization’s annual conference. During the 2024 edition of SHRM’s annual meeting in Chicago, Taylor warned those in attendance that “a storm is coming for HR” in the form of challenges such as a U.S. education system in which reading and math scores have fallen, the rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace and growing incivility at work.
“SHRM and its 340,000 members believe in the power of collaboration and constructive dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing our labor market today,” Taylor said Thursday. “I look forward to engaging with the Trump administration in any capacity to ensure that our workforce can thrive in an evolving economic landscape.”
Taylor has served as SHRM’s president and CEO since 2017. Earlier this year, he oversaw an organizational shift on the subject of diversity, equity and inclusion as SHRM dropped the “E” for equity from its DEI platform. He also has supported employer efforts to address skill gaps and create more inclusive recruiting practices for job candidates with criminal backgrounds.
During Trump’s first administration, Taylor appeared with the former president at a White House event in which he pledged SHRM’s support for Trump’s job training program. His support for the initiative drew outcry from some of SHRM’s membership, but Taylor has long proclaimed a focus on “policy, not politics.”
Trump’s transition team declined to confirm whether Taylor or any other nominee is under consideration for Labor Secretary. In the past week, the president-elect unveiled picks for other cabinet-level positions including the heads of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.
“President-Elect Trump is making decisions on who will serve in his second Administration. Those decisions will be announced when they are made,” Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Trump’s transition team, said in an email.