Chief human resource officer roles are changing dramatically in today’s business landscape, particularly with respect to pain points around succession planning, leadership pipelines and talent strategy, according to a Nov. 24 report from DSG Global.
For instance, 79% of HR decision makers said the CHRO role is expanding or increasing in importance, yet 61% said their corporate boards have too much power in driving talent strategy.
“Talent and culture are what sets a company apart and provides a real competitive advantage,” Aileen Alexander, CEO of DSG Global, said in a statement.
“As few other roles have such a unique and multi-disciplinary perspective, it’s imperative that today’s CHROs have a seat at the table as well as in the board room in order to help drive their organization’s business goals,” Alexander said. “This is a key moment for the CHRO, and luckily, they are up for the task.”
CHROs can play a more critical role than CEOs in succession planning, particularly when shaping criteria and objectively evaluating candidates, according to research from the HR Policy Association. Stronger CHRO involvement correlated with stronger outcomes, the report found.
In DSG’s survey of 300 HR decision makers, 66% cited succession planning as the top pain point across their organization, with a quarter saying they’re “very concerned” about it.
More than half of respondents also pointed to concerns and priorities for 2026 related to building a leadership pipeline; incorporating diversity and inclusion into company culture; and navigating the expanded role of boards in talent strategy.
HR decision makers said their own top challenges were talent strategy, including acquisition and retention, and benefits strategy, such as health insurance and retirement benefits. Beyond that, respondents pointed to the impact of artificial intelligence tools on workflows.
Additionally, many respondents said frequent C-suite turnover prompted uncertainty across their organization. At larger companies with more than 1,000 employees, HR decision makers were more likely to cite senior leadership turnover and CEO transitions as major challenges.
Within the next three years, nearly 60% of executives say they intend to change their role, with some planning to leave their company entirely, according to a separate report from LHH. This could have significant implications for succession planning, leadership pipelines and retention in coming years, the report found.
The success of succession plans relies on good communication, and HR leaders can play a role in ensuring this happens, according to a report by McLean & Co. Without succession conversations, candidates may feel ill-prepared for their target roles, McLean’s HR experts said.