CHRO Role Evolves: Turnover Up 15% as HR Drives Business Growth
The role of the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) has evolved significantly, with turnover rising 15% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching 32% above the six-year average. This shift reflects the increasing importance of HR in driving my business growth and navigating rapid change.
CHROs are now actively reimagining HR delivery to lower costs and increase speed, with 87% focusing on strategic alignment, leadership development, culture design, and workforce readiness. Modern CHROs spend over half their week in cross-functional strategy sessions, moving away from traditional HR operations.
The average annual salary for a CHRO in Germany ranges from approximately €92,500 to €177,000, scaling up to $600,000 to $800,000 or more in global enterprises. This reflects the CHRO's expanded role as a senior executive responsible for the company's people strategy, overseeing workforce planning, culture, compensation, inclusion, learning, and succession.
Without a CHRO, companies face a leadership blind spot, misaligned culture, unmeasured engagement, and lost innovation. Today's CHRO must be part data scientist, part psychologist, and part business operator, speaking the language of both finance and emotion. As such, they are not a cost line but a leadership qualities advantage for companies navigating fast change.
