CHRO Resumes: How to go Beyond “Human Resources”

If you could pick the top 2 business functions and C-Suite roles that the global COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on, what would they be?

Likely, the first would be information technology and the CTO. Countless employees were moved to remote work in the blink of an eye, many without previous digital infrastructure. Digital transformation was one of the only ways for an organization to survive the uncertain early days of the pandemic.

As time went on and the Great Resignation got underway, things like employee wages, working conditions, productivity, and satisfaction came to the forefront, making human resources (HR) and the CHRO the second top-most business function and executive role to be highlighted by the pandemic.

Historically, HR has provided policy help, fulfilling relatively transactional activities. Business leaders would call upon someone in the HR department to backfill a position, discipline or terminate an employee, process a promotion or transfer, and write or redesign a job description. In many cases, HR also functioned as a social committee and planned Christmas parties or staff birthday parties.

HR developed a bit of a negative reputation because of the tendency to step in and enforce the rules, causing a surge in attempted rebranding. Some organizations rebranded their HR departments to Talent Relations, Human Capital Management, People Operations, or Culture and Talent Department. Regardless of how it is labeled, the CHRO role is becoming more and more prominent in corporate-wide strategy, a reality which has been accelerated significantly by the pandemic.

Qualities to Highlight in Your CHRO Resume

When crafting your CHRO resume, focus on portraying the following:

CHRO = Business Partner. CHROs are not only partners to business leaders but also full-blown business partners. Use your CHRO resume to tell the story of how you strategically enabled your organization to ensure the people were available to get the work done and partnered with other c-level executives to help plan for their labor and workload requirements.
CHRO = Data-Driven. Managing through change with a focus on the future of work is the foundation of HR strategy. Use your CHRO resume to demonstrate your deep understanding of financial management, data, analytics, and digital business and how you have applied that knowledge to enhance your organization’s success.
CHRO = Trusted Advisor. Within the context of the Great Resignation, business success relies heavily on exceptional talent acquisition and retention, from the top of the organization to the bottom. Provide examples in your CHRO resume of how you developed trust throughout the organization, ensuring all employees felt included and accepted.

To find out how we can help you design your CHRO resume to portray an executive with organization-wide strategic influence, book a complimentary and confidential call with us here.

Mary Elizabeth Bradford is the Founder and Executive Director of CEOresumewriter.com and Maryelizabethbradford.com and a past executive recruiter. A thought leader in the career services industry for over 20 years, she holds 5 distinct advanced certifications for senior-level resume writing, online branding and executive-level job search coaching (CERM, CMRW, CARW, MCD, NCOPE). She has been seen and heard in major media including Forbes, Time, WSJ, Newsweek and NBC affiliate stations. She holds 2 CDI TORI awards and is a top tier judge for the elite CDI TORI awards for four consecutive years. Mary Elizabeth Bradford’s elite team of award-winning, certified, top executive resume writers, former top executive recruiters, and global HR executives help many of the world’s premier C-suite, board members and thought leaders secure the transitions and compensation packages they want. She works with clients all over the globe.