Hanold Associates had a great 2018. The company helped numerous major brands to find qualified HR professionals last year. Early evidence indicates that 2019 will prove to be another successful year for the company. That’s because the National Football League has selected Hanold Associates to recruit its new chief human resources officer (CHRO). The new leader will manage the NFL’s HR functions such as talent acquisition, leadership development, benefits, and organizational design. Moreover, the ideal candidate will possess over 20 years of financial, people, and operations leadership experience with respected, consumer-focused organizations. In a recent interview with Hunt Scanlon Media, Jason Hanold, the CEO and managing partner of Hanold Associates, revealed some important information about the way that he and his team will approach this task. The following points reflect some of the more significant issues that the team will consider throughout the process.
Evolving Roles
One of the main points that Hanold made in the interview was that the nature of HR is changing in many ways. In particular, the relationship between HR and the C-suite has evolved. Today’s CEOs are often more familiar with effective HR practices than their previous counterparts. Thus, it’s important to find a CHRO who has the business skills necessary to coordinate with the CEO. Some CHROs eventually even take over the role of CEO. Recruiting an individual with the right skills to excel in in today’s HR environment is essential. It’s not enough to rely on past benchmarks and criteria. HR is changing, and professionals in the field must be able to change with it.
Defining the Culture
In
order to understand why the role of the CHRO has become increasingly important—particularly
within large organizations such as the NFL—it’s necessary to examine the impact
that this individual has on the overall culture of an organization.
Knowing that every single employee at a company contributes to its success or
failure, CHROs should aim to ensure that their organizations have systems in
place to attract high-quality talent. They must also take steps to optimize
retention. As this blog has pointed out before, the cost of high employee turnover can be substantial.
The CHRO of a major organization plays a key role in determining a company’s overall strategic vision and potential for growth. After all, they’re the ones who set the tempo and tone that define an organization’s culture, as well as the practices and strategies for recruitment and retention. If an organization creates the right culture, it will be able to attract high-caliber employees and retain them for a relatively long period of time. On the other hand, a company that lacks the right culture will struggle. That’s one reason why Hanold states that the only member of an organization with a greater opportunity to impact the entire company is its CEO.
Important Talent
The CHRO of the NFL must be an individual who is capable of planning thoroughly and consistently. Having a plan for improving HR practices is a major part of any CHRO’s responsibilities.
Ideally, a CHRO needs to have the ability to make adjustments and react effectively to unexpected developments. Hanold added that the CHRO of the NFL also needs to have an analytical mind. The individual must be able to refine plans when new information or circumstances make doing so appropriate.
Of course, CHROs must also be able to execute their plans. This goes back to the importance of general business skills. Since the CHROs at major organizations interact and coordinate with other departments more frequently than they may have in the past, they need to have the ability to work with others to put their ideas into action. Hanold added that the incoming CHRO must also be an effective leader who is able to build credibility and gain the respect of NFL team owners and other stakeholders. These are all essential traits that Hanold Associates will look for when recruiting the NFL’s new CHRO.
Of course, practical qualities are also essential when taking on this type of position at a large organization. It’s important for the individual taking on this role to have the appropriate work experience, while also being flexible enough in their methods that past experience does not always dictate their approach.
Demand Is Rising
Fortunately, it appears as though business owners have begun to appreciate the increasingly important role of the CHRO. Hanold stated that this has yielded high demand for qualified HR professionals. He added that there is a strong supply of high-quality HR professionals. This is a trend that is likely to continue, as organizations expand the duties and influence of their CHROs. Specifically, the ideal CHRO gives a company a competitive advantage regardless of the industry. More CEOs are realizing this fact.
That’s not to say it will be easy to find the perfect CHRO for the NFL. Hanold Associates will work diligently to ensure that the individual they find will be the perfect fit for the role. As these points demonstrate, Hanold Associates takes the recruitment process very seriously, ensuring that they thoroughly understand what qualities a candidate should bring to the position. Giving this task the attention it deserves will yield major long-term benefits for organizations such as the NFL.