As someone who has spent years navigating the intersections of HR, technology, and the future of work, while interesting and worth a read, I disagree with the recent HBR article promoting the idea of merging the CHRO and CTO roles. While I absolutely agree that closer collaboration between these functions is critical, consolidating them into a single role is not what organizations need right now.
Why Some Suggest Combining the CHRO–CTO Role
The central premise of the article is that in our rapidly digitizing world, HR and technology are becoming so intertwined that it makes sense to have a single leader overseeing both. The authors argue that this “Chief Talent & Technology Officer” would be ideally positioned to drive digital transformation and ensure the workforce is prepared. On the surface, it sounds like a logical solution. But the reality is that the required skillsets, mindsets, and responsibilities of these roles are vastly different.
Comparing Core Responsibilities: CHRO vs. CTO
Let’s start with the core responsibilities. The CHRO is tasked with understanding the nuanced and ever-evolving needs of the human workforce – from culture and engagement to talent management and leadership development. They need to be deeply attuned to the shifting expectations and anxieties of employees, and adept at navigating the complex web of labor laws, policies, and social dynamics that govern the workplace, all while building trust. The CTO, on the other hand, is primarily focused on the technology infrastructure, data, and digital capabilities that power the organization. They need to be fluent in technical details, have strong vendor management skills, and be able to drive large-scale technology initiatives that push innovation forward.
The Human Lens HR Brings to Technology Decisions
Critically, the CHRO also plays a vital role in safeguarding the interests and wellbeing of employees – ensuring that new technologies and data-driven practices don’t violate privacy, create bias, or otherwise undermine trust. This is an area where HR and IT traditionally diverge, when the rush to digitize often outpaces considerations around ethics and employee impact. Merging these roles may mean the leader will inevitably favor technological progress over human concerns, especially with the C-suite pushing for efficiency gains through the application of AI throughout the organization.
Leadership Mindsets: Why One Role Can’t Do Both
And let’s not forget the vastly different leadership mindsets required. The CTO typically thrives in a fast-paced, agile environment where the priority is moving quickly, iterating, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The CHRO, on the other hand, needs to be a calming, stabilizing force – someone who can navigate complexity, balance competing priorities, and bring people together around a shared vision. Asking one person to seamlessly shift between these two vastly different modes seems to me less impactful than creating more diversity of thought through having 2 separate roles.
Partnership, Not Consolidation, Is the Answer
Now, I absolutely agree that HR and IT need to be in lockstep as organizations become more digitally sophisticated. The CHRO and CTO should be working together to ensure the workforce is equipped to thrive in a technology-driven world. But the path to that isn’t to mash the roles together – it’s to build stronger bridges between the functions, with clearly defined responsibilities and decision-making authority. One example of this is the CHRO of ServiceNow Jacqui Canney who added Chief AI Enablement Officer to her title earlier this year, this signals that HR is stepping up to enable the workforce to be ready for AI, be it through shifting ways of working, building skills and planning for the future of work.
The CHRO should be deeply involved in technology planning and implementation, providing a critical human lens and ensuring ethical considerations are baked in from the start. They should be partnering with the CTO to upskill the HR team, embed digital fluency throughout the organization, and reimagine HR service delivery models. Conversely, the CTO should be tapping the CHRO’s expertise to understand how new technologies will impact the workforce, and proactively addressing change management, training, and communication needs.
The Role of Leadership in Enabling HR–IT Alignment
This type of seamless collaboration is the future – but it requires a fundamental shift in how these functions operate. HR can no longer be the slow, administrative function that simply reacts to tech decisions made by the IT team. And IT can’t view HR as a mere administrative support function to be automated away. Both need to be equal partners, with a shared understanding that the future of work is inextricably linked to the future of technology.
But the responsibility for driving this change doesn’t lie solely with the CHRO and CTO. It’s also on organizational leaders to create the conditions for this partnership to thrive. That means providing the necessary resources, breaking down siloes, and rewarding collaboration. It means recognizing that the “human” aspects of work will only grow in importance as automation and AI advance – and ensuring HR has the capacity and credibility to guide that transition.
Bottom Line: Keep CHRO and CTO Distinct, but Connected
The bottom line is this: In an era of unprecedented technological change, the last thing organizations need is to further muddy the waters by consolidating the CHRO and CTO roles. What we need is a clear delineation of responsibilities, a deep and abiding partnership, and a collective commitment to putting people first. That’s the only way we’ll navigate the profound workforce challenges on the horizon.
Post Views: 182
