What CHROs Are Talking About Most in 2022

It was a busy first half of 2022 for Evanta’s CHRO community! People leaders from across North America came together, both in-person and virtually, to network and learn from each other and their trusted vendor partners. In total, this group met 39 times across 7 Executive Summits, 14 Virtual Boardrooms and Town Halls, and 5 Inner Circle Dinners. Each gathering shared a common goal – make lasting connections and discover new strategies for overcoming today’s most pressing business challenges. 

Here is a look back at some of the highest-rated sessions at CHRO Executive Summits in 2022: 

Staying Competitive Through Inflation

In this session at the Boston CHRO summit, Dr. Roberto Rigobon, Professor of Applied Economics at MIT, discussed the “War for Talent” and how inflation in the U.S. economy is shifting the hiring process to favor job seekers. Dr. Rigobon sought to answer the following questions: How can businesses compete with new and exciting offerings to attract and retain top talent, and how long will this environment last?

Here’s what a few attendees had to say:

Absolutely fantastic. I could’ve listened to him all day.”

Best presentation so far. Quantitative answer to the question we’ve all been asking.” 

That was excellent. Informative, practical and sobering.”

The Role of HR in Times of Crisis and Change

DeRetta Rhodes, EVP & Chief Culture Officer with the Atlanta Braves, led this breakout session at the Atlanta CHRO Summit. The discussion focused on three key themes: the impacts of disruption on talent, HR strategy and the business at large; how to navigate immediate crises, including keeping employees safe and making public statements; and ways HR can set the organization up for resilience to navigate global shocks.

Here’s what the executives in attendance had to say: 

Thank you for bringing grace and space for people to be recognized for the work they’ve done the last few years. Well done.”

I loved the focus on the CHRO community and the recognition of the roles we play.”

Marvelous dialogue. [We] need more of these discussions for CHROs. Real and authentic and, more importantly, SAFE with peers.”

A Deeper Human Truth

This keynote, led by Paul Rubenstein, Chief People Officer at Visier, put data at the forefront. Specifically, it highlighted using people data to unlock individual and team performance by elevating the bond between employees and managers. 

The audience found it especially compelling, saying:

Got me thinking about how to humanize people data.”

Outstanding. Great information and pragmatic.”

Very powerful presentation on business analytics.”

Key Priorities for CHROs in 2022

Across all gatherings, themes of inclusion, employee experience and workforce planning were prominent. This is not surprising, as these were three of the highest-ranking topics in Evanta’s annual Leadership Perspective Survey. 

In addition to these business-focused priorities, HR executives also dug into the ideas of organizational culture and belonging – topics best approached through shared experiences and best practices. As such, attendees found immense value in the networking opportunities onsite. 

One CHRO shared, “Great meeting new people and hearing about the things that keep them up at night. It’s reassuring that I'm not alone with what we're working through as an organization.”

These topics also comprised Evanta’s most popular content among CHROs. 

• Top 10 Trends for CHROs in 2022. Supporting a workforce has gone from the general rhythm of business to a mission-critical priority for CHROs. Here, we sought to find out where CHROs are focusing their attention and budget in 2022 and found 10 trends for HR leaders this year.
• 2022 CHRO Leadership Perspectives. CHROs are trying to maintain a great employee experience, while balancing the needs of the workforce with the needs of the business. This infographic shared what 450+ CHROs cited as their most important priorities in 2022.
• Top 3 Areas of Focus for CHROs in 2022. In a similar way to technology leaders saying that the pandemic was a shot in the arm for digital transformation – CHROs may look back on this moment as a shot in the arm for their key people initiatives. This blog shared three key themes we predicted that CHROs would focus on in 2022.

Overall, the sentiment most shared by our CHROs was joy at being able to come together in person again to reconnect and learn from their peers. 

I loved getting to meet senior people in my field and in my area in person. Great way to make contacts!”

It was wonderful to get together in person to chat about the experiences that we have all had as HR executives over the past 2+ years.”

Planning is already underway for more compelling and thought-provoking content in the second half of the year. To find and register for upcoming CHRO Community programs near you, please visit your community page.