The Five CHRO Paradoxes: Turning Tension into Advantage

The CHRO role is evolving and the pressures surrounding it are intensifying. Expectations are rising, organizational volatility is increasing, and the structures that support leadership continuity simply haven’t kept pace.

In this new report from The Josh Bersin Company, grounded in Findem’s time series dataset of more than 25,000 CHRO profiles, researchers surface five paradoxes that define the modern CHRO experience and the systemic tensions shaping the future of HR leadership. These paradoxes highlight a growing mismatch between what organizations expect of CHROs and the systems in place to enable their success.

Understanding these patterns is critical for building leadership continuity, strengthening capability development, and preparing the people function for the next era of business transformation.