Mercer is now Marsh.

Learn more
Learn more
We are aware of an issue in the Microsoft environment impacting some of its services, including Outlook email. Marsh stands ready to help its clients with their risk, strategy, people and investment needs. Please contact your client representative directly via phone or text if you need anything. If you do not have their contact information or you have not received a reply from their email to any inquiries, please use our contact form.
People strategy

Leading the people function: Five key attributes of Chief People Officers – whether day one, 100 or 1,000 

Chief People Officers are in the driver’s seat

All eyes and ears are on the Chief People Officer (CPO) role as businesses transform to meet the challenges of a changed world. The challenges CPOs have faced are demanding as they’ve needed to deliver the golden mean, meeting the needs of both employees and the business, in an ever-changing world of work.

Former vantage points and tactics need to evolve as the CPO responsibilities has shifted dramatically. 

Are you ready?

Whether you are a seasoned or newly appointed CPO, you will need to adapt to tackle new demands and navigate an unchartered, evolving landscape. Successful CPOs know their strengths, upskill their weaknesses and surround themselves with employees with complementary skill sets.

Key attributes Chief People Officers need to achieve success

  • Listener

    Effective listening sparks innovation and organizational learning, builds trust and psychological safety, and creates and energizes a collective commitment to positive change.

  • Cultivator

    Embracing, promoting and cultivating a responsible position on the many different dimensions of inclusivity and well-being drives positive outcomes for people, communities and businesses. Cultivators of inclusivity don’t reduce this vital work to a checklist of programs.

  • Storyteller

    Reams of data are an unavoidable part of most HR functions. But data sets mean little if they are not harnessed to plot a way ahead. Storytellers turn information into actionable insights, use data to plan strategically and work to create a compelling narrative that all parts of an organization can buy into.

  • Activator

    HR tech is freeing up teams to spend more time on creative problem-solving. Activators capitalize on this to help others deliver. They foster execution discipline, operational excellence, and financial and digital acumen.

  • Transformer

    Two pivotal challenges sit before you: redesign work so that talent can seamlessly connect with it, and redesign the HR function to create a future-fit workforce. Transformers harness these key challenges to help their businesses achieve their strategic goals.
Download the Executive summary
Related Insights

Download the paper

Complete the form to download the point of view: Leading the people function: Five key attributes of Chief People Officers – whether day one, 100 or 1,000.
As part of our ongoing brand evolution, you may begin to see updates to our branding, including our name, logos, and other visual identity elements, across our websites, communications, and other materials. Since these changes are being implemented on a phased basis, both current and updated branding may appear concurrently during the transition period. Information regarding legal entity name changes and other related legal notices for certain licensed US and Canadian legal entities will be available at https://www.marsh.com/en/about/legal-entity-us-ca.html and updated as changes become effective. Unless expressly stated otherwise, these branding updates do not change the legal entity providing products or services, modify existing contractual relationships, or alter any applicable rights, obligations, or regulatory responsibilities.