HR long ago earned its seat at the table. This year, it got to demonstrate what it can do with that seat. AI, economic uncertainty and new ways of working are all giving HR professionals plenty of opportunity to lean into strategy and leverage talent to drive business outcomes.
Here are what HR leaders and experts told us this year about HR’s growing strategic influence.
1. Evolving expectations
“The expectations have never been higher,” says Timothy Richmond, former CHRO of AbbVie “for the role CHROs play with boards, the CEO, executive teams, the workforce.”
Richmond, chair of the board of directors at the CHRO Association, says the organization rebranded this year from the HR Policy Association to meet the rising expectations for CHROs. Read more.
2. Leadership through adversity
LinkedIn Chief People Officer Teuila Hanson says HR’s ability to manage through ongoing uncertainty and change today will enable the function to shine.
“The most beautiful lessons of leadership come through during those times,” she says. Read more.
3. HR’s rising relevance
At isolved’s Connect for People Heroes event this fall in Philadelphia, Stacey Harris, chief research officer and managing partner at Sapient Insight Group, cited her firm’s research about HR’s growing strategic contribution, which will be key in the age of AI.
“People don’t always go left when we tell them. We have experience working with things that don’t always do what we expect them to,” Harris said. “What we do, and how we do it, is so much more relevant in today’s market than it’s ever been.” Read more.
4. This is HR’s ‘time to be in the sun’
At HR Tech in September, keynoter and IBM CHRO Nickle LaMoreaux told attendees that AI was presenting with HR an opportunity to press the envelope, to think boldly and drive transformation across the enterprise.
“It’s your time to be in the sun,” she said. Read more.
5. Learning to stay on the leading edge
HR Executive’s 2025 HR Executive of the Year Donna Morris, executive vice president and chief people officer of Walmart, says HR needs to lean into continuous learning as AI reshapes the world of work.
“I will say sometimes in HR, we’re great at changing others. We’re not great at changing ourselves,” she says. “This is a period of time when HR has to be out in front, changing ourselves so that we can actually be role models for the business.” Read more.
6. A shift toward proactivity
“This is a moment for the HR profession to shift the paradigm from being a reactive function to a proactive function,” says Stefanie Steinway, CHRO at Equifax Workforce Solutions. “To me, that is what innovation and strategy are all about.” Read more.
7. Seeing the potential
Alison Borland, chief people and strategy officer at Modern Health, worked directly with her company’s CEO to develop her title when she joined the company earlier this year. It was a moment that reflects the C-suite’s growing recognition of HR’s strategic influence.
“People leaders are ready to do more,” she says, “and there’s increased receptivity for CEOs and other business leaders to pull them in. It’s a good time for this to happen.” Read more.
8. Making the business case
HR has a “unique” perspective, understanding the business through its workforce, including employees across levels, tenures and geographic locations, says Andrew Dawson, chief people officer and head of corporate affairs at ophthalmic equipment manufacturer BVI Medical.
“Our ability to be able to pull those insights together concisely and give good recommendations to the business is ultimately going to be how we enable business success,” he says. Read more.
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