How to Hire a CHRO

CHRO vs CPO: When the Distinction Matters

At most growth-stage technology companies, the Chief People Officer title is more common than CHRO — and the functional scope is similar. The CHRO title is more prevalent in larger, more mature organisations, in public companies, and in industries with significant regulatory and compliance requirements around employment. Companies that are pre-IPO or recently public, companies in regulated industries, and companies with 500+ employees often find the CHRO title and the associated skill set more appropriate than CPO.

The practical difference in the candidate search: CHRO candidates from large public companies bring deep compliance, governance, and executive compensation expertise that CPO candidates from growth-stage backgrounds may not have. If the company needs this depth — because of a pending IPO, significant regulatory exposure, or executive compensation complexity — the CHRO candidate pool is the right one to source from. If the company needs culture-building and talent density leadership, the CPO candidate pool is typically stronger.

Evaluating CHRO Candidates

Compensation philosophy and execution. The CHRO must own or co-own the company's total compensation philosophy — how roles are benchmarked, how equity is structured and communicated, and how the company maintains competitive compensation as it scales. Ask candidates to describe the compensation philosophy they implemented in their last role, why they designed it the way they did, and how they managed the equity refresh conversation with existing employees as new hires joined at higher packages.

Board and compensation committee relationship. At public companies or companies approaching public company governance, the CHRO works directly with the board's compensation committee on executive compensation, equity plans, and CEO performance evaluation. Candidates who have navigated this relationship before are dramatically more effective than those experiencing it for the first time.

Workforce planning at scale. The CHRO at a 500-person company must manage headcount planning, organisational design, and the people implications of strategic decisions — acquisitions, market expansions, business model pivots — in ways that the VP People at a 100-person company does not. Evaluate candidates on their workforce planning and organisational design experience specifically.