Where will your next CHRO come from?

Two-way rotations

To build that pipeline, the firm recommended giving high-potential HR leaders ownership of products, transformations, operating-model work, or business outcomes.

It then urged employers to “reverse the flow” by rotating high-potential business, product, engineering and transformation leaders through people roles so they experience the judgment required in employee relations, leadership, culture, workforce decisions, and trust.

“These proving grounds allow unconventional talent to acquire human-capital depth while career HR talent develops new ways of creating value,” the report said.

Narrow pipeline

The recommendation comes as the firm’s June 2026 survey of 600 CHROs found that 61% had always worked in HR. Another 23% began their careers elsewhere before moving into HR, while 15% left HR and later returned. Just one per cent had worked only outside HR before taking the top people role.

Only 42% of respondents rated their HR function as mostly or highly effective at building and maintaining a robust leadership pipeline.