Finding the right talent to achieve business goals is one of the most important tasks of the CHROs and to achieve this they should completely understand the business they are in and its evolving way of working.

This sentiment, not new but not easy to bring into being either, came from Mahnaz Shaikh, CHRO, Eureka Forbes at People Matters TechHR Pulse Mumbai 2025. 

“You as a CHRO must be clear on the business strategy, then have a responsibility of being able to figure out who's the right talent to deliver the strategy,” said Shaikh, speaking at a special panel on ‘Talent at Helm: How CHRO’s Can Lead the Change for CEO Success In 2025’.   

Does HR really have a seat at the table?

It is very important for HR leaders to be in boardrooms, where big decisions are made. “We kept saying a seat at the table, seat at the table. And I said, d*** it, forget the seat. Get your voice on the table as well,” pointed out Tarun NP Varma, CHRO, Tata Consumer Products.

CHROs are responsible for growth and transformation, said Varma, adding, “We have to do brands and sales; strategy and execution; physical and digital…therefore we have to wear these bifocal lenses and say, do the short term and earn your long term.”

Completely agreeing with Varma, Shaikh added: “I think it fundamentally comes down to where the business transformation is happening. In case of a transformation, usually a company would be going through a promotional growth strategy. It could be a new product launch or a new sector that it is getting into, or a growth target. First understanding what you are in business for becomes extremely important.”

Shaikh further advised HR people to ask questions to themselves like whether they understand how employee cost is broken down, the incentive model in their companies, reasons for their companies’ market share growth, what employees do to earn incentives, among other things. “That becomes very important because from that, you become clear on what HR needs to do,” she said.

How do you communicate a talent strategy?

“We have realised as CHROs that talent decisions play a very big part in being able to support the CEO to drive the business strategy and culture,” said Sejal Haribhakti Mody, CHRO, Akasa Air, who moderated the session.

On this Shaikh replied, it is important to communicate the strategy in a way people feel energised and feel that this is the place they want to belong to. “This is the place where I can grow, and I feel excited about what that leader is standing and talking about.”

Adding to this point, Ruhie Pande, Group CHRO, Sterlite Power, said it is very important for CHROs to sit with business leaders and management committees to identify the key to business strategies. 

“Strategies are about shifting gears. I come from a very regulated power industry, where one change of the government can have a deep impact on your overall business strategy. So I think aligning with the business strategy, like they say, having the right strategy and structure on people, and then aligning with the top team as to what are five or four core things, which the talent agenda needs to be driven on, be it succession pipeline, your top management retention, it could be things like the depth of skills and capabilities which you're trying to build in a particular area. Aligning with all that is very important. Otherwise, you will be reporting things like engagement and attrition, and beyond a certain point they really don't make any difference, they are very generic parameters,” added Pande.  

About how a CHRO plays a role in communicating strategies, Shaikh added: “All of us have been in meetings and conferences where you walk away, taking two or three things. Those things that the person takes away, whether they are the frontline person or a manager sitting in the corporate, needs to be stuff that they feel excited about.”

“I think a CHRO plays a role in doing all that's been communicated in these forums. How are we going to bring it to life, be it in terms of process, system, reward model, and recognition mode?...Simply understand business beyond just acronyms, then understand who's going to deliver that business, talent plus structure. Then figure out, how do you communicate that in a manner that people all the way down to the frontline get it…And then close the circle with the reward and compensation philosophy,” she pointed out.

How can CHROs play a role in driving business transformations?

The world is changing significantly, and with change comes transformation, said Mody, adding “Business transformations are everywhere today, we're seeing this in every organisation, and industry.” It is important to understand this in the context of multi-generational workforce, and new working models.

The role that HR plays is of somebody who brings the organisation together to understand the value of change through a huge element of building trust with the leadership and creating those change champions within the organisation, added Mody.

“Business transformation is all about change. Change management cannot happen unless there's buy in at all levels of leadership…Without that it is not a change, even if it's an HR transformation, even if it's a functional transformation,” she added.

This requires a significant shift in thinking beyond frameworks, Mody said, adding “while frameworks help to create some context, the real change happens in the kind of relationships built by and with champions that you have in the organisation, who can really drive that change.”