A Q&A with Jim Link, SHRM's New CHRO

​Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, provides a great example of thoughtful HR career progression. After college, his path took him from various entry-level jobs to an HR director position, followed by an HR general manager role, then an HR managing director post. Jim's persistence paid off when he was named CHRO of Randstad North America, part of the world's largest HR company.

But Jim wasn't done, as he recently accepted the CHRO position at SHRM, the world's largest trade association of HR professionals. We asked Jim to share his thoughts on effective management, as well as on a range of key issues facing HR professionals today.

How would you describe your approach to managing HR?

I've led HR organizations of varying scope and size throughout my career. However, my core beliefs about leadership have remained the same. First, build a strategy for the HR function that enables the organization to achieve its goals, mission, vision and values. Second, use every interaction with a team member as an opportunity to learn and grow for both you and the employee. Third, use clarifying questions to ensure alignment. Fourth, treat every team member the way you would want to be treated. Fifth, never forget the team is a mirror image of your leadership.

Certainly, the foundational skills of HR are essential when leading an HR team. However, I believe the components of effective leadership transcend department or functional lines. In the end, the HR team must be strategic but practical, fast-paced yet purposeful, trustworthy and credible.

You've worked for a number of brand-name companies in your career, including GE, Pillsbury and Porsche. How have they helped prepare you for SHRM?

I've been a member of SHRM since 1991 and senior-level-certified since 1997. In that time and across the different companies in which I've worked, I have seen massive changes in the role of HR, the advancement of the profession and the recognition that an effective human capital mindset is necessary for the success of any company or organization. Likewise, I've witnessed how SHRM has grown and changed. 

Most recently, I was the CHRO for Randstad North America. Randstad is the largest HR company worldwide, with approximately $25 billion in annual revenue. It's big, and its only product is the capability of the people who work in customer and client sites. So for me, coming to SHRM was the obvious thing to do. Here, we are enabling our members to shape the world of work. I can't think of a more important thing to be doing in my professional life.

Talent shortages are rampant across most industries. Do you think talent acquisition strategies are evolving to address the issue?

The big differentiator for the future of talent acquisition is technology. Most job candidates are tech- savvy, and most organizations are still striving to be tech-enabled. As a result, talent leaders have a monumental task in front of them in today's talent marketplace. How they utilize tech, the employer brand and sourcing strategies collectively will make all the difference in attracting qualified candidates into their organizations. 

The best talent acquisition strategies for the future are a combination of tech and human connection. Finding the correct balance between those two components is the secret sauce for best-in-class talent acquisition.

Employee engagement is also suffering, according to SHRM research. How would you advise HR pros to help boost employee engagement and retention?

Engagement is an outcome of many other variables in the workplace. Those variables can be anything from pay to communication to the comfort of your office chair. Since individual employee engagement is so broad, it's important for leaders to frequently connect with their employees to determine what variables in the workplace add to engagement and which variables detract from engagement. The best way to accomplish this is to simply ask. This one-to-one communication between leaders and employees is vital and is the most overlooked component of creating an engaging work environment.

We've seen great attention paid to updating DE&I efforts at most companies, but many experts say it's still falling short. Do you agree?

Employers should use every tool in their toolbox, including DE&I efforts, to build a culture of belonging and inclusion. Unfortunately, I see employers that believe having a DE&I program automatically makes them an inclusive culture. This is often not the case and is why DE&I efforts may not be as impactful as hoped.

What guidance would you offer a recent college grad who is considering a career in HR? 

There has never been a better time to be an HR professional. Today's business world needs professionals who can navigate effectively through disruption, change and transformation. I would encourage young college grads to enter the field by first focusing on learning the business in which they work, building their credibility through hard work and good decision-making, and then deciding where they can be most impactful in human resources. 

What's the most overlooked issue facing HR today?

HR leaders today are in a unique position. Everything happening in business today has a sharper focus on the human element than in the past. In just two years, we've experienced more work-life-changing events than we could have ever imagined. 

This brings me to the issue I think HR practitioners need to have top of mind: the future of work and the workplace. Let's face it, in most cases we are still predominantly focused on adjusting to the new normal. Instead, we should make those adjustments wisely and purposefully. However, while managing for the moment, we must take this opportunity to craft what we want the future to be for employees and their workplaces. Now is the time for our profession to loudly declare what lies ahead.