In today’s fast-evolving business environment, CEOs are seeking HR leaders who bring more than just administrative expertise — they want strategic partners who can drive business outcomes. Among the most critical skills CEOs now expect are:
- Workforce planning to align talent strategy with long-term business goals.
- Learning and development (L&D) to cultivate adaptable and future-ready teams.
- Organizational storytelling, or the ability to craft and communicate a compelling narrative that reinforces culture, inspires employees, and aligns the workforce around the company’s mission and values.
- Process management to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
Together, these competencies position HR leaders as indispensable architects of organizational success.
John Baldino, SHRM-SCP, president of HR consulting firm Humareso, outlined these prominent HR skill areas at Workhuman Live 2025, held in the Denver area.
Workforce Planning
Workforce planning begins with a skills gap analysis, Baldino said. That means assessing the difference between the current skills of your workforce and the skills needed to achieve business goals or meet future demands. HR must figure out where the gaps are in order to close those skills gaps through development or recruitment.
Another important part of workforce planning is management training, Baldino explained. “This skill is sorely missed for those promoted from within,” he said. “New managers are not always set up for success. Think about what managers need to know, and hold a regular boot camp, even for managers who have been around for a while. Instill in them what they need to know to do the work they are supposed to do.”
Succession planning also falls under this category. “Be upfront about what it takes to move forward in the organization,” Baldino said. “But don’t make any guarantees. Don’t make people sign offer letters five years in advance. Don’t let CEOs promise executive advancement without doing an analysis first.”
HR should cultivate leadership and “teach people how to think critically, compassionately, and creatively,” he said. “That is a must for preparing for what is to come.”
Learning and Development
Components of L&D include technology, available library resources, and the capability for progression forecasting.
“L&D tech is not the IT department’s job,” Baldino said. “You should be working with your tech team and should know how to do due diligence when selecting technology.”
He conceded that the request for proposal procurement process is “horrific. It is one of the layers of hell. But the process-oriented learning curve is helpful. Too often, HR folks pick tech that works for HR but not for the vast majority of the employee population that it is supposed to help and serve. Be thoughtful and justify a business case when selecting technology.”
Baldino recommended updating and cleaning out company intranets and resource libraries. “HR is able to influence what employees are exposed to. Your CEO looks at this as you understand what it takes to remain relevant,” he said.
Progression forecasting is another important development skill, Baldino said. “We love shiny things and new toys. Forecasting will help you understand how the new toys get you to where you want to be. But first, you need to know how to develop a business case. If you have never done it, it’s OK to admit that.”
He recommended downloading templates to help get started and asking those who have done it previously for help.
Organizational Storytelling
Financial literacy is crucial to being able to tell your organization’s story. Make nice with finance if you don’t know how to read a profit and loss (P&L) statement, Baldino said. “Know how to read a P&L from top to bottom. Ask to see them year over year. Look at trends. That literacy is going to help you be supportive of the CEO.”
HR must apply the mission, vision, and values hanging on the wall to the actual work being done every day, he said. “Consider how the mission and values align to workforce planning and hiring. CEOs are tired of seeing people getting replaced. Lead the retention charge and make the right hire in the first place.”
Identifying departmental purpose is a tough one, Baldino said. “People are leading departments only understanding A plus B equals C and not the purpose. Have a conversation with them. Ask them how they will get to where you need them to be. Once the department manager understands this, they will uplift your cause.”
Process Management
Compliance. HR administration. HRIS [human resource information system] management. This is HR’s bread and butter, right? “You think you have this one down,” Baldino said, “but when your CEO comes to you and asks for a report quickly, and you know it will be a mess, you look bad.”
He advised HR leaders to run proactive reports a couple times a month just to check the results. “Does the data tell you what you thought it should tell you?”
HR will also need to make sure that the basics are getting done. “Conduct a compliance audit every so often. The CEO wants to know that everything is in place,” Baldoni said. “I know working with legal is a pain, but you have to start thinking about it as risk. What’s your risk threshold? Your CEO needs you to know that.”
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