Leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA) recently released its CHRO Turnover Index for Q1 2025, revealing the increasingly demanding nature of the role.
Global CHRO turnover jumped 15% in Q1 2025 with 54 global departures across all publicly listed orgs—32% above the six-year average. U.S.-based departures drove half of all exits as organizations struggle to retain CHROs who can drive AI integration and strategic transformation, not just workforce stability, according to the report.
What’s behind rising CHRO turnover?
According to RRA’s article The CHRO of the Future, today’s CHROs must “lead boldly, master complexity and operate as enterprise-level problem solvers”—expectations that extend beyond traditional HR functions.
RRA authors say this expanded mandate reflects additional responsibilities for CHROs—from workforce management to strategic business leadership. Modern CHROs are expected to drive AI integration, develop leadership pipelines and transform talent into competitive advantage while navigating constant organizational change, according to the RRA report.
Advisors believe the breadth and complexity of these responsibilities may help explain why CHRO turnover has accelerated, as the role demands a rare combination of strategic vision, operational excellence and change management expertise that few leaders possess.
The report also suggests that people leaders might be departing from roles more quickly than in the past. In addition to rising CHRO turnover, the average tenure of people leaders dropped to 4.1 years from 4.5 years in 2024, with nearly 20% serving under two years. Tenure is also tracked by region, with CHROs in Britain and Australia averaging just 2.9 years, while people leaders based at U.S. companies held steady at 6.1 years.
Internal appointments for the CHRO role appear to be on the rise. This metric reached 58% in Q1 2025, up from 50% in 2024. According to the report’s authors, organizations are betting on candidates with deeper institutional knowledge to navigate volatility and implement transformation plans that can withstand rapid change.
Another factor that may contribute to leadership changes in the HR department is turnover at the highest levels of the organization. The study found that CHRO tenure often reflects the declining tenure of CEOs, as new CEOs frequently replace the CHROs they inherit. RRA report authors added that the “CHRO is often considered the CEO’s close confidant, so changes in turnover in the top seat are likely to have a knock-on effect on the CHRO.”
HR tech in the news
Mistral, a European-native AI solution provider, is making waves with its enterprise-focused platform, Le Chat Enterprise, announced in May 2025. For HR leaders with a European workforce, the platform aims to prioritize data privacy, compliance and operational flexibility—key concerns in today’s regulatory environment.
Rewriting the Code has launched nSpire, a free AI-powered career coach for its 33,000-plus members: college and early-career women in tech. The coach supports various stages of the job search, from mock interviews to real-time resume feedback.
HiBob surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. workers on AI’s impact at the entry level. Only 8.7% say AI fully replaces junior tasks, while 54% see it enabling more strategic work. Training is AI’s top use (69%), and most agree experience still matters; just 14% think grads can skip entry-level roles.
The SHRM Foundation—with Walmart, the Charles Koch Foundation and Workday—is launching the Center for a Skills-First Future—a new hub to help employers adopt skills-based hiring and access a wider, more qualified talent pool.
Corporate wellness platform Wellhub has partnered with the Reebok Fitness App, adding it to its wellness platform. Starter Plan subscribers and above in the U.S., UK and Germany can access the app at no extra cost.
Recruiting software firm Daxtra Technologies has appointed HR tech veteran Michael Flannery as CEO. With over 20 years of experience in human capital management, Flannery previously served as an executive at iSolved.
Salesforce has partnered with Cornerstone to boost AI adoption in Agentforce, enabling secure AI agent deployment across tools like Salesforce and Slack. The news was shared at Cornerstone Spark, alongside updates to Galaxy AI and its Microsoft integration.
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