From recruiting and retention to company culture and the latest in HR tech, HR Brew delivers up-to-date industry news and tips to help HR pros stay nimble in today’s fast-changing business environment.

HR Brew

Aman Kidwai

hr-brew.com

A list of recommended questions for HR from the Accenture report. 

A person works at a futuristic glass computer monitor. 

The CHRO of the future needs financial and technical acumen

 CEOs want their heads of HR to drive business growth, but they’re not always empowering them to do so.

Kristen Parisi

A cartoon of a man in a business suit leaning on a desk; a woman in a suit sits at a typewriter. Above them says, "busy making resolutions."

New year’s resolutions for HR

HR leaders are focused on employee engagement and improving the hybrid work model as they enter the new year.

The year ahead: HR resolutions for 2023

Five people sitting in chairs holding papers waiting to be interviewed.

With HR leaders shouldering more responsibilities than ever, finding the right one is complicated.

The search for a new CHRO is more complex than ever

The top of a globe with a phone, notebook, laptop, glasses, iPad and coffee cup floating above it

CHRO

An illustration of a photo of HR Brew reporter Paige McGlauflin.

Paige McGlauflin

The Covid-19 pandemic may have been the biggest blessing for some HR leaders’ careers. It may have been the biggest curse, too.

As employers scrambled to respond to a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, CHROs 

 for everything from remote work to layoffs or furloughs and employees well-being.

“You just have to think about the magnitude of how work has changed since then. The CHRO was at the hub of all that,” Roger Philby, global leader of Korn Ferry’s people strategy and performance practice, told HR Brew.

Regarded for decades as corporate America’s red-headed stepchild, HR had been primarily focused on administrative tasks, like payroll or snooze-worthy trainings. The only time executives paid attention was when one of those tasks went wrong. This moment marked a 

“We’re like the ducks that are on the water. We may look good above the surface, but underwater we’re flailing viciously. That’s how I felt life was, definitely pre-pandemic, where nobody knew what we did,” Mai Ton, a fractional HR leader who previously worked in-house at growth-stage Silicon Valley tech startups, told HR Brew.

“All of those previously under the water systems became very prominent and very in front of everybody, because we were all remote and virtual. So I feel like that’s really what led to the final kind of elevation of the role,” Ton added. “It was previously HR was always begging for a seat at the exec team, and now we finally had it, because we were tasked with all of these things.”

Since then, however, something seems to have changed, leaving CHROs’ power and influence at risk of stagnating, if not declining.

 has shifted power back to employers, who are hiring and 

 less. Economic pressures, including high interest rates and tariffs, have employers returning to the age-old strategy of cutting costs by cutting workers or employee-focused programs, like learning and development.

Some employers have also started following a new playbook for addressing challenges like those that, just five years ago, they would have relied on their CHROs to navigate. For example, employers like Amazon (and the federal government) have announced full-time return-to-office mandates for their global workforces, despite HR leaders’ feelings about them: 81% of CHROs in America and some European countries surveyed by people management platform Leapsome 

believe strict RTO mandates are ineffective

, and 63% from America said they feel pressured by their CEO to embrace them.

While HR leaders still play a critical role when it comes to addressing challenges related to diversity and immigration, these issues are not currently as top of mind for executives as they were in the early 2020s, according to Emily Rose McRae, senior director analyst at Gartner.

On top of all this, many practitioners who were CHROs during the pandemic have simply 

: “HR has been running the equivalent of a 100-mile marathon now, and there’s almost no end in sight,” Dan Kaplan, managing director and co-head of the CHRO practice at ZRG Partners, told HR Brew. “And every time you feel like, okay, we could take a breath, war starts in the Middle East, tariffs come. It’s just a never ending set of challenges that HR has to be prepared to solve.”

And, as companies have sought to fill vacant CHRO roles, some have found they 

 with comparable expertise and appoint greener practitioners instead.

Moreover, not all C-suite leaders see CHROs as a strategic asset. Research from 

 found that 42% of C-suite executives don’t view HR as equal partners, and 36% see HR as only slightly critical to business strategy. SAP’s research also found that C-suite leaders tend to agree more with non-HR executives than CHROs on top priorities.

That perception has, at best, stagnated since the pandemic. In 2021, for example, 57% of C-suite executives based in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia viewed the CHRO as equal leadership partners in their organization, according to a survey by cloud-based business services company Sage. Additionally, Sage’s survey found that 87% of executives agreed that the pandemic transformed HR and gave it greater influence, but 52% of respondents thought those changes were temporary.

Now, AI poses a risk to CHROs’ strategic influence.

As AI technology evolves and reshapes tasks, HR leaders will be 

“If you’re a CHRO, and you’re not focused on AI, you’re already behind. Because AI is moving so fast,” said Tiffonia Noussi, a fractional CHRO who works with growth-stage private equity backed firms.

 surveyed by Gartner this year believe their CHROs are AI-savvy—lower than any other C-suite roles surveyed.

This perception “is a problem when the big change that everyone’s talking about is technology,” said McRae. “It’s particularly a problem when the fact is that one of the greatest weaknesses to the technological approach right now is that people do not have enough conversations about the impact on roles and workflows.”

 into AI, despite not yet seeing an ROI, they’ve been more frugal with workforce development, said Philby. Research from Accenture found that companies 

 of generative AI budgets on technology than on people. And a 2024 Gartner survey found that 

 consider employees’ work or well-being when making decisions about generative AI.

This has left CHROs torn between investing in long-term goals and keeping up with short-term demands: The top two strategic priorities for CHROs over the next two years, according to a 

, are growth and market expansion (69%) and cost efficiency (56%).

“They’re sort of being pulled in two directions,” said Philby. “It’s like, ‘How do we invest in the risk? How do we transform our business through our people, and at the same time, maintain or reduce our costs?”

As a result, CHROs—particularly those who haven’t had exposure to strategic conversations in recent years—are missing out on the most important C-suite conversations.

“We’re fighting about whether someone should be in the office three days, four days, or five days, instead of saying, ‘In five years, are we going to need the same people, and are we going to need people that have a different AI toolkit, and maybe we need to set up offices elsewhere in the world to attract those people?’” Kaplan said.

It’s critical that HR leaders not only be included in AI strategy conversations, but also bring insights and ideas to the table.

“In the past, HR has always been very reactive. And I think there’s an opportunity to be proactive and really saying the hard things really early, rather than waiting,” said Noussi. “And so I think that’s one area that we don’t talk about, but courage is a wonderful, wonderful virtue when it comes to being impactful in the HR space.”

HR leaders should have “both ears to the market” on AI, Kaplan said, including understanding the technology’s innovations and evolutions, engaging in forums with top AI leaders, and integrating their learnings into talent strategy. They should also make sure they’re included in five-year planning and AI strategy conversations with their C-suite peers, and advocate for HR priorities.

And while many functions are competing for money amid tightening budgets and AI investments, HR leaders should still make long-term financial plans, said Tamesa Rogers, a fractional CHRO who was Netgear’s chief people officer until 2024.

“I think doing nothing is the wrong decision,” Rogers said. “Even if you have to stagger it out, having a plan on what you can invest this year, next year, the following year. And then how do you, with that investment, make sure that you are also developing your workforce, or planning your workforce to accommodate it?”

For top CHROs, the question around HR getting a seat at the table is long over, said Kaplan. And those waiting for the CEO to seek them out as a strategic partner will likely be waiting a long time. “The best HR leaders aren’t waiting to be asked,” he said. They’re prepared with insights to share and an understanding of the AI ecosystem.

“There’s still a large population that is waiting to be asked and doesn’t realize that the plane has already left the terminal.”

Rear view of mature businesswoman discussing strategies with colleagues in board room at office.

CHROs saw a rise to power during the pandemic. Are they now losing traction?

The pandemic elevated the CHRO role to new heights of importance. Now, their influence is at risk of waning.

The CHRO's new seat at the table might be at risk

An illustration of reporter Courtney Vinopal's headshot.

Courtney Vinopal

When Limbach Holdings began considering a shift in its go-to-market strategy a few years back, its leaders decided the business needed to be more intentionally focused on its brand.

Typically a chief marketing officer might oversee these efforts, but at the time the building systems solutions company, which is headquartered outside of Pittsburgh, didn’t have such an executive serving on its senior leadership team.

Melissa DiMuro, Limbach’s chief people and culture officer, raised her hand.

In 2023, DiMuro transitioned to a role overseeing both HR and branding efforts as Limbach’s first-ever chief people, culture, and marketing officer. In the position, DiMuro has focused on elevating employee stories for Limbach customers, as well as potential job-seekers.

The building owners supported by Limbach are “mission critical,” in that they can’t be turned off, DiMuro said—think hospitals, data centers, or manufacturing and industrial spaces.

Limbach used to work primarily with general contractors, meaning there was an intermediary between the company and its customers. But in 2019, the company decided to embrace an “owner-direct model,” selling its suite of services directly to building owners. As a result, “we knew we needed to change how we were going to market” to better reach these customers, DiMuro said.

At the same time, Limbach’s senior leaders realized they had a number of different stakeholders who were consuming content about the brand on any given day—from customers to employees to investors.

“We had investors that were listening to our employee podcast, and reading our blog…we had employees that were sitting in on investor calls. And so we started to recognize the importance of having holistic messaging and a brand that connected the dots regardless of the stakeholder,” DiMuro said.

Eventually, it became clear DiMuro was embedded in a lot of the day-to-day work of executing the change in Limbach’s strategy. Part of this strategy involved making a number of changes to the senior leadership team, including the appointment of a new CEO, Michael McCann. DiMuro stepped into the dual HR and marketing role around the same time McCann was promoted to CEO.

Since taking on the chief people, culture, and marketing officer role, DiMuro has built out a team focusing specifically on the regions where the company has business, as well as areas like digital marketing, communications, and public relations for Limbach overall. The company employs 1,600 workers, and since DiMuro took on the expanded role, eight additional employees began reporting to her.

When developing content for Limbach’s media channels, DiMuro’s team leans heavily on stories from employees themselves. One month each year, the team asks staff to share their experiences with career development on social media using the hashtag #LMBLevelUp, for example. Employees often appear on a Limbach podcast called 

, or may see their stories featured on company blog posts.

Developing content that centers around employees works well for Limbach because many of the company’s customers interact directly with these people. “The value that we are selling to the customers is the talent that we have. The talent is an extension of their team—they’re on-site account teams that are dedicated to our customers.”

In its efforts to improve Limbach’s brand visibility, DiMuro said her team has tried to showcase stories that illustrate the company’s purpose, which she described as supporting “mission critical facilities so that they keep running seamlessly and their operations keep happening.” This might mean sharing stories about keeping a hospital online, or helping a customer prepare for hurricane season.

Being more connected to Limbach’s “value proposition” has helped DiMuro understand how the company’s employees can best deliver on this, as well. The dual role has “broadened my focus much more and helped me integrate the company’s strategy in a way that maybe, if these roles were separate, could feel more siloed.”

While it may seem like HR and marketing professionals work in two different worlds, the functions are increasingly intertwined at some companies—especially those that see branding as vital to recruitment. Portillo’s recently launched an employee influencer program in the hopes of reaching younger job-seekers, Chief People Officer Jill Waite 

 The San Francisco-based software company Autodesk sources its employees’ stories for targeted ad campaigns when it’s hiring, according to its senior global creative and marketing manager, Kassidi Sorensen. They see “a large volume of [candidate] referrals” come from these efforts, she said.

DiMuro similarly said recruitment is one of the areas where she sees the “strongest overlap” between the HR and marketing functions. The recruiting and marketing teams regularly discuss ways to align not only on what Limbach sells as a company, but also as “an employment opportunity,” she said. The marketing teams also train interviewers on how to represent Limbach to job candidates, and discuss how they could grow their careers as the company evolves.

It’s not hard to see how Limbach’s HR team sees marketing as an extension of its recruiting efforts. At the end of many podcast episodes posted online, listeners will see a link to the company’s job board. Before they click, they’re asked, “Interested in joining our team?”

A portrait of Melissa DiMuro, chief people, culture, and marketing officer for Limbach against a green background with graphic stars.

This chief people officer’s role now includes marketing

Melissa DiMuro, chief people, culture, and marketing officer for Limbach, is in a unique role that allows her to elevate employee voices through the company’s brand. 

A veteran HR pro now oversees people and marketing. Here’s why.

Mikaela Cohen

The very thing that helps some leaders earn a seat in the C-suite could eventually hold them back, according to Muriel M. Wilkins, CEO of executive coaching firm Paravis Partners and author of 

Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential

“I’ve been working as an executive coach for over 20 years…and while they are wildly successful in terms of what they are able to do with their organizations,” Wilkins said, “I have often found that they run into roadblocks, not necessarily realizing that the roadblocks include themselves.”

HR Brew chatted with Wilkins about what possibly prevents some executives from being effective.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What will people leaders learn from your book?

A lot of times when leaders have to develop themselves, they often look at things outside of themselves…But very often, they don’t look at the internal game, which is their mindset. And, when you think about a leader being able to scale, be able to operate differently than they have in the past…Change in skills is one thing, but changing mindset is actually what leads to sustainability in terms of their effectiveness.

From an HR perspective, the ability to understand what the mindset is that’s required to be able to lead more optimally is paramount. And, from this book, they would be able to identify the areas where mindset might be able to get in the way, as well as a roadmap for how those leaders could actually expand our mindset.

What tips do you have for leaders who need to change their mindset?

They have these beliefs that they have formed that, frankly, has led to high performance, but that might not necessarily be working in the position, or role, or context that they’re in…[You need to] have an understanding of what the beliefs are that you hold, and question whether they are the ones that most serve you in the capacity that you’re in. Because if they don’t, then it is critical that you shift to a different mindset, or thought, or belief that actually supports the outcomes that you’re looking to drive to rather than working against you.

Have the mindsets or priorities of CHROs and CPOs shifted since you started working with them 20 years ago?

One of the big shifts that CHROs and CPOs have had to make, and quite frankly, that they wanted to make, is really from being seen as tactical leaders, who are there to sort of execute on HR policy and HR administration, to really being a strategic leader within the organization…[They’re also] able to be in a place where they are a valued, trusted, and a strategic advisor to the rest of the C-suite, and that is a complex role to play.

Because you’re sitting at the C-suite level, while at the same time being an advisor and thought partner around not only people issues, but really people issues as it relates to the business being successful. So, that’s a big shift that I’ve seen over the past two decades, and being able to not only build the skill to do that, but again, see yourself in that role. And, going back to the mindset piece, having the mindset that enables you to operate at that level is a critical shift that folks who are in that career and advising in that career need to make.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for CHROs navigating this precarious time?

It’s a time of a lot of change and a lot of complexity, but we’ve been here before. So, getting them to understand that they have to operate from a place of confidence, that they may not have seen this particular environment before, but they are actually experts in being able to deal with change and being able to navigate change, not only at an individual level, but also how do you move an organization or a team through change. They’re the crux of being able to do that. They bring that value to an organization.

Two hands holding on opened book with text highlighted

An interview with Muriel M. Wilkins, author of ‘Leadership Unblocked’

“While they are wildly successful in terms of what they are able to do with their organizations, I have often found that they run into roadblocks, not necessarily realizing that the roadblocks include themselves.”

The roadblock plaguing some C-suite leaders: their own mindset

An organization’s success can likely be measured by whether or not the CHRO is a strategic business partner to the CEO.

That’s according to Jenny Dearborn, chief people strategy officer at the Stockholm-based global consulting firm BTS and co-author of 

The Insight-Driven Leader: How High-Performing Companies are Using Analytics to Unlock Business Value

In her new book, which she wrote with talent development leader Kelly Rider, Dearborn highlights how companies can use talent analytics to navigate the future of work and why the partnership between a CHRO and CEO is crucial to business success.

Dearborn shared takeaways from the book with HR Brew.

What’s the story behind writing this book?

This book is very much a journey from the other books that I’ve written. So, in 2015, I wrote a book called 

, which is about how to apply data, and analytics, and algorithms, looking at the different performance variables in a workplace to predict performance and productivity for sales reps…Then, in 2018, took the same approach and went broader in an organization and said, “Can you apply these same algorithms and models for leadership?”

Also I wanted to answer very specific questions…“Given the volatility in the world and all of the forces that are impacting the future of work, and the future of jobs, and AI…What really makes the best HR leaders different than the rest? And what really are the differentiators between how great HR executives lead?” And, it’s my belief that, given all the volatility, that HR is the most important organization in the company.

What are some of the answers to those questions?

The CEO sets the tone for the executive staff. The CEO basically decides in their operating model for a company, “Is HR going to be a strategic business partner, or is the role that I want HR to play [more] administrative?”

If that CEO says, whether deliberately or unconsciously, “I want to have a strategic HR business partner who is business first and HR second”...then HR has a seat at the table. HR is in every conversation. HR is consulted before major decisions get made…It’s really the point of view of that CEO.

We asked CHROs, “What could a CEO do differently to make you more successful in your role?” It was very clear in the feedback, that what’s holding the CHRO back, if they’re feeling held back, is the CEO. And the same thing to the CEOs, “What do you wish that you could have different from your CHRO?” And they said, “I’d love it if they’d be more strategic, and more impactful, and more of a business leader.”

How can a CHRO have more influence and impact if the CEO doesn’t already set that tone?

The challenge happens when one person has one set of expectations and a different person has a different set of expectations. It’s the misalignment, where the problems happen, and that’s where you get a CHRO saying, “Why don’t I have a seat at the table?” We’ve been hearing people say for 30 years of my whole career…and that really comes when one person wants something different, or has a different set of expectations or understanding what the role is.

The best thing to do upfront is to just have those conversations around clarity of what is the role? Where do you expect me to play? And, if the CEO says, “I want it all. I want you to be a strategic business partner and make sure that no balls are dropped”...then that CEO needs to recognize that they need to support the size of team, or the technology in place, or often it’s both, to manage all those details.

An interview with Jenny Dearborn, co-author of ‘The Insight-Driven Leader’

“If that CEO says, whether deliberately or unconsciously, ‘I want to have a strategic HR business partner who is business first and HR second’...then HR has a seat at the table.”

CEO and CHRO partnerships are key to success in the future of work

The year is halfway over. The way time flies, we’ll be ringing in 2026 before you know it.

 and new compliance requirements to agentic AI and 

, this year has been a whirlwind, and many CHROs are trying to strategize a path forward amid the many changes affecting their workplaces. As a pulse check, HR Brew asked a few people leaders what they’re prioritizing for the rest of 2025.

 “As we move through 2025, one thing is clear. The role of the CHRO is changing. We are moving beyond traditional talent management and stepping fully into business enablement, aligning people strategy directly with growth…AI is also becoming a real partner in this shift, helping automate repetitive tasks so people can focus on higher-impact work. At the same time, we are making a deeper investment in our managers, giving them the tools, clarity, and support they need to lead with confidence and care. In a world where trust and culture matter more than ever, HR is not on the sidelines, we are driving results and shaping what’s next.”—Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, CPO at Dayforce

 “My focus for the rest of 2025 is leading the workplace through change. With 

, I want to ensure that we’re building a future-ready organization where people and technology work together, and that means reimagining how we work, how we support our teams, and how we help people grow…While the pace of change is fast, it won’t be sustainable without a foundation of well-being. That means designing work that fosters balance, connection, and purpose. Indeed’s research shows that well-being isn’t just about how people feel. It’s predictive of how they perform. If we want to build a resilient, future-ready workforce, we need to take care of the humans in it.”—LaFawn Davis, Indeed’s chief people and sustainability officer

 “We’re exploring how AI can lighten the load for our team. Not in a vague future-of-work way, but in real, tangible, day-to-day ways that make an impact. Right now, that means digging in and finding where things feel clunky or repetitive to see if tech can smooth those out…There’s a lot of fear out there about tech replacing people, but that’s not our lens. We see AI as a tool that can cut through some of the noise, so our team can spend more energy on work that feels worth doing.

One example, we just launched an AI forecasting model to help our sourcing team better predict what we’ll need for upcoming menus. It’s already making it easier for them to advocate with suppliers and cut down on food waste. That’s the kind of shift we’re aiming for: More clarity, more confidence, less guesswork.”—Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, COO and head of people at Feast and Fettle

 “As my team and I prepare for the end of 2025, our top priority continues to be enhancing our workforce agility through strategic workforce planning and skills development. At Cornerstone, this means supporting our workforce with a seamless work environment that prioritizes employee experience and development.

Our focus on employee development is centered on ensuring skills and talent visibility remains a top-of-mind priority for our global organization. Agentic AI is evolving the way we work and forcing our teams to rethink what skills we need to prioritize. As we get ahead of this shift, we are leaning into skills mapping and global emerging skills to offer employees hyper-personalized training and career development opportunities.”—Carina Cortez, CPO at Cornerstone OnDemand

What strategies CHROs are focused on for the remainder of 2025

HR Brew asked four chief people leaders to share their top concerns.

When Stephen Patscot, HR practice leader with executive search and leadership consulting firm Spencer Stuart, talks to CEOs about the CHRO role, he often says it’s the “second-hardest job in the C-suite.”

While they may laugh this off, Patscot’s serious about the complexity of the role.

“At any given time, there’s five constituencies that could take this person out...and all of them have competing and sometimes conflicting needs,” he said. CHROs are doing a delicate dance balancing the interests of the CEO, board, leadership team, their team, and the workforce.

 suggests the CHRO role is getting harder, with HR leaders staying in their jobs for a shorter period of time compared to five years ago, and turning over faster than other C-suite executives.

What data says about CHRO tenure, turnover. 

In 2024, the average tenure for CHROs with Fortune 500 companies was 4.7 years, the analysis finds. That’s slightly longer than in 2023, but shorter than 2020, when it was about five and a half years. “It’s a hard job getting harder, and the stays are shorter,” Patscot said.

Turnover among CHROs was 9%, compared with 7% for the C-suite overall. This higher attrition rate, he said, “would be very explainable with all the demands that have been put on HR.”

One major demand on HR leaders’ plate that wasn’t as present five years ago is responding to 

, and their implications for the workforce, Patscot said. He expects AI to “transform the way people are hired, managed, mentored, coached,” while changing the nature of employees’ roles, as well. HR is so closely aligned with AI in the workplace that some experts expect a hybrid C-suite role to emerge in the coming years, perhaps coined as the chief human and AI resources officer, 

 that AI brings to the workplace, CHROs will be responsible for getting employees comfortable with the technology, Patscot predicted. “As the head of HR, you have to be a thoughtful steward of its implementation and a forward looking technologist,” he said.

Another reliable indicator of CHRO turnover is CEO exits, Patscot noted.

If a new CEO comes in with a mandate from their board to change things—whether that involves picking up the pace, bringing in new talent, or reforming the culture—they might look to replace a longstanding CHRO to help execute those goals, Patscot said. Incoming CEOs might want to bring some of their trusted advisors to the company, as well, resulting in new appointments to the C-suite, including the CHRO.

 this year, with departures reaching 222 in January, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the highest level for the month since the firm started tracking in 2002. Recent notable CEO exits include 

We’ll be watching closely to see if an HR shakeup occurs at these organizations next.

Why CHRO turnover is higher than other C-suite roles 

Executives are staying in the CHRO position for a shorter period of time compared to 2020, and turning over at faster rates than their peers, one analysis finds. 

Why CHROs have the “second-hardest job in the C-suite”

When LaFawn Davis was growing up, she didn’t dream of becoming an astronaut, a doctor, or a teacher…she dreamed of becoming the CEO of seven companies, at once.

This ambition inspired a strong work ethic, one that propelled Davis into the workforce at 14, when she took her first job at a Black-owned flower shop in her hometown of San Jose, California. And once she started working, she never stopped.

Despite her strong work ethic, Davis—who landed her current job as Indeed’s chief people and sustainability officer in May 2024—told HR Brew that her career hasn’t always been smooth, in part because she didn’t have a bachelor’s degree.

“I was told that because I didn’t have a college degree, there were certain roles I couldn’t go for. I was a believer that, regardless of what the job description says, if I felt like I could do it, I would go for it anyway,” Davis told HR Brew.

But she isn’t the only HR pro without a bachelor’s degree. Just 31% of people pros in the US have achieved that level of education, according to an HR Brew/Harris Poll survey conducted in September. Some 12% have an associate’s degree, while 30% have a high school diploma and 8% have less. Meanwhile, 18% have a graduate degree.

Davis shared with HR Brew how she climbed the corporate ladder without a four-year college degree.

After graduating high school, Davis enrolled at San José State University. But she said she found herself skipping classes to go to work and decided to drop out and join corporate America. She worked in operational roles at startups during the dotcom era, but when that bubble burst in 2000, she lost her job. And without a bachelor’s degree, Davis said she was turned away from new opportunities.

So at 22, with a newborn to care for, she made the difficult decision to move home with her parents. But she was still determined to rejoin the corporate workforce and fulfill her childhood dream of becoming an executive.

During those post-dotcom years, Davis said she leaned heavily on her network of corporate contacts, who helped her find work as a claims adjustor, executive assistant, and chief of staff. Each role taught her a new admin or people skill. Then, in 2005, she got her big break—she was hired as a program specialist at Google, where she would work for eight years, ending her tenure as its HR business partner for diversity and inclusion.

“I really focus[ed] on a lot of HR programs and initiatives and how diversity, equity, inclusion can be woven throughout the whole process of the employee life cycle,” she said. “I really loved it, and I thought I found what my career path was going to be, as opposed to a job. I felt like I was actually embarking upon a career.”

After Google, Davis said she played a game of “tech company roulette,” moving between employee experience and DEI roles at firms including Yahoo!, eBay, and Paypal. In 2019, nearly 15 years into her HR career, she landed at Indeed as a VP of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Davis said she was lucky to have had so many opportunities to break into corporate America without a bachelor’s degree, and wishes the skills-based hiring her employers practiced were more common.

“The skills-first movement is not anti-college degree at all…It is more that a college degree is just not the only route to gaining skills, and helping both people and companies understand what it means to hire for skills,” she said.

Davis said she used to be “ashamed” that she didn’t have a four-year college degree. Nowadays, she enjoys sharing her story, and uses it to inform her work at Indeed, where she strives to make the application process easier for candidates by encouraging companies to adopt a skills-first approach.

“One of the things that I said when I came into Indeed was, ‘We need to drink our own champagne…Whatever we’re going to ask other companies to do, we need to do it ourselves,” she said, adding that Indeed dropped college-degree requirements from its corporate job postings in 2022, and calls itself a fair chance employer.

“I won’t be the CEO of seven consecutive companies at the same time,” she said, but “becoming part of the C-suite, knowing along the journey that I don’t have a college degree, has been a great space of inspiration for others to know they could do the same.”