'Organisations are still making CHRO changes, but doing so more selectively'
Turnover for chief human resources officers softened slightly in the first quarter of 2026, as appointments and departures for the executive position declined to 43 each.
This is according to the latest Global CHRO Turnover Index from Russell Reynolds Associates, which described the succession for this executive role as "becoming more deliberate."
"Organisations are making slightly fewer moves overall, but when they do make a change, they are widening the search, weighing experience carefully, and holding leaders in role for longer," the report read.
Appointments and departures were down to 43 each in the first quarter across tracked indices, compared with the 46 appointments and exits recorded in the same period a year ago.
Regionally, the S&P 500 just saw 15 CHRO appointments in Q1 2026, down from the 23 last year. Hiring activity was also down in the Asia-Pacific indices, including the ASX 100, Nikkei 225, and Hang Seng.
In the United Kingdom, however, the FTSE 100 saw a more active quarter with four CHRO appointments and four departures, an increase from the two appointments and exits last year.
"The broader message from the quarter is not one of retrenchment, but of restraint. Organisations are still making CHRO changes, but doing so more selectively," the report read.
Longer CHRO tenures recorded
The selective changes in the CHRO position comes with longer tenures, with the average outgoing CHRO tenure rising to 5.4 years globally.
"The data suggests organisations are holding CHROs in role for longer before making a change," the report read.
"That may reflect the growing breadth of the CHRO remit, with boards and CEOs placing greater value on continuity in a role that now spans leadership, culture, transformation, succession, and workforce strategy."
External appointments, first-time CHROs rise
Meanwhile, external appointments made up the majority of the incoming CHROs with 56%, driven strongly by the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100.
"Overall, we're seeing organisations deliberately choose between two valid CHRO profiles: an internal leader who knows the business, its culture, and where resistance to change sits; or an external leader who brings fresh perspective, a track record of leading change, and a clearer playbook for transformation," the report read.
The bigger indices also favoured experienced CHROs, with the report noting that most of the incoming CHROs in the S&P 500 and FTSE 100 previously had experience in the role.
However, first-time CHROs continue to gain ground after making up 60% of global appointments in Q1 2026.
According to the report, this shows that step-up talent still has a "clear place" in the market, but there are organisations putting greater weight on leaders who already have a proven track record.
"Together, these trends point to a succession environment in which future-fit role definition, internal bench strength, and the ability to lead transformation matter more than ever," the report read.
