What are some of the overlooked but essential C-suite positions in an organization? To help you get familiar with some of the C-suite positions in an organization, we asked HR experts and business leaders this question for jobs they thought should be discussed. From positions that address environmental initiatives to community strategists, we have rounded up C-suite roles becoming more and more prevalent.
Here are eight overlooked but essential C-suite positions in an organization:
- Embrace Environmental and Societal Initiatives
- Grow a Company Through HR
- Prioritize Diversity in the Workplace
- Protect Your Company’s Security
- Maintain High Compliance Standards
- Establish a Community Strategist
- Put Your Customers First
- Measure Employee Happiness
Embrace Environmental and Societal Initiatives
Typical C-Suite positions include chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), and chief information officer (CIO). Still, most people never think of positions like a chief green officer (CGO) and chief diversity officer (CDO). As companies continue to evolve and embrace environmental, social governance strategies, roles are also being created to drive them. These positions are central to measuring the sustainability and societal impact that companies make within the community and beyond.
— Sara Brown, Cruise America
Grow a Company Through HR
A Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) is one of the most essential yet overlooked C-Suite positions at a company. A CHRO oversees critical elements of a company’s success, such as its talent management, retention, and succession planning. Hiring a talented CHRO is key to successfully growing any company. Read up on the roles and responsibilities of a CHRO to determine if your company should consider this level of HR leadership.
— Jon Schneider, Recruiterie
Prioritize Diversity in the Workplace
The role of Chief Diversity Officer is relatively new to the playing field. However, as part of many organizations’ efforts to invest more resources in workplace diversity and inclusion and the racial events from the summer of 2020, many companies are taking an active role in addressing these issues on the national and global stage. The Chief Diversity Officer will prioritize a strategy to address workplace discrimination, diversity in staff and build a positive organizational culture.
— Rronniba Pemberton, Markitors
Protect Your Company’s Security
For many organizations, the responsibility for cybersecurity or information security (infosec) often falls to the CTO. But your technology leader is already wearing multiple hats. As your organization grows, there are more potential compliance regulations you’ll have to meet. Plus, you’ll have a growing team of employees that could potentially become the victim of a phishing scam, leading to a business email compromise, data breach, or ransomware. If you don’t have the budget for a CIO or CISO, consider who will own security for your organization and how you can rally your team around cybersecurity to prevent a cyber attack.
— Lauren Patrick, Curricula
Maintain High Compliance Standards
Many companies tend to divert to siloed structures where all functions work without a common framework for adhering to regulatory requirements. Appointing a Chief Compliance Officer helps introduce standardized policies that shield the company from potential lawsuits and rare but severe risks. It can also help the company to integrate the compliance rules with commercial orientation.
— Michael Sena, Senacea
Establish a Community Strategist
Businesses can increase profits, customer engagement, retention, and word-of-mouth referrals by hiring a Chief Community Officer (CCO). A CCO is in charge of the company’s overall community strategy and ensures that the community team is adequately staffed and resourced. They are also networked in IT and marketing. Community is not a distinct, separate business unit, so it requires a c-suite position to ensure it works effectively and to its maximum potential.
— Dale Reardon, Travel For All
Put Your Customers First
There are many people who’ve helped my company succeed, and I think a C-suite position that is overlooked a lot is the Chief Customer Officer (CCO). There’s nothing greater than having good customer service and in order for your company to carry an honest reputation, you need to have someone who truly carries the values consumers look for. We’re in the process of promoting one of our long-time AC technicians to CCO because he’s the backbone in teaching others the importance of always putting the customer first. CCOs remind companies to be human in a working world.
— Natalie Sullivan, Cooler Air Today
Measure Employee Happiness
It is often overlooked, but the Chief Happiness Officer (CHRO) can be critical for an organization. The CHRO monitors and reports on employee happiness to identify opportunities where improvement may exist, such as retention rates or company culture. Ultimately, it is their job to help employees at all levels in their organization thrive. With the many changes the workforce experienced this past year, introducing a CHRO role is even more important.
— Altay Gursel, Metriculum
