5 Things Prudential's Charles F. Lowrey Wants HR Leaders to Know
HR leaders are pivotal in shaping resilient, high-performing organizations. “Talent is everything,” said Prudential Executive Chairman and former CEO Charles F. Lowrey. “Therefore, [HR leaders are] everything, because they help develop and implement the talent strategy.”
But to succeed, he explained, the company’s top HR leader must first and foremost be a solid partner with the CEO. From there, Lowrey said, they must embrace five key responsibilities:
1.
An HR leader must create a world-class HR function.
Leaders must prioritize attracting, developing, and retaining top talent, Lowrey said, while fostering strong, collaborative relationships. Those who report to the CHRO or another HR executive must also be fully aligned with leadership. An HR leader “must have the right mindset to work with both the business president and the HR business partner,” he explained. This alignment, rooted in the right mentality, ensures that HR functions as a strategic organizational partner.
2.
An HR leader needs to be an active member of the executive team.
It’s not enough to help with HR issues (that’s too obvious, Lowrey said). Leaders must also think through challenges, opportunities, and strategies through the lens of their experience and judgment. Lowrey led a full-scale transformation of Prudential, which included streamlining organizational design, processes, and decision-making, to improve customer experience and enhance competitiveness. CHRO Lucien Alziari has been one of the leaders of that strategy. “He was always out in front, saying, ‘We can do more,’” Lowrey said.
3.
An HR leader must be engaged at the board level.
A CHRO is often in front of the board, Lowrey said, and they must earn the directors’ trust. If the CEO hires or fires a senior leader, the board may look to the CHRO for perspective. “Not to question the CEO’s decisions, but to provide more context,” Lowrey explained. “They have to be above reproach and provide an objective voice that the board trusts.”
4.
An HR leader must bring external perspectives.
They can’t be internally focused. Instead, Lowrey said, HR leaders must have their finger on the pulse of the profession and cultivate a flourishing network, just as Lowrey has with other CEOs. When external challenges arise, HR “needs to be able to call up their peers to ask, ‘What are you doing about this?’ ” he added.
5.
An HR leader must be an advisor to the CEO.
The higher a person rises in an organization, the less feedback they get. Therefore, an HR leader “must have a courageous voice, to be able to say things that others might not, and to be a bearer of the truth,” Lowrey said. “I can’t tell you how many times Lucien has come into my office and said, ‘I think you’ve got it wrong.’” There are few people that will do that, Lowrey added, and the top HR leader has to be one of them.
Member Resource: 15 Interview Questions to Build Inclusive, High-Performing Teams
An organization run by AI is not a futuristic concept. Such technology is already a part of many workplaces and will continue to shape the labor market and HR. Here's how employers and employees can successfully manage generative AI and other AI-powered systems.
Related Content
HR must always include human intelligence and oversight of AI in decision-making in hiring and firing, a legal expert said at SHRM24. She added that HR can ensure compliance by meeting the strictest AI standards, which will be in Colorado’s upcoming AI law.
The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.
Learn how Marsh McLennan successfully boosts staff well-being with digital tools, improving productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees.