Understanding CXO Archetypes: Chief People Officer

Each function within a business is unique. Similarly, the executives leading those functions are unique and bring particular skills and experience to their roles. No individual can be an expert at everything, and while a CXO might thrive in one situation, they might not be well suited for another. 

At Bolster, we believe there are common types of leaders within a business function, whether marketing, finance, revenue, or product. We refer to these commonalities as CXO Archetypes. When we advise our clients on a search, archetypes are a useful tool to help identify the right talent for their needs.

While anyone at an executive level will bring a wealth of experience to their functional area, each person will have preferences, values, and deeper experience in certain areas and skills. Understanding where an executive excels within their function (their archetype), and knowing what type of functional leader your business needs, significantly increases your likelihood of making a successful hire. 

In this series, we’re breaking down the most common archetypes of senior executives across marketing, finance, revenue, product, and people. We’ve identified three common archetypes of the Chief People Officer (sometimes called the Chief Human Resources Officer). In this post, we’re looking at what makes each archetype unique, when your business might need that type of people leader, and how to identify them when you’re hiring a CPO.

The Traditional HR Leader

The Traditional HR Leader is deeply committed to operational excellence, prioritizing the creation of scalable, efficient processes that align with the organization’s long-term goals. This CPO excels in defining robust people operations frameworks that streamline hiring, onboarding, and performance management, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across the organization. Skilled at organizational design, this leader strategically structures teams to support growth and adaptability while implementing comprehensive learning and development programs to enhance employees' skills and career progression. Additionally, they expertly manage compensation and benefits, establishing equitable and competitive packages that attract and retain top talent. By balancing operational rigor with a people-centric approach, this leader strengthens the organizational foundation, enabling sustainable growth and productivity.

When to Hire The Traditional HR Leader:
This leader is ideal for organizations with a more conventional structure and a CEO who expects HR to focus on maintaining smooth, efficient operations. The Traditional HR Leader is particularly well-suited to companies ready to streamline and formalize their people operations to build a structured, consistent employee experience that supports long-term success.

How to Identify The Traditional HR Leader:
Look for candidates with a career trajectory rooted in core HR roles, beginning with foundational positions such as HR Coordinator or HR Manager. These professionals have typically advanced through roles like Senior Director of HR, People, or People Operations, where they honed their skills in process management, organizational consistency, and scalable HR practices. Many have also held titles such as HR Business Partner or People Operations Manager, where they developed an operational mindset focused on aligning people strategies with business needs. This background equips them with a deep understanding of HR fundamentals, making them adept at creating robust, scalable HR systems that support smooth operations as the company grows. Their experience is grounded in managing the critical aspects of HR, positioning them to establish the stable and efficient frameworks essential for organizations prioritizing operational excellence.

The Team Builder

The Team Builder is dedicated to creating a vibrant, diverse workforce. They place a strong emphasis on talent acquisition and retention. This leader is highly skilled in recruiting and retaining top talent, leveraging a strategic approach to find individuals whose unique skills and perspectives enhance the organization’s culture and drive innovation. They prioritize seamless onboarding experiences that set new employees up for success from day one, fostering belonging and engagement early in each team member’s journey. With a keen eye on defining people operations, this CPO ensures that processes are supportive, inclusive, and aligned with the company’s values. By cultivating a culture that values diverse experiences and backgrounds, the Team Builder creates a thriving environment where employees feel empowered, valued, and motivated to contribute to the organization’s success.

When to Hire The Team Builder:
This CPO is ideal for early-stage and high-growth companies that need to prioritize recruiting to fuel their rapid expansion. In these environments, the Team Builder focuses on building the talent pipeline and attracting skilled candidates who align with the company’s mission and values. For companies in aggressive growth phases, the Team Builder’s recruitment-driven strategy provides the foundational people infrastructure essential for sustainable success.

How to Identify The Team Builder:
Look for a candidate who began their career as a recruiter with first-hand expertise in sourcing and attracting top talent. This early experience in recruitment typically provides them with a strong talent-focused perspective, which they carry into broader HR roles like People Operations. In these subsequent roles, leaders expand their skills to include retention, onboarding, and culture-building, combining their recruiting acumen with a strategic approach to people management. This career path makes them well-equipped to lead in fast-growing companies where attracting and retaining the right talent is paramount.

The Culture Leader

The Culture Leader is driven by the belief that a strong, positive culture is essential for outstanding business performance. Focused on fostering an environment where values align with business goals, this leader is adept at shaping organizational culture to energize and unify teams across all levels. They bring expertise in internal communications, ensuring transparency and engagement that resonate throughout the company, while their strategic approach to organizational design creates a structure that supports growth and agility. Expanding learning and development programs is a priority, since this provides employees with opportunities to advance their skills and thrive professionally. The Culture Leader also leads DEI initiatives, implementing strategies that embed diversity, equity, and inclusion deeply within the organization’s fabric. As a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive team, this leader offers insights that align people strategies with business objectives, fostering a culture that fuels high performance and sustainable success.

When to Hire The Culture Leader:
This CPO is the perfect fit for companies that view a strong, positive culture as essential to driving business performance. They excel in high-growth organizations, particularly those expanding their teams or operating across multiple locations, where a cohesive culture is critical to maintaining alignment and engagement. With a focus on shaping values-driven, inclusive environments, a Culture Leader CPO fosters unity and purpose, which are essential for scaling businesses. 

How to Identify The Culture Leader:
Seek out candidates whose early career roles include positions like HR Coordinator, HR Manager, Senior Director of HR or People Operations, or Training Coordinator. These roles provide a solid foundation in both the operational and people-centered aspects of HR, equipping leaders with the insight needed to build and nurture a strong organizational culture. Experience as an HR Business Partner or in Learning and Development roles further refines their ability to support employees' growth while aligning teams with company values and goals. These titles indicate a background in understanding and addressing employees’ diverse needs, facilitating communication across departments, and promoting continuous development—all essential skills for a leader tasked with embedding culture as a key component of business strategy. This career path suggests a deep commitment to creating an engaging, inclusive workplace where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute.

When it comes to hiring a Chief People Officer, it’s important to understand what your business needs most and align your search around the persona that most closely matches your needs. While you may find your ideal people or HR leader embodies aspects of multiple archetypes, this framework can be a useful tool as you prioritize your requirements and identify the types of candidates you most want to consider. 

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At Bolster, we’re reinventing executive search by combining the power of experienced recruiters with our intelligent sourcing platform. Built by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, Bolster matches CEOs with transformational executives for full-time, fractional, and board roles—without the hassle of traditional talent sourcing. It’s smarter search done faster and with more confidence.

When you work with Bolster, our extraordinary team will work alongside you to make your search a success. We take the time to listen, understand, and respond to your needs, support you throughout your search, and offer our expertise as a resource. 

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