How do you see the current state of the HR talent pipeline? What do you seek when looking for top HR talent?
I've always believed that the CHRO has to be the ultimate business partner for the CEO, but you also need to be a business partner with your peers.”
Jeanne Mason: I love candidates who have a very strong business acumen, and who apply that to HR. They understand how the company makes money, how it operates, and can discuss all range of business topics. But, importantly, they have a very strong human resources skillset around talent management, talent acquisition, compensation, human development and human motivation. I look for people who have come up through HR and have a passion for human resources and to make the human resources function the best that it can be.
I definitely see great talent out there. I've been really pleased with the capabilities and competencies in the marketplace, and we have been very, very fortunate to be able to attract great talent to Baxter. I feel like part of the attraction comes from the meaningful mission we have here at Baxter: an iconic brand, a great culture with a strong reputation, a strong HR function where people see that we're doing progressive things. They see the HR function they want to join.
How have you seen the CHRO role evolve over the past several years? How has that impacted both how the function operates at Baxter and your CHRO succession planning?
Jeanne Mason: The CHRO is the ultimate business partner role in the company. I've always believed that the CHRO has to be the ultimate business partner for the CEO, but you also need to be a business partner with your peers. I don't see that changing.
For example, I think that’s a reasonable way to think about AI. Where is AI headed? Where will it make the biggest impact? How much work will change because of AI? So many basics could change, and we have to get ahead of that. We need to skate to where the puck is going to be.
Ultimately, the CHRO has to stay on their toes — ready to look around the corner and recognize what they see around the corner. The role is going to become more and more strategic as a result.
How do you see this level of change as it relates to people obtaining the experience and exposure to be able to “see around corners”? Or is it just about educating yourself to be ready for that?
Ultimately, the CHRO has to stay on their toes — ready to look around the corner and recognize what they see around the corner. The role is going to become more and more strategic as a result.”
Jeanne Mason: There are a few traits I look for in people. Courage is one fundamental trait, I believe. You have to have courage to speak up and try new things. You’re going to make some mistakes and that’s OK. I'm trying to reinforce that in my team — there is no stupid question or wrong idea. Put anything on the table, take calculated risks and fail fast.
I have also organized my HR team in a segment structure, so they have full businesses to support. They need to be thinking about their businesses, and how they’re run, and the dynamics affecting them. It’s an opportunity for me to see how they think about things. And giving them a business to be responsible for enables them to build their expertise and business acumen.
That was my experience at GE. I was in a GE business. I was very independent and had responsibility for the full scope. And it forced me to take risks, make decisions, live with my decisions, course-correct when I needed to. I think it's a muscle you have to hone — that you have to exercise. This helps you get stronger and stronger.
Looking ahead to the future, how do you see the job changing for leaders today, particularly in the CHRO position?
Jeanne Mason: To start, I think the traits and qualifications of today will still hold in the future. You need to be agile. You need to be tenacious. You need to have a curious mind. And you have to be willing to dig in, and not just wait for things to happen.
The HR leader also has to be able to be a teacher. A CHRO gets to that position by accumulating a lot of knowledge and experience, and your team is looking to you to be someone that they can and want to learn from.
In recent years, we’ve found ourselves leading things we never thought we would. For example, whoever knew that we would have been involved in the vaccinations requirement that came during Covid.
So, who knows what's around the corner? We have to be at the ready every moment in order to take on whatever comes at us, and have the courage to grab ahold of it and say, "Hey, CEO put me in the game. I’ll take care of it."
We’d love to hear how you're thinking about AI. What use cases are you starting with? How are you approaching it specifically for HR?
I don't see the use of AI as moving away from humans and HR. It’s about helping the business partners through better tools, producing better job descriptions and job evaluations, and conducting more efficient candidate screening and interviews.”
Jeanne Mason: I feel good about where we are with several internal use cases, and with the internal data we’re building that’s going to be really powerful for our HR organization. I’m particularly interested in utilizing data to do predictive analytics — for example, who is likely to leave the organization, before they even know themselves.
We recognize AI as a big opportunity if we get it right. One place we’re using it right now is to improve the candidate experience. We hire 10,000 people a year, and AI can help us with efficiencies and effectiveness.
I don't see the use of AI as moving away from humans and HR. It’s about helping the business partners through better tools, producing better job descriptions and job evaluations, and conducting more efficient candidate screening and interviews. I hope we get to the point where AI will help us better predict success in the job. That can be a game-changer.
The tools will help us as long as human beings are engaged when and where it really matters. When does the human intervention need to happen? And what's the right time? And what's the right place? That's the art and the science here.