Unmuted Podcast | Episode #79
Topic: When Change Breaks Down - The CEO-CHRO Alignment Test
Guest: Hannah Yardley – Chief People & Culture Officer at Achievers
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahyardley/
Host: Jeff Waldman – Founder & HR Tech Evangelist at ScaleHR & SocialHRCamp
Episode Overview:
Most organizational transformations don't fail because the strategy was wrong. They fail because leaders weren't aligned on how to bring that strategy to life.
During periods of change, CEOs often focus on business strategy, operating models, and outcomes. But what frequently gets overlooked is behavioural clarity, what leaders expect people to do differently, how those behaviours are reinforced, and who is responsible for making key decisions. That's where the CEO-CHRO partnership becomes critical.
In this episode, Hannah Yardley joins us to explore why alignment between the CEO and CHRO is often the deciding factor between successful transformation and organizational confusion. Drawing on her experience leading people and culture functions in high-growth and global organizations, Hannah shares practical insights on behavioural vision, reinforcement, decision rights, and the evolving role of the CHRO in helping organizations navigate change.
We explore:
👉 Why setting a behavioural vision is just as important as setting a strategic vision
👉 How change initiatives break down when reinforcement isn't consistent
👉 The different roles a CHRO plays during transformation -- coach, counsellor, and consultant
👉 Why decision rights should be clarified before tension and confusion emerge
👉 How CEOs and CHROs can build stronger alignment to improve the success of change initiatives
If you're a CEO, CHRO, HR leader, or executive navigating growth, transformation, or AI-driven change, this conversation offers practical lessons on how leadership alignment shapes organizational outcomes.
About Hannah Yardley:
Hannah Yardley is the Chief People & Culture Officer at Achievers, where she helps drive the company's mission of creating workplaces where employees feel recognized, connected, and empowered to perform at their best.
Before Achievers, Hannah worked at Deloitte, advising some of the world's largest organizations on talent strategy and cultural performance. She later served as Global Vice President of People & Culture at Flybits, helping guide the company through periods of rapid growth and scale.
Today, she works closely with leaders across Achievers to build a culture of belonging, engagement, and high performance while helping organizations around the world transform the employee experience.
🔗 Connect with Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahyardley/
About ScaleHR:
The Unmuted Podcast is powered by ScaleHR (https://goscalehr.com/), a rapidly growing company supporting emerging HR, Recruitment, and Work Tech startups and SMBs with brand awareness and lead generation.
Our proprietary solution, Catalyst, blends content strategy, influencer marketing, and omnichannel distribution to help brands cut through the noise.
📩 Connect with ScaleHR: https://www.goscalehr.com/
#Podcast #Leadership #HR #CHRO #FutureOfWork #ChangeManagement #PeopleAndCulture #EmployeeExperience
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