It’s a new year, and that means the chance to reflect on the past and set goals for the future.
When it comes to HR leaders, 2023 brought a whirlwind of change, from AI’s rapid ascent in the workplace to the increased emphasis on retaining a happy and engaged workforce. This year is likely to bring up the same challenges—and some new ones as well.
We reached out to HR executives from more than 10 companies, including Walmart, WM, and Estée Lauder, to share their New Year’s resolutions with Fortune. Their work aspirations cross a wide array of issues, including AI, employee well being, and how to support frontline managers. Here’s what they had to say about their intentions for 2024.
These responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Cori Davis, chief people officer at Genentech
My New Year's resolution is to bring more joy and energy into the workplace. The last several years have been heavy—from the pandemic to recent global events—and reminders of how meaningful our work is help make the daily experience a positive one. This includes continuing to support and encourage our people so they feel empowered to bring their full selves to work—good days and bad—and ensure they feel seen and valued. So much of our time is dedicated to our work—we should all feel supported and inspired here.
Kelly Rooney, chief human resources and diversity and inclusion officer at WM
In 2024, I am focused on WM’s people-first strategy in an increasingly competitive talent market for frontline and corporate employees, which contemplates a wide range of market shifts and serves to build a sustainable talent engine and equip the organization for the future.
This year, we will look to attract and retain talent by enabling a competency-based talent structure through our learning and development programs that will inform the organization's succession needs. We are also continuing to invest in areas like flexible work and digital assets that enable employee efficiency. And, we will cultivate a culture of belonging by providing benefits that meet the needs of our team while recognizing our folks in meaningful ways.
Colleen McKeown, CHRO at Prologis, a real estate investment trust specializing in supply-chain logistics
My 2024 resolution is to work with our CTO and business leaders to build an AI-focused team with the necessary talent to help the company execute our AI strategy and roadmap. In addition to this, I will continue to focus on succession planning, including ensuring that all very senior roles have two identified successors and all successors have a development plan. Lastly, in 2024 I would like to leverage Prologis’ in-house version of ChatGPT to answer all emails and give me more time to think and plan!
Jacqui Canney, chief people officer at ServiceNow
In 2024, I, along with many other CHROs, am doubling down on prioritizing transformation, mental well-being, GenAI, skills, and DEI. Beyond sustaining the growth and progress we made in these areas in 2023, my New Year’s resolution is to help scale and evolve our business—and that requires a relentless focus on people and technology.
Michael O'Hare, executive vice president of global human resources at Estée Lauder Companies
At The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), we believe in the practice of leadership from every chair and encourage the concept of reverse mentorship where senior leaders learn from emerging talent. In 2024, I’m personally committed to continue learning from the next generation of leaders at ELC and fostering our culture of high-performance leadership across all levels.
Elias Reyna, chief people and diversity officer at Papa Johns
My biggest resolution for this new year is: Dedicate time to reflecting on this central question—“What will make a positive impact in someone’s life TODAY?” Disruption has become the normal—one’s needs can change so quickly, which requires both people and businesses to build higher levels of resilience. To remain competitive for the best talent, a company’s leaders should be constantly thinking about what will help employees bring their full and best selves to work, even in very busy, hectic times.
Megan Smith, head of HR at SAP North America
My New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to encourage better support for frontline and middle managers. The squeeze on managers is real, and 2024 is the opportunity to reverse this and realize the valuable contributions frontline and middle managers make to a company’s ecosystem and performance. Implementing practices to empower and support the success of frontline and middle managers with sufficient levers for them to work smarter and navigate complex problems effectively will pay off with engaged employees who connect into and feel accountable for the company strategy.
Donna Morris, chief people officer at Walmart
There are four areas top of mind for me in the new year. 1) Digital. We want to continue to equip our associates with the digital skills to embrace technology, including GenAI, so associates can spend more time focused on our customers, members and fellow associates. 2) Growth. We provide unparalleled opportunities to learn news skills through on-the-job learning, and via our Walmart Academy and our Live Better U education program—this will continue. 3) Associate well-being. We’ll continue to invest in the physical, financial and emotional well-being of our associates so they’re at their best personally and professionally. 4) Belonging. We’ll continue strengthening our culture of belonging so every associate feels valued and celebrated for who they are.
Andy Gold, CHRO at Pitney Bowes
Expand my knowledge of and experience with various AI offerings/options—from automation to generative. Especially interested in how we can use AI to free up HR, managers, and employees to focus on more value-add activities and improve employee experience, and how we can use it to support our mail and parcel sortation employees who speak many different languages to obtain personalized information in their native language. Other goals include to further incorporate learning into HR offerings and organization design, and to expand the use of metrics and data to drive my decision making.
Sheri Bronstein, CHRO at Bank of America
To help our employees reach their own 2024 goals. When I think about New Year’s resolutions, it’s less about one specific goal that I am setting as CHRO, and more about what our employees aim to do, professionally and personally in 2024, and how we’re helping them achieve that—whether those resolutions are related to their financial, physical or emotional health. They could have their sights set on gaining a new skill, earning a degree, getting healthier, starting a family or saving for retirement—and those are all examples of things that we support as part of our commitment to being a great place to work.
