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As Chief HR Officers continue engaging with boards on critical issues such as succession and culture, it is essential to recognize where board efforts in these areas may fall. According to Russell Reynolds Associates’ 2025 Board Culture and Director Behaviors survey—which gathered insights from over 1,000 board directors across 45 countries—43% report that their company lacks a formal CEO succession plan, despite this being a top priority. While best practices suggest boards should begin succession planning at least five years, only 29% have a plan covering the next three to five years, and just 8% extend beyond that timeframe. Similarly, while 51% of boards now discuss corporate culture in at least half of their meetings (up from 37% three years ago), only 53% feel they have access to meaningful data to assess it. To bridge this gap, this article suggests that boards can engage more directly with employees through initiatives like employee resource groups, community partnerships, and structured feedback mechanisms. Leveraging data from exit surveys, external reviews, and workforce insights can help boards make more informed decisions and strengthen organizational culture. This article provides actionable recommendations for how boards can enhance their impact on critical talent and culture issues. As a bonus, I am resharing E&Y’s and Corporate Board Member’s paper on how boards can champion an organization’s talent strategy.
