The HR department is working frantically to finish all of the various requirements to close out 2007 and piled on top of those tasks are items that need to be initiated for 2008.   Already the department starts out in the hole or behind.  Analyzing or identifying trends from 2007 is always a want or goal but as usual it now becomes a distant wish or priority as the basic tactical day to day demands are all consuming.  Sorting through the various piles that are coming in from multiple departments from previous year need to be checked and rechecked then submitted for final report and formatted to fit the homegrown excel report.  If one could look across the department as a whole, you see this process repeated again and again.  Regardless of the project; W-2’s for the year, Open Enrollment, Merit/Salary Increases, Vacation Plans, Performance Reviews, Succession Management, Applicant Tracking etc, etc, the list seems endless and the process is antiquated.

This same HR department swore that this year would be different.  In those brief moments, last year when they had a chance to breathe, to see beyond the task at hand, they saw and discussed how much better things could be.  The group talked about getting out in front, becoming proactive, earning a seat at the leadership table.  For the HR group, as it is for so many others it is not about working harder it’s about working smarter.  But for now to them it feels like the movie “Ground Hog Day,” same thing over and over and over again.   

Joe Barrett
Vice President Sales
Achievant