l Financial Literacy
We can’t mentally switch off when the financials are discussed in the management meeting. How will our organisations survive if we don’t interact with the money people? Creating and interpreting financial information has never been more critical for the HR department. Granted, when we were being groomed into this profession 20 odd years ago spreadsheets were not a common feature on our desks, but for the past several years it has become practically impossible to make any credible report whether written or verbally, without reference to the budget and the financial impact of our practices and programs. It used to be that the only numbers an HR person deals with are payroll updates to Finance and the staff profile sent to the Management report, detailing staff count and other biographic details, as well as numbers of people sent on training and related expenses. In the new dispensation we are expected to be financially literate and be able to make business sense. Without this skill, not only is our efficiency compromised but we are disempowered as players at the strategic organisational level.
