Introduction
Many small and medium-sized businesses depend on their financial leaders to handle HR and other administrative tasks, regardless of their background and expertise. This includes roles like CEO, CFO, and Controller — often ones that have little experience or training in matters related to recruiting, hiring, and managing the workforce, yet oversee the company’s talent acquisition and management.
In such situations, the workforce gets short shrift. HR-related issues receive only the time they require, not the time they need. Despite the manager’s best intentions, areas like engagement, workplace culture, and performance management fall by the wayside.
Since spending time on HR means less time for budgeting, forecasting, taxes, and compliance, the manager’s core function suffers as well. This can hurt the company, especially as it distracts managers from their most critical task: growing their business.
The CFO of a major auto maintenance franchisee offers an example. Mary C. never set out to run HR—finance has always been her professional home. Over three decades, her company has grown from five small stores into a sprawling operation of 52 locations and some 350 employees across Arizona. At the same time, her role has evolved beyond traditional finance to include payroll systems, compliance issues, employee turnover, and benefits strategy.
“Like many CFOs in growing mid-market companies, especially franchise operations, I became HR by default,” Mary said. “And that pivot has been one of the most eye-opening transitions of my career.”
While finance and HR might seem worlds apart, Mary sees them as deeply interwoven. “That’s not theoretical,” she said. “It’s tangible and immediate.”
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