What Despite a solid working relationship and common ground on major issues, there are some disconnects between HR and Finance that Finance could hinder the organization. Because benefit decisions are a shared responsibility, we explored Thinks of HR the perspectives of decision makers from the Finance department. The survey also captured the perceptions of middle market finance executives on HR and employee benefits issues, which provided additional insights as to their mindsets and concerns going forward. When asked about their financial priorities, Finance ranked more precise cash forecasting (29 percent) and avoiding a cyber breach (22 percent) over reducing the cost of employee benefits (19 percent). Considering that benefits are a top five business expense in most organizations, these findings suggest that decision makers need to rethink employee benefits as a strategic imperative. The majority of Finance executives polled (78 percent) said they consider HR a strategic partner, with 83 percent noting that HR keeps them apprised of potentially budget-busting developments. (See Figure 7) That view might have contributed to the group’s apparent confidence in their organizations’ ACA compliance readiness: Only 56 percent ranked it as a top HR priority. In fact, only 15 percent ranked ACA compliance as the top priority compared to 18 percent of HR leaders. Figure 7. Finance Perspectives on Human Resources How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (5=Agree strongly, 4= Agree, 3=Neither, 2= Disagree, 1=Strongly Disagree) AGREE AVERAGE RESPONSE MY HR DEPARTMENT KEEPS ME APPRISED OF EVERYTHING I 83% 4.1 NEED TO KNOW IN FINANCE THAT COULD IMPACT MY BUDGET I SUPPORT THE FUNDING OF NEW HR TECHNOLOGY/SOFTWARE 79% 4 TO MANAGE/REDUCE COMPLIANCE WITH ACA REPORTING I THINK OF OUR HR DEPARTMENT AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER 78% 4.1 I SUPPORT THE FUNDING OF NEW HR TECHNOLOGY/ 70% 3.9 SOFTWARE TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH ACA REPORTING I DON’T EXPECT TO PAY ANY FINES/PENALTIES TO THE IRS DUE TO 70% 3.9 ACA REPORTING NON-COMPLIANCE FOR OUR FILING THIS YEAR AS A COST CENTER MY HR DEPARTMENT HAS COME IN ON BUDGET 70% 3.8 Research Report | Employee Benefits Barometer: SMB Perspectives and Priorities in an Era of Disruption 10