The HR Generalist’s Operational Rhythm: A Checklist

The Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Checklist for HR Generalist

Daily Rituals (The Hygiene)

Goal: Keep the engine running and maintain visibility.

• [ ] The 10:00 AM Attendance Check: Look at your Biometric/HRMS dashboard.

  • Who is absent without notice? (Call them by 11:00 AM).

  • Who is late consistently? (Note for manager feedback).

• [ ] The "Inbox Zero" Sweep: Check the dedicated hr@company.com or tickets@company.com queue.

  • Rule: Acknowledge every email within 4 hours, even if you don't have the answer yet.

• [ ] The "Floor Walk" (Virtual or Physical):

  • Don't eat lunch at your desk. Walk the floor or join a random slack channel conversation. Be visible so people feel comfortable approaching you.

• [ ] The Interview Prep:

  • Check tomorrow's interview schedule. Do managers have the resumes? Are the meeting rooms/Zoom links booked?

Weekly Rhythm (The Pulse)

Goal: Close open loops and prepare for the future.

• [ ] Monday: New Hire Onboarding:

  • Welcome new joiners. Ensure laptops and emails are ready before they arrive.

• [ ] Wednesday: Recruitment Review:

  • Meet with Hiring Managers. Don't ask "Any updates?" Ask "Why haven't we interviewed anyone for the Sales role yet?"

  • Update the ATS. Reject candidates who didn't make the cut (don't ghost them).

• [ ] Friday: Culture & Wrap-Up:

  • "Fun Friday" / Engagement: Send the weekly internal newsletter (Birthdays, Work Anniversaries, New Joiners).

  • Payroll Prep: Approve any time-sheets or expense claims submitted that week.

  • The "To-Do" Reset: clean your physical desk and plan the 3 big goals for next week.

Monthly Milestones (The Compliance)

Goal: Ensure accuracy and avoid legal penalties.

Week 1: The Review

• [ ] Attendance Finalization: Close the attendance for the previous month.

• [ ] Statutory Payments (India):

  • Generate PF & ESIC Challans (Due by 15th).

  • Pay TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) (Due by 7th).

  • Pay Professional Tax (State specific).

Week 2: The Engagement

• [ ] Town Hall / All Hands: Help leadership prepare slides. What are the key HR updates?

• [ ] Probation Confirmations: Who is completing 3 or 6 months? Send confirmation letters or extension notices.

Week 3: The Payroll Input (The "Cut-Off")

• [ ] Variable Pay & OT: Calculate Sales Commissions and Overtime data.

• [ ] New Joinee/Exit Data: Ensure all new joiners are added to payroll and exits are removed.

• [ ] Investment Proofs: (Jan-March specifically) Collect rent receipts/LIC proofs for tax computation.

Week 4: The Closure

• [ ] Payroll Processing: Run the trial payroll. Check for errors (Negative salary? Massive jumps?).

• [ ] Salary Credit: Ensure bank transfer happens on the committed date (e.g., the 30th or 1st).

• [ ] Full & Final (FnF) Settlements: Process settlements for employees who left in the previous month.

• [ ] MIS Reporting: Send the "Monthly HR Report" to the CEO (Headcount, Attrition %, Hiring vs. Target).

 Quarterly & Annual (The Strategy)

• Quarterly: Performance Check-ins, POSH Committee Meeting, Policy Audit.

• Annually (March/April): Appraisals, Salary Revisions, Form-16 issuance, Handbook Refresh.

Summarized by HR Mit