HR Customer Service Center Specialist

Salary Grade

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary for this position at the time of its posting. The starting wage rate is $22.13 per hour. Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.

Job Description

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The specialist will represent the human resources department as a point of contact for general human resources inquiries and is responsible for facilitating a positive experience through concierge services and HR solutions for staff, faculty, managers, clients, and visitors. Under limited supervision, this position supports the university's research initiatives by serving as the primary human resources department contact for all academic position onboarding paperwork. This position is expected to provide general support in the service center operations, while serving as the university's primary contact for Tuition Waiver and Tuition Reimbursement as well as exit interviews. Serves as backup for weekly orientation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Advise, accept and calculate tuition waiver and tuition reimbursement from initial inquiry up until a tax analysis is completed for waivers and disbursements of funds for reimbursements. (24%)
• Provide general assistance to faculty and staff with regard to non-educational benefits offered by the human resources and auxiliary services departments. Troubleshoot customer experiences with human resources forms, including but not limited to Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts and Child Care Support while Traveling (21%)
• Serve in the HR service center as a customer contact and source of information to staff and faculty on established HR policies, procedures, and programs. Greet and direct visitors and notify HR members when guests arrive. Answer incoming telephone calls in a positive manner, quickly establishing rapport over the phone. Administer and provide customer service for HR email alias accounts. Respond to clients in a polite and courteous manner, calmly and effectively handling routine and complex issues for customers while projecting patience, empathy and compassion. Responsible for quickly and accurately identifying and assessing client needs and taking the appropriate action steps to satisfy those needs by analyzing situations, probing for information to determine if the question can be answered immediately, routing or escalating to the service center manager or a subject matter expert if necessary, and adopting an effective course of action. Solve problems systematically by using sound business judgment and follow through, research, and follow through with employee issues, educate, assist, and advise employees on HR processes and policies, provide guidance for employees regarding where they can obtain the information online in the future, and guide employees and external clients in accessing tools and resources. Ensure all forms are updated with relevant changes and restock physical forms as needed. Document customer calls, emails and client interactions. (16%)
• Posting research positions for departments outside of Human Resources; scheduling and completion of new hire paperwork for benefits eligible research positions with occasional assistance of the supervisor. Collaborate with academic schools in coordinating the weekly orientation of newly hired faculty and appointed staff (e.g., notifications, organizing paperwork packet materials, and supplies). Assist faculty and appointed staff with Form I-9 and onboarding paperwork upon hire. Assist in maintaining accurate updated orientation handout materials. Assist faculty and appointed staff with completing benefits enrollment paperwork, create benefits files with completed forms for new faculty, and deliver completed benefits forms to benefits administration. Ensure new hire orientation for faculty is scheduled appropriately and provide necessary documentation for new employees to obtain an Employee Identification card. (10%)
• Communicating with our Records departments voluntary changes and corrections that need to be made in the Human Capital Management system or verifications of employment that need completed when errors have been made changing someone from part-time to full-time, staff to faculty, or highest level of education needs updated. Contacts Records for history of paper W-4 changes, Social Security Application letter, Social Security Card has been received or name change requests have been received. Sending Exit Interviews, conducting Exit Interviews, when requested and reporting out results for use in professional development, benefit department, and workforce planning and development initiatives in a back-up capacity for the manager. Assist with substantive projects for HR specialties, including but not limited to Benefits and Workforce Planning and Development. Analyze processes and identify areas for improvement, including conducting research and benchmarking analysis for HR. Routinely assist with preparation of severance agreements and outplacement materials. (10%)
• Advising internal and external customers that they have reached the wrong department or business. (8%)
• Provide general assistance to current, former and future employees with regard to university retirement plans. Assistance may include, but is not limited to, plan enrollment, completing forms, accessing plan documents, and benefit disbursements. (7%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Advising on VISA issues. This position has no direct reports but will assist as backup to and trainer of the human resources customer service center coordinator. (3%)
• Perform other duties as assigned. (1%)

CONTACTS

Department: Continuous contact with offices across Human Resources to seek information and resolution to employee inquiries. Occasional contact with employment staff to provide administrative support for job openings, new hire orientation, and other tasks when the HR Service Center Coordinator and HR Service Center Manager are unavailable. Moderate contact with HR leadership regarding complex issues and special projects.

University: Continuous contact with staff and faculty employees for multiple troubleshooting issues. Cited as Human Resources contact for various communications sent by the university departments.

External: Occasional contact with customer inquiries outside the university (e.g., job applicants, agencies, organizations), employment history inquiries.

Students: Occasional contact with international students waiting to be seen by the VISA department when needed. Will take the requests of students, enter them into a chat and wait up to fifteen minutes for a response to relay to student standing in front of the employee when neither the HR Service Center Coordinator or Manager is available.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

No supervisory responsibility.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience/Education: Bachelor's degree required and one or more years of customer service experience with a high volume of customer interactions OR High School education and five or more years if customer service experience with a high volume of customer interactions. HR generalist experience or college coursework in Human Resources helpful. Certification as a Notary Public or the ability to become certified is preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Must be able to demonstrate positivity, empathy, ownership of actions, proactiveness, the ability to look for solutions beyond handbooks and identify experts within and outside of the department for advanced questions.
• Ability to form effective partnerships with clients and establish rapport with others. Foster team spirit and cooperation within the HR Customer Service Center as well as the other departments in Human Resources.
• Must be able to see issues from multiple perspectives and communicate complex concepts in simple terms.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to communicate clearly and provide timely and accurate information. Must have excellent grammar skills for composing a variety of written communication for the university community.
• Exceptional customer service skills. Models and reinforces the Human Resources mission.
• Strong problem resolution skills. Ability to manage difficult customer situations and understand implications of decisions. Ability to research issues, analyze situations, and adopt a course of action to respond to customer needs with or without precedent.
• Ability to support the Human Resources department by following policies and procedures, completing tasks accurately and consistently, working with integrity, and upholding the organization's goals and values.
• Use time effectively and efficiently. Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize them accordingly.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and work effectively with different constituents and employees of all levels and from diverse backgrounds with empathy, care, compassion and sincerity in voice, tone, and words.
• Ability to handle and maintain confidential and/or sensitive information with proper care and discretion. Maintain ethical values.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office application (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) and Google Docs. Proficient in the use of the internet, knowledge of Drupal webpages maintenance. Must have experience with Google productivity tools.

WORKING CONDITIONS

General office environment.

Diversity Statement

In employment, as in education, Case Western Reserve University is committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity. Women, veterans, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Reasonable Accommodations

Case Western Reserve University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicant will be made on a case-by-case basis.