The Human Resources Department is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Public Services Specialist - Confidential.
As the Public Services Specialist (PSS), you will join a dynamic team of innovative, creative, and cutting-edge human resources professionals. With a welcoming attitude and friendly smile, you will be the “face” of the Human Resources Department (HR) as the initial contact for County employees, retirees, and the public contacting HR in person, by telephone, and by email. A keen interest in public service and the field of human resources and a demonstrated experience working successfully at the receptionist’s desk of a busy organization are hallmarks for fulfilling, purposeful work in this position.
At the receptionist’s desk, you will greet job seekers coming in for interviews and examination processes, manage the waiting area, and help put job candidates at ease. In addition, you will assist employees and retirees who have appointments to discuss their medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. You will also support the various HR divisions with standard and more complex clerical work including assisting with preparations for Service Awards for employees, assisting the Jobs for Youth team with their empowering events, coordinating ordering office supplies and facilities requests, retrieving and sorting mail, and assisting Learning and Development with the Tuition Assistance program. In addition, you will help prepare for HR and County sponsored activities including wellness events, Women’s Hall of Fame, and Transgender Day of Remembrance to name a few. Also, you will provide verbal verification of employment for current employees.
Critical skills include the ability to:
Communicate clearly and concisely in an amicable manner.
Manage a multi-line telephone system and use Voice over Internet Protocol system.
Greet and screen individuals by telephone and in person.
Take messages and route them to the appropriate employees.
Give directions and answer questions regarding County services, sometimes under difficult or stressful circumstances.
Provide specific information regarding the functions, activities, and programs of HR.
Maintain a knowledge base of the services and functions provided by the departments throughout the County.
Schedule and coordinate conference rooms and meetings and facilitate catering orders.
Effectively and efficiently use the Microsoft Office Suite and learn new computer systems and software including our HR Systems – Workday, Learning Management System, NeoGov and Wellness Portal PreventionCloud
Provide clerical support on a variety of complex tasks.
Coordinate service calls with County Departments and vendors.
Sort mail, order office supplies, maintain calendars, and complete other duties as assigned.
The ideal candidate will be able to adapt to frequent interruptions, speak in a clear, concise, courteous, and cheerful manner, use appropriate initiative, sound judgment, and tact to handle sensitive discussions and interactions with others, relate well with individuals of diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic background, manage tension-filled situations effectively, work well under stress, maintain the attitude of providing excellent customer service at all times, and function as an integral member of our Human Resources team.
Though not required, fluency in a second language is desired. Positions designated as bilingual receive additional pay in the amount of $70 bi-weekly.
The Public Services Specialist position is a Confidential position. A 5% allowance is added to the salary for this position, making the annual salary range $59,536 - $75,437.
This is a full-time permanent position with in-person hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Starting April 2024, the Human Resources Department will join five other departments in moving into the County’s newly built office building at 500 County Center, in Redwood City. This beautiful new, state-of-the-art building has all the amenities of a modern workplace including an on-site café and gym. It is an exciting time to join our team!
The Human Resources Department
The individual selected for this position will join a team of committed HR colleagues dedicated to supporting the 6000+ employees who make up our workforce and who provide exceptional services to the residents and businesses in San Mateo County.
The Human Resources Department is characterized as a friendly environment where staff members go above and beyond to find answers and solutions to any challenges or problems our employees encounter. Though the work can be busy, staff members approach it with an energetic smile and a willingness to “go the extra mile”. Our hallmark is to create a remarkable experience for our employees and customers.
Our mission is to attract, develop, and retain a high performing and diverse workforce and promote a positive employee experience that maximizes individual potential and well-being leading to exceptional service to the community we serve. Our department prides itself on its excellent reputation for being a leader in best practices in human resources.
The Department has a staff of 83 regular employees and an annual budget of $25 million. Our divisions include HR Strategic Support and Partnerships, Classification and Compensation, Employee Benefits and Wellness, Employee and Labor Relations, Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, HR Information Management, Learning and Development, Organizational Development and Communication, Procurement, Risk Management and Safety, Talent Acquisition. The department manages several internal service funds with a combined budget of more than $155 million for benefits, workers’ compensation, general liability, and other insurance programs.
This position reports to the HR Director’s Executive Secretary and is part of the HR Strategic Support and Partnerships Division.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is equivalent to either:
APPLICATION/EXAMINATION
Open and Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, Confidential or Management extra-help/limited term, or SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.
~ TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE ~
Deadline for Applications: March 28, 2024
Application Screening: March 29 – April 2, 2024
Panel Interview: April 10 and /or 11, 2024