Customer Service Specialist

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Branch is one of the state's largest employers with over 46,000 employees that span 11 secretariats and 70 plus agencies. From Accountants to X-ray technicians with hundreds of titles in between, we are one employer with many career opportunities. The Commonwealth is looking for leaders, thinkers, creators, and innovators. We are a diverse workforce that reflects the diverse population that we serve.

The Human Resources Division (HRD) is an agency within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. HRD provides support to state agencies in all matters relating to the Commonwealth's classification, compensation, benefits, recruitment, training & employee development, civil rights, collective bargaining and workers compensation administration.

The MassHR Employee Service Center (ESC) is a customer service driven organization which provides a single point of contact for HR services within the Commonwealth. Current service offerings include Employee Self-Service support, employee pay and profile inquiry management and transaction processing, MassCareers support, Performance and Career Enhancement system MassAchieve, MassPerform and Employee Performance Review System (EPRS) support, Tuition Remission and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) processing and Extended Illness Leave Bank (EILB) open enrollment processing.

Customer Service Specialists aid employees, supervisors/approvers, and agency HR/Payroll representatives in completing Time and Attendance entry, and answer time reporting related inquiries.

GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintains a high standard of HR professionalism in representing the Commonwealth in all interactions with customers, colleagues, and supervisors.
  
• Assures quality and accuracy of information communicated and recorded.
  
• Communicates with colleagues to proactively identify potential issues and collaborates to share successful practices and lessons learned.
  
• Uses communication to maintain good working relationships with customers and solicit, evaluate, and act on customer feedback.
  
• Contributes to knowledge management repositories (FAQs, desktop procedures, call scripts).
  
• Prioritizes required tasks according to business needs to ensure effective and timely completion.
  
• Utilizes appropriate technology, processes, and people to deliver services to customers efficiently and effectively.
  
• Identifies continuous improvement opportunities and assists in implementing.
  
• Works independently with other cross-functional work teams to identify, develop solutions, and/or improve the functional area/system processes and procedures.
  
• Maintains compliance with Commonwealth policies and procedures in each customer interaction.
  
• Protects confidentiality of employee information by maintaining an understanding of state and federal regulations on the treatment of confidential information and Shared Services policies on confidentiality and assures protection of confidential information in daily handling of communications, documents, and archives.
  

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Direct supervision from Customer Service Supervisor (HR Specialist III) and the Director of the MassHR Employee Service Center.

DETAILED STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Customer Service

• Communicates with internal and external customers with a goal of achieving first call resolution for HR inquiries. Work may be performed in a call center environment working from an assigned queue of contacts (e.g., phone calls, e-mails, and Team's calls).
  
• Handles inquiries received via phone, e-mail, mail, and/or fax as well as those assigned to Shared Services via case management tools.
  
• Operates and accesses various systems to research responses to inquiries.
  
• Logs cases to document each interaction with customers.
  
• Escalates and assigns inquiries to the appropriate individual and/or group for resolution if unable to resolve directly.
  
• Monitors open inquiries to ensure timely resolution.
  

Processing and Outreach, Processes, Policies & Procedures

• Serves as a subject matter resource for Commonwealth Self-Service processes and encourages standardized adoption of processes across Secretariats and Agencies.
  
• Analyzes and determines data inputs required for time related transactions across various time reporting populations.

Human Resources Systems & Technologies

• Processes Self-Service and SSTA transactions efficiently and effectively utilizing appropriate technologies.
  
• Completes password resets, MFA navigation for SSTA on behalf of employees.
  
• Works with business partners to identify and document system issues and provide recommendations for improvement.
  QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of wage and salary administration.
  
• Ability to conduct training or instruction.
  
• Knowledge of the types and content of a wide variety of occupations common to the public sector.
  
• Ability to review and compare data for accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
  
• Ability to perform mathematical calculations using formulas to solve problems.
  
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
  
• Ability to use a computer to conduct research, manage databases, and produce written documents.
  
• Ability to gather information by examining documents and interviewing others.
  
• Ability to analyze and determine the applicability of data, draw conclusions, and make appropriate recommendations.
  
• Ability to assemble items of information in accordance with established procedures.
  
• Ability to work independently.
  
• Ability to adapt to varying work situations.
  

QUALIFICATIONS ACQUIRED ON JOB

• Develops and maintains thorough knowledge of Shared Services Center operations to answer questions and direct inquiries correctly and appropriately.
  
• Builds knowledge of business requirements of various Time & Attendance employee populations across the Commonwealth as required to provide guidance on time reporting procedures, including: - Differentiation in Secretariat and Agency business operations.
  
• Characteristics of employee populations, including 9 to 5, 24 x 7, and Labor Distribution time reporters.
  
• Time reporting requirements outlined in Collective Bargaining Agreements.
  
• Develops sound knowledge of time-related transactions from the end user perspective, including: - Employee time entry tools, including online timesheets and time clocks.
  
• Approval workflow.
  
• Reporting tools required for data analysis.
  

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Qualifications:
First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have at least (A) three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time professional experience in personnel work, the major duties of which include classification, staffing, job analysis and/or job evaluation, (B) of which at least one year must have been in a professional capacity, or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below:

Substitutions:


I. An Associate's degree may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required (A) experience*.


II. Bachelor's degree or higher may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A) experience*.


III. A Graduate degree with a major in Personnel Management, Personnel Administration or Public Administration may be substituted for the required experience*.


*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.


The classification may require possession of a current and valid motor vehicle driver's license at a class level specific to assignment.

Comprehensive Benefits


When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.


Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!


An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.


The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.