Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

HR Services 

The HR Services Representative provides frontline (Tier 1) support to the University community, including applicants, employees, retirees, and affiliated populations by addressing and resolving a wide range of human resources inquiries; serves as the first point of contact for all HR-related questions and ensures a high level of customer service, accuracy, and service delivery; responds to inquiries via phone, email, chat, and case management systems; resolves routine to moderately complex issues and escalates advanced matters to HR Professional Services teams or Unit HR partners; contributes to continuous improvement efforts, knowledge management, and operational efficiency initiatives.

• Serve as the first point of contact for University employees, former employees, prospective employees, retirees, graduate assistants, and postdoctoral fellows
• Respond to high-volume inquiries via phone, email, chat, and the case management system in a professional and timely manner
• Ensure that PII and other highly sensitive employee information is handled securely and that customer identity has been confirmed utilizing established processes prior to responding to requests for information
• Address questions related to benefits, retirement, payroll, compensation, time off, leaves of absence, talent management, talent acquisition, HR policies, HRIS systems, etc.
• Resolve the majority of inquiries at first contact using established knowledge resources and problem-solving skills
• Investigate and resolve routine to moderately complex issues; escalate complex or sensitive matters to appropriate functional teams (e.g., Data & Onboarding, Compensation, Benefits, HR Compliance, HR Technology, Payroll, Labor and Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Unit HR)
• Utilize case management systems to document, track, and manage employee inquiries from intake through resolution; ensure accurate and thorough documentation of all interactions
• Partner closely with HR Professional Service teams, Unit HR representatives, HR Technology, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless HR service delivery
• Identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities for process improvement; provide feedback to enhance service quality and operational efficiency
• Contribute to service level agreement (SLA) adherence and performance metrics such as response time, resolution time, and customer satisfaction
• Complete and respond to employment verification requests from external entities
• Administer the collection of fingerprints in the support of FBI fingerprint clearance completion
• Support onboarding and training of new team members through role modeling, call shadowing, coaching, and feedback
• Share best practices and resources to promote consistent, high-quality service delivery across the team
• May compile reports and support data tracking related to service metrics, inquiry trends, and operational performance
• May gather and analyze customer feedback to support continuous improvement initiatives within HR Shared Services
• May identify, draft, review, and update knowledge base articles, job aids, and training materials for internal teams and the broader University community; provide input and recommendations to Professional Services teams regarding knowledge base articles and job aids based on data and trends gathered during Tier 1 interactions
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Level:

– Supervisor

Base Description:

– Supervises direct reports, but primarily completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates appropriate knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. Demonstrates baseline planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Reviews completed work of others to verify accuracy and quality. Follows recommended approaches to assigned work. Supervises assigned staff and coordinates routine work activities. Monitors employee interactions and facilitates a productive working environment. Communicates instructions and policies in a consistent, effective and timely manner. Identifies and addresses concerns appropriately. Makes recommendations for possible solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Typically oversees at least 2 full–time direct reports or equivalent team of part–time and/or student workers (for Support track, performs work at Senior Support level or higher; for Professional track, performs work at the Advanced Professional level or higher)

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– May monitor/track budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)

Problem Solving:

– Encounters generally routine problems with progressively more complex and/or varied problems
– Typically follows standard operating procedures to resolve problems
– May apply specialized knowledge and skills to resolve complex and/or varied problems
– Applies proven and tries new approaches when solving problems

Independence of Action:

– Works with minimal supervision on difficult work assignments, conferring with manager on unusual matters
– Follows precedents and procedures
– Organizes work of direct reports and may set priorities within general guidelines established by manager
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and conformance to required procedures and special instructions

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and the University
– Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination
– May communicate with external audiences for business purposes
– Collaborates closely with team members; may interact with other staff outside of area
– Utilizes a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly and accurately both verbally and in written materials

• Comp Grade – 7
• Minimum – $49,188.00
• MidPoint – $60,216.00
• Maximum – $71,340.00

• Case management
• Critical Thinking
• Cultural competency
• Customer Service
• Data entry
• Policy implementation
• Problem Solving
• Technology acumen