CIVIL SERVICE UNVEILS NEW WEB SITE

For release: Immediate, Wednesday, March 1, 2006

New York State Civil Service Commissioner Daniel E. Wall today announced the Department has unveiled a new, more user-friendly Web site as part of its Strategic Directions initiative to increase its level of service to all customers.

"This new Website will provide major enhancements in our ability to serve the public, job seekers, current State and municipal employees, retirees and human resource professionals," said Commissioner Wall.

The new Website, www.cs.state.ny.us, is customer-driven to provide specific information for individual users, features more consistent navigation, has a "cleaner" design to increase functionality and enhanced search capabilities.

Users will be able to receive automatic e-mail notification for job announcements, submit examination applications on-line and pay exam fees by credit card. An increased level of service has also been incorporated for participants in the New York State Health Insurance Plan (NYSHIP), which is administered by Civil Service.

The previous Civil Service Web site registered about 8.5 million "hits" in 2005. "We expect that number to increase significantly due to the higher level of service the new site will provide," said Commissioner Wall.

Also included on the updated site is a link to the new Career Mobility Office (CMO) Web site, which links State employees to career resources and information on job vacancies, career development and mobility. An integral part of the CMO site is the new career guide, Glossary of Titles-Inquiry Tool (GOT-IT).

The Strategic Directions initiative is a two-year project that was a result of an intensive departmental review instituted by the Department in 2004. It was undertaken to update and refine the Department's business practices.