Occ. Code 1405300

SENIOR STAFFING SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE, GRADE 18	1405300
ASSOCIATE STAFFING SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE, GRADE 23	1405400

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

NATURE OF WORK

Incumbents of positions in these classes participate in the initial employee selection and promotion process by planning examinations programs, administering oral and performance examinations and advising on a variety of issues concerned with the certification, appointment and status of employees.

These positions are located only in the Department of Civil Service, Division of Staffing Services.

CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Under the supervision of an Associate Staffing Services Representative, Senior Staffing Services Representatives function at the full performance level in planning examinations, arranging, scheduling and administering oral and performance tests, developing and applying training and experience rating scales, examining personnel transactions representing problem cases and advising agency and Department of Civil Service officers on a variety of issues concerned with the certification, appointment and status of employees. Work assignments at this level usually entail standard work procedures, processes and guidelines. Most assignments are concerned with established classes of positions for which a substantial body of reference material and precedent is available. It is not typical for incumbents to independently interpret rules or regulations without a clear indication from precedent cases of the correctness of the interpretation or specific approval of such by an Associate Staffing Services Representative.

Associate Staffing Services Representatives supervise a unit having from two to five Senior Staffing Services Representatives or Staffing Services Representative Trainees. They are involved for a significant portion of their time in the same activities as the Senior Staffing Services Representatives, but are more frequently concerned with classes of positions for which reference material may be limited and direct precedents few or absent. They are also concerned with classes at the higher management levels in the agencies which their unit services.

The Staffing Services Section units usually provide service to a number of discrete units of a very large agency such as the Office of Mental Health, to all of the units of a large agency such as the Department of Taxation and Finance, or to a number of small agencies such as the Departments of State or Economic Development. They may also provide services for all departments in connection with a group of related classes of positions, such as the Information Technology classes where positions are numerous and are found in nearly all agencies. Units in the Technical Section are assigned projects in development and maintenance of reporting systems and in researching and recommending policy decisions and program standards relating to recruitment selection and placement of personnel.

            Positions which perform various personnel activities in an agency, such as classification, recruitment, placement and provision of employee services are classified as Senior or Associate Personnel Administrator. Other positions in the Civil Service Department responsible for central guidance and control in the areas of labor relations, staff development, personnel administration and merit system administration are classified under a variety of specialized titles.

TYPICAL ACTIVITIES, TASKS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Prepares advance plans for the holding of examinations for classes as assigned by supervisor.

• Consults with agencies and reviews internal resources such as the Master Examination Schedule, provisional control information, vacancy data, possible new positions, etc. to determine the need for and type of examinations, and prepares forms initiating action to generate examinations.

• Meets with agency representatives, representatives from the Testing Services Bureau and the Classification and Compensation Division to decide minimum qualifications, scope of examination and examination holding date.

• Prepares tentative examination announcements based on information gathered from internal sources, the agency and from meetings with individuals and groups directly concerned, and after obtaining their approval, issues final announcement.

• Thoroughly reviews open‑competitive examination applications against examination announcement and determines whether or not applicants meet minimum qualifications and records determination on applications.

• Determines vacancy situations and geographical locations of candidates to recommend written test pass points to provide for adequacy of eligible lists.

Schedules and administers oral and performance tests following detailed division procedures.

• Contacts by telephone or correspondence, experts in the field to serve as oral test examiners and, on occasion, makes necessary financial, travel and lodging arrangements for them.

• Notifies candidates by letter when and where to appear for testing.

• Prepares questions, or edits those submitted by examiners, to be asked of candidates at oral tests.

• Briefs expert examiners on the legal, technical and procedural aspects of the oral examination procedure in conformance with the Civil Service Law and Department policies.

• Prepares written summary of examiners' comments concerning each candidate if requested, and prepares in‑depth memoranda answering appeals by candidates of oral test scores for review by the Consultant on Appeals and the Civil Service Commission.

• Monitors oral and/or performance tests to assure that all candidates are exposed to the same standards, materials and format and that examiners are adequately recording comments on candidates' performance to support the score given.

• Mediates discussions among examiners when substantive differences exist in evaluating a candidate.

• May, on occasion, serve as an oral test examiner when own particular expertise is appropriate.

Administers unassembled examinations requiring an evaluation of candidates' training and experience.

• Prepares training and experience evaluation rating scales based on minimum qualifications, agency comments, and job content.

• Rates candidate applications against standards as described by established rating scale.

• Prepares written correspondence to candidates to clarify ambiguous statements, request additional information or for any other matters connected with the examination.

May plan for and conduct job analysis as required for developing job related minimum qualifications and examinations.

• Determines need for and extent of job analysis based on available staff, time limitations, accessibility of information on job, number of agencies where positions exist and expected candidate population.

• Selects method of gathering data such as questionnaire, form, audit interview, etc. in accordance with the characteristics of job.

• Gathers task data from agencies where position(s) exist, analyzes information to determine minimum qualifications and critical knowledges, skills and abilities in conjunction with representatives of Testing Services Division and the Division of Classification and Compensation.

Provides guidance, assistance and advice to State agencies in matters relating to staffing, personnel transactions and appointment procedures.

• Reviews payroll and personnel status transactions that present problems and either approves or disapproves them by notation on the form. May discuss action taken with the agency by telephone.

• Gathers employee history data for reinstatement requests and requests for extension of leave of absence, retroactive appointments, and reemployment of retirees. Prepares written recommendation for Commission determination for each such case based on Division guidelines, precedents and the merits of the case.

• Takes appropriate action to terminate illegal appointments by issuing appropriate forms.

• Advises agencies in layoff matters, use of preferred lists and transferability privileges of affected employees.

• Determines the appropriateness of using an eligible list for one title for filling a position with a different title by comparing minimum qualifications and selection devices and content and by consultation with representatives of other functional organizations in the Department.

Supervises, coordinates and audits examinations decentralized to the agencies.

• Trains and instructs agency personnel in the proper methods of announcing and conducting examinations to fill their vacant positions.

• Reviews and corrects or approves tentative announcements and examination plans submitted by agencies.

• Attends agency's oral tests including the briefing of the test panel.

• May also serve as an examiner in the decentralized examinations.

• Upon completion of decentralized examinations, audits all examination materials forwarded from the agencies.

• Supervises the preparation of examination result notices and when all materials are approved, signs the eligible lists and sends lists and alphabetic rosters to Employee Records for establishment of a formal list.

When assigned to the Policy Section, assists in the development and maintenance of reporting and control systems, gathers information and recommends policy decisions, and helps to maintain consistency in policy application and program standards.

• Identifies specific procedural or policy problems and prepares clarifying memoranda for bureau circulation.

• Gathers information from various resource documents such as Civil Service Law, bureau manuals, memoranda files, etc. for interpretation of policy and informs requesting individual of findings.

In addition to the above duties which are performed by both Senior and Associate Staffing Services Representatives, the following supervisory tasks are performed by Associates serving as unit heads.

• Schedules and assigns work to subordinate staff based on priorities set by the section supervisor.

• Provides subordinates with information, guidance and feedback on performance.

• Checks work of subordinate while it is in progress for compliance with instructions and schedules.

• Evaluates performance of subordinates and submits periodic ratings after discussion with ratees.

• Conducts unit staff meetings to inform staff of new procedures, assignments and to resolve problem areas and bottlenecks in the work process and to improve work efficiency.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

Senior and Associate Staffing Services Representatives have frequent, almost daily communication with agency personnel administrators for the purpose of giving and obtaining information as well as providing and sharing information relating to the overall area of recruitment, selection and placement of personnel. This is accomplished primarily by discussion over the telephone, but may be accomplished by formal correspondence or by conferences at which agency program specialists may also be present. Occasional contacts are made with representatives of the Office of the State Comptroller and the Division of the Budget to clarify questions concerning salaries, appointment and termination dates, and vacancy control data for positions in the agencies serviced.

Incumbents may be required to explain examination procedures to candidates or to members of boards of examiners, and may have oral or written correspondence with examination candidates for the purpose of clarifying ambiguous statements or requesting additional information concerning the training and experience claimed by the applicant, or to explain the reasons for disqualification of an applicant.

In performing a variety of activities including those associated with job analysis, the development of minimum qualifications, examination planning, and clarification of the status of employees and positions, Senior Staffing Services Representatives have frequent oral and occasional written communication with representatives of other functional organizations within the Department of Civil Service, particularly from the Division of Testing Services and the Division of Classification and Compensation.

NATURE OF SUPERVISION

Senior Staffing Services Representatives are supervised by an Associate Staffing Services Representative in that tasks are assigned, recommendations are reviewed for reasonableness and conformity to policy, law, or procedure and correspondence, memoranda and tentative examination announcements are reviewed for clarity, completeness and adherence to instructions prior to being sent from the office. An Associate may give specific instructions and directions to an incumbent in the proper handling of the assignment and may guide the incumbent through the various stages of the assignment depending upon the scope and complexity involved. Senior Staffing Services Representatives may supervise other Representatives, Trainees, or clerical support employees, but supervision is not normally characteristic of these positions.

Associate Staffing Services Representatives are characterized by supervision of a Staffing Services Section Unit as outlined above. In turn, they are supervised by a Principal Staffing Services Representative who plans and distributes workload among the Units, sets priorities and monitors accomplishments by analyzing Unit production reports. Principal Staffing Services Representatives resolve problems or bottlenecks developing in the Units, controversial issues raised by agencies serviced by the Units regarding types or kind of examinations, difficult or sensitive questions involving approval or disapproval of candidate applications or appeals of test results, and questions of interpretation of Civil Service Law and Rules or of Department or Division policy referred to them from the Units.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Working knowledge of those sections of the New York State Civil Service Law governing personnel recruitment, selection and placement.

• Working knowledge of the organization of New York State Government and the missions of each State agency with which concerned.

• Working knowledge of the procedures and policies of the Divisions of Testing and Staffing Services.

• Working knowledge of the concepts underlying the job analysis process.

• Basic knowledge of the theory and practice of public personnel and merit system administration.

• Basic knowledge of the policies and procedures of the New York State Department of Civil Service.

• Ability to prepare a variety of correspondence, requesting information, summarizing meetings, transmitting basic information, and explaining recruitment, selection and placement determinations in a logical and convincing manner.

• Ability to conduct or participate in conferences for the purpose of gathering job or organizational information.

• Ability to identify significant factors in support of determinations, reach logical conclusions based on the development and analysis of data and to make recommendations based on these factors and conclusions.

In addition to the above, in the Policy Section, the Senior Staffing Services Representative must have:

• Working knowledge of policy and precedent files pertaining to personnel recruitment, selection and placement.

• Ability to identify specific procedural or policy problems and to prepare draft decisions with supporting memoranda.

As assigned:

• Working knowledge of the principles and techniques of supervision.

• Ability to effectively supervise and coordinate the efforts of others.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Senior Staffing Services Representative

Satisfactory completion of two years as a Staffing Services Representative Trainee.

Associate Staffing Services Representative

One year of permanent service as a Senior Staffing Services Representative.

Reviewed:  5/04

NOTE:  Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe.  Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class.  The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written.  Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.