Human Resources Trainee

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.  Postmarks are not accepted.  Applications will only be accepted on-line.

About The Human Resource Services Department:
Department Mission
Deliver high quality and timely human resource services in partnership with County agencies, departments and special districts to enable our customers to reach their organizational goals.

Vision
To be the employer of choice and a great place to work.

Values
In a spirit of partnership, HRS strives for: Excellence in everything we do. Responsiveness to our customers and their needs. Fairness in our policies and practices. Innovation in developing and implementing new programs. Diversity in recognizing everyone’s unique contribution. Development of every employee’s full potential. Anticipate and meet the changing needs of employees and candidates to ensure the recruitment and retention of a talented and committed workforce.  Support the County’s organizational culture that values customer service, performance excellence, diversity, and fiscal stewardship. Redesign and transform the recruitment function for improved customer service and satisfaction. Champion workforce planning and development to ensure that employees have every opportunity to assume leadership positions as baby boomers retire. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services through the increased use of technology.

The Position:
Under close supervision, to receive training in and learn to perform a full range of human resources functions in the centralized Human Resource Services Department in preparation to perform professional, human resource management work in a County department or agency; to receive training in and assist Human Resources personnel in the performance of their duties in the functional areas of recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, labor and employee relations, performance management, employee benefits, temporary assignments, disability management, training and development, equal employment opportunity and diversity, and human resources information technology; to learn how to develop, maintain, and administer a departmental human resources program; and to perform related work as required.

Positions in this class are found in Human Resource Services. Incumbents are assigned duties of a well-defined nature and their work is subject to detailed and frequent review. However, as they become more experienced, detailed review becomes less frequent and assignments may be of greater scope and responsibility.

The Human Resource Trainee class consists of incumbents initially working under close supervision while learning and performing technical and professional human resources work rotating through the divisions of Personnel Services, Labor Relations, Employee Benefits, Human Resources Information Technology, and the Disability Program and Training and Education Center in order to expose them to a diverse range of human resources functions.

After the first four to five months of intensive training/work experience in the Human Resource Services Department, trainees will spend an increasing amount of time onsite in their assigned departments. Additional training will also be provided by the Diversity Program and the Office of County Counsel. After gaining experience and completing at least an 18 month rotation throughout the various operational units, and after demonstrating an acceptable level of proficiency, incumbents are eligible to flexibly promote to the Departmental Personnel Officer I. Appointment to the Human Resources Trainee class shall not exceed 24 months.

The Ideal Candidate:
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications below, successful candidates will have a proven track record providing varying levels of operational and administrative support, preferably in a human resources environment. Successful candidates will possess:

• The ability to learn and become the subject matter expert for human resources issues and be able to advise Department Heads on the correct course of action based up this knowledge
• The ability work collaboratively and in partnership with the Human Resources Services Department to read and interpret complex rules and procedures related to general human resources practices
• The ability to deal effectively in antagonistic situations and use appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people
• Familiarity and experience in the communication of technical related information to non technical users and to the general public
• The ability to collect and synthesize information from a variety of stakeholders and sources in an objective manner to reach a conclusion or judgment
• The ability to plan and coordinate a wide array of human resources related activities that require excellent time management, scheduling and organizational skills
• The ability to interact with staff and department/division management in a professional and mature manner with confidence and professional diplomacy
• The ability to identify and understand issues, problems, and opportunities and compares data from different sources to draw conclusions
• The foresight to seek timely guidance when needed
• The ability to effectively manage several projects simultaneously without a great deal of direction or oversight

Education:

Either I

Experience:

The equivalent of two years full-time experience as a Human Resources Technician in the Alameda County classified service.  (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in human resources, industrial/organizational psychology, business or public administration or a closely related field.

AND

Experience:

Three years of progressively responsible, full-time equivalent work experience that demonstrates excellent interpersonal, communication, planning and organization, customer service, problem solving and analytical skills.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• Basic theories in the fields of modern public administration and human resource management.
• Basic theories of planning, organization, human resources service delivery and management.
• Basic theories of examination and selection, classification and compensation, labor and employee relations, disability, equal employment opportunity, diversity, and professional development and training functions within merit systems.
• Basic computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets and statistical analysis software.
• Mathematical calculations and descriptive statistics.

Ability to:

• Establish and maintain effective interpersonal relationships.
• Think critically, reason logically, draw valid conclusions and make appropriate recommendations.
• Properly interpret, comply with, and make sound decisions in accordance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Effectively communicate orally and in writing.
• Research, gather, analyze, organize and report on information and data.
• Provide the highest level of service delivery to diverse customers.
• Work effectively independently and as a member and leader of diverse teams.
• Use a variety of modern office equipment and systems such as personal computers, FAX machines and voice and e-mail.

The examination will consist of the following steps:

• A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements.
• Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move onto the next step in the examination process which is a written examination.
• Those candidates that pass the written examination will be invited to the final test component which is an oral interview that will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.
We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via e-mail with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

  

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:

Deadline for Filing: Review of Minimum Qualifications: Written Examination: Oral Interviews:      *updated 11/26/14  *updated 12/23/14	5:00 pm, Friday, December 5, 2014*   December 5, 2014 December 10-11, 2014 January 7-9 2015**

 *WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues.  To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statues.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Sam Gee
Personnel Services Manager
Human Resource Services Division-County of Alameda
510-267-9492
www.acgov.org