Call Center Representative, Department of Child Support Services

Those candidates who successfully pass the examination components above and who are looking to establish bilingual pay, must take an additional examination to establish that they have the ability to speak, read and write in Spanish at a level suitable for this position.  Dates of such examinations are to be determined.

About The County:
Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California’s seventh-largest county.  The County employs 9,080 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $2.39 billion.  Oakland, the County seat, is California’s eighth largest city.  One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities and rural areas.  As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens.  The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles.  The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities.

The Department:
The Mission of the Alameda County Department of Child Support Services is to establish paternity, and medical and child support orders and to collect child and spousal support payments in an efficient and cost effective manner while maintaining the respect and dignity of the public we serve.

Any custodial or non-custodial party may request that the Alameda County Department of Child Support Services aid in collecting their court ordered support. Members of the public are eligible for services regardless of whether or not they are receiving public assistance. The Department maintains court calendars at the Hayward and Alameda Court locations.   

The Department has approximately 220 employees consisting of clerical support, call center support, paraprofessional, legal professional, technical, management and administrative staff.  The Department is organized into functional silos: Administration and IT, Court Support, Attorney Team, Pre Order Services, Post Order Services, Client Services, and Office Support.

The Department is located within the Hacienda Business Park (www.hacienda.org/) in Pleasanton, CA and services the entire Alameda County area.

The Position:
Under direct supervision, provide customer service in a call center environment. This includes greeting customers, establishing rapport, projecting a professional tone, looking up case information in various computer databases and answering questions based on that information. Incumbents record pertinent information in the computer system resulting from the call and complete other related work as assigned.

Distinguishing Features:

These positions are located in the Alameda County Department of Child Support Services (ACDCSS) and are supervised by a Call Center Supervisor. Positions allocated to this class series differ from other classifications in that the primary functions of this position are to provide customer service in a call center environment and perform limited clerical or administrative functions, whereas the Child Support Assistant series is primarily involved in clerical and administrative support and requires a wider range of knowledge.

The Ideal Candidate:
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the Call Center Representative, DCSS will posses the following critical attributes:

• Work under pressure in a high volume call center environment
• Use a multi-line, call center, phone system
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, peers, other agencies, and the public
• Maintain confidentiality
• Contribute to overall team effort to meet and exceed goals
• Respond to customer inquiries within established turnaround time
• Learn and quickly apply specific operations and procedures on the job
• Prioritize calls to meet individual and team goals
• Evaluate control problematic situations and offer solutions
• Defuse hostile client callers and offer solutions
• Active listening, understand, follow and communicate oral and written directions and apply them effectively in a
  variety of situations
• Use sound judgment when evaluating a wide variety of information
• Identify alternatives from diverse sources and choose the best solution from several options
• Effectively communicate verbally while using excellent telephone etiquette skills
• Effectively communicate in writing; including accurate spelling, proper grammar, punctuation, and correct
   vocabulary

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Education:

Graduation from high school, or possession of a certificate of proficiency issued by the California State Board of Education, or possession of a G.E.D. certificate

AND
Experience:

Either I

The equivalent of six months of full time experience in the class of Clerk I or in an equivalent or higher level-clerical class in Alameda County classified service (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts). This experience must have been in a position in which the majority of duties involved direct customer service to the public, either in person or over the phone.

Or II

The equivalent of one year of full time experience in a call center position

Or III
Experience:

Any combination of training, education and experience that will provide the knowledges and abilities listed below.

Special Requirements:

Must be able to type at a minimum of 40 net words per minute from clear copy

A thorough background investigation, including fingerprinting will be conducted of all candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of employment to ensure they are suitable for Child Support related work. A felony conviction will be disqualifying

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

Knowledge of:

•     Modern office practices and procedures including the use of standard computer
      programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook

•     Business arithmetic

•     Laws, regulations, and codes governing the access to, and use of, confidential
       information and legal documents

•     Legal terminology applicable to child support documents

•     Techniques and practices for dealing with individuals from various social-economic
       and ethnic groups, in person, via telephone, and through correspondence (including
       stressful contacts with irate and hostile individuals)

Ability to:

•     Work under pressure in a high volume call center environment

•     Use a multi-line, call center, phone system

•     Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, peers, other
       agencies, and the public

•     Maintain confidentiality

•     Learn specific operations and procedures of job

•     Prioritize calls to meet individual and team goals

•     Respond to customer inquiries within established turnaround times

•     Evaluate and control problematic situations and offer solutions

•     Diffuse hostile client callers

•     Listen, understand, follow and communicate oral and written directions and apply
       them effectively in a variety of situations

•     Use sound judgment when evaluating a wide variety of information. Identify alternatives from diverse sources
      and choose the best solution from several options, then initiate appropriate actions within prescribed guidelines.

•     Respond to a constant influx of telephone calls

•     Effectively communicate verbally while using excellent telephone etiquette skills

•     Effectively communicate in writing; including accurate spelling, proper grammar, punctuation, and correct
       vocabulary 

Applicants will be informed via email 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:                                                                                                    5:00 p.m., Monday, May 12, 2014
Review of Minimum Qualifications:                                                                                           Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Written Examination:                                                                                                                   Monday, June 16, 2014
Oral  Interviews:                                                                                                     Monday - Thursday, July 7 - 10, 2014

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 statutes.  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 statutes. 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.

Annette Sandoval,  Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

510-272-6434

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer