The employee in this position is responsible for the delivery of an array of day-to-day services to the Department of Human Resources customers. Primary responsibilities include the performance and coordination of workflow within the bureau to deliver efficient and effective human resource services and to learn the purposes and interactions of the various department specialty area functions in a civil service environment. Human Resource Assistants / Bilingual (Spanish) perform a variety of tasks which support established programs and services. Employees in this position must be able to speak and understand Spanish. Performs related work as required.
- Initiates and monitors transactions for conformance with established policies and procedures in specified areas of human resource management (for example, but not limited to, Administration, Benefits, Civil Service, Staffing , Labor Relations, Training, Health & Safety, etc.;)
- Applies and interprets policies and procedures in personnel actions and activities, under the guidance of the specialty area supervisor;
- Consults with others internally and externally to resolve issues in personnel specialty areas;
- Collects, compiles, and analyzes information and data about program activities, researches personnel actions, and program or procedural changes, and identifies alternatives and makes recommendations;
- Responds to inquiries, within specialty area guidelines, regarding policies, procedures, compliance, reporting, etc.;
- Writes standard correspondence and documentation related to specialty area personnel activities, and drafts material related to non-routine matters;
- Prepares reports and analyzes trends for specialty area;
- Maintains a variety of reports, and updates databases;
- Coordinates specialty area events, as needed;
- Communicates in person and by phone in Spanish when necessary.
High School Diploma or GED,
PLUS either A, B, or C:
A) Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration
, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Risk Management or related fieldAND six (6) months experiencein a human resource function which primarily involved all of the following: client interaction and evaluation for compliance within a human resource specialty areawhich involved application of human resourcepolicies,rules, or regulations
; ORB) Associate’s degree in any field and one (1) year experience as described in Section A;
ORC) Two (2) years of experience as described in Section A
. Part I:
Scopes/Subjects of Examination: A test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the following areas.
Advising and interacting with others:
These questions test for the ability to interact with other people in order to gather and present information and to provide assistance and advice in a courteous and professional manner.
Preparing written material:
These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences, followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
Public personnel administration (PAP):
These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices used in applying New York State, federal, and local laws, rules, and policies to situations encountered in planning and executing the personnel functions in a government agency. Questions may cover such areas as recruitment, selection, and placement; position classification; performance evaluation; and employee relations.
Understanding and interpreting written material based on laws, policies, and procedures relating to health insurance and other employee benefits:
These questions test the ability to read, interpret, and apply these laws, policies, and procedures. You will be provided with brief reading selections, each followed by one or more questions. All information needed to answer the questions is contained in the reading selections. No prior knowledge is required.
PART II:
The qualifying Spanish language oral proficiency test (bilingual test) is designed to evaluate the candidate's oral proficiency in the Spanish language at a level appropriate for the title. A Level 1, 2, or 3 proficiency in the Spanish language is required to pass the qualifying oral proficiency test for this title.
Level 1 = This is equivalent to having limited oral language proficiency with limited/basic but understandable conversational skills.
Level 2 = This is equivalent to having a working oral language proficiency with understandable, smooth expression at a conversational level of communication.
Level 3 = This is equivalent to having an advanced oral language proficiency with good control of usage and grammar, a relatively large and diverse vocabulary, and accurate communication ability in a variety of professional and social contexts.
The language oral proficiency test will be rated on a pass-fail basis. Candidates must pass both the written test and the qualifying foreign language oral proficiency test to be eligible for appointment.
Spanish Language Oral Proficiency Test Waiver:
The City of Rochester will waive further bilingual component testing for candidates who have successfully completed a required language oral proficiency level with the City of Rochester or other Civil Service agency within New York State. Candidates must request a waiver of the Spanish Language Oral Proficiency Test at a level determined by the New York State Department of Civil Service. Candidates must submit a request for waiver with their application by the final filing date for the examination as stated on the Exam Announcement. The waiver request must include the date, title, Civil Service agency, and the level for which the Spanish Language Oral Proficiency Test was administered. The Department of Human Resource Management/Examination Administration unit will verify this information with the New York State Department of Civil Service or the New York State Civil Service agency. Candidates will receive written notice regarding this verification. The Department of Human Resource Management/Examination Administration will also keep a record of each successful candidate’s name, level of proficiency achieved, and date(s) of oral proficiency test(s). Candidates who successfully perform at the targeted level will also be granted waiver status for lower proficiency levels, if any.
Test Guide:
- The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available online at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.
- The Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County MAY have exam-related material, as well as, other branches. (i.e., CSEA Exam Preparation booklets)
