By SUSAN JONES
The Office of Human Resources has reorganized and renamed its Shared Service Department to streamline and improve customer support. In addition, the office is adding a new webinar series to give Pitt employees more insight into programs and services offered through the Benefits Department.
HR Client Services
The Shared Services Department, which handles human resource and payroll-related questions for Pitt employees, will now be HR Client Services. The change was made after a review by Huron Consulting, which was started under former Vice Chancellor for Business and Operations Dave DeJong to identify efficiencies. The new name reflects a renewed focus on clients and their needs.
There are 10 full-time employees in Client Services who handle more than 45,000 inquiries a year. As a part of the changes, staff members who previously answered phone calls one day a week as a part of their regular duties will now be doing two days a week, resulting in additional coverage.
To handle the volume of inquiries more efficiently and effectively, HR will now escalate more complex questions directly to the subject matter experts in HR and the Payroll Department.
Representatives in Client Services will focus on first-tier inquiries received through the online request form and via the phone system. These include changes in Pitt Worx employee record information, benefits questions, pay-slip reviews, Talent Center account resets, onboarding assistance for new hires, guidance on self-service HR tasks, employment verifications, and employee record updates.
Most requests are received via phone (412-624-7000) or by submitting an online inquiry at www.hr.pitt.edu/contact-ohr. However, Client Services has in-office office hours on the first floor of Craig Hall to process I-9 and E-verify compliance documents.
As part of the changes, the HR Data Team was moved out of Shared Services last summer and into the Human Capital Management Solutions team, which provides integrated technology platforms to support employees.
This has allowed the new Client Services department to focus solely on improving customer service for employees across the University.
Just this week, Human Resources debuted two more technological changes that will help improve efficiency:
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The HR Self-Service website will allow individuals to view real-time status updates on their human resources inquiries and to add comments to them. The person handling the case will be notified each time a comment is added, allowing for greater transparency and quicker communications with clients. The link to this new feature is located on our Contact OHR page (new cases will continue to be submitted there).
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A new phone system, powered by Amazon Connect, will allow HR to better serve clients. It features expanded menu selections with abbreviated URLs allowing clients to help themselves prior to submitting cases.
Benefits webinars
The Office of Human Resources also is debuting a new webinar series this month called “Bridging Benefits,” which is designed give Pitt employees more insight into the many programs and services offered through the Benefits Department.
The topics are designed to answer some of the most frequent inquiries from University employees.
Each month, subject matter experts will take a deeper dive into a specific benefit, to answer questions like:
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What it's all about?
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Who benefits from it, who's eligible?
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How to enroll?
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Where to find out more information?
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What have your co-workers experienced?
They’ll also take time at the end of each session to answer additional questions you may still have. The initial webinar series will be from noon to 1 p.m. on select Thursdays, starting Jan. 30. Click on the titles below for more information and to register.
Jan. 30: Education Benefits for Dependent Children
Feb. 27: Education Benefits for Employees, Spouses & Domestic Partners
March 27: Back to Basics: General Benefits Overview (This session will last until 1:30 p.m. to allow more time for content and questions.)
April 24: Financial Wellness Benefits & Resources
Additional webinars will be added throughout the year.
Download a shareable PDF about the Bridging Benefits webinar series for January through April.
Need assistance with your benefits? Submit an inquiry to Benefits or contact Benefits customer support at 833-852-2210 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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