State of Maryland

A Human Resources (HR) Specialist is the intermediate level of professional work in the administration of HR programs in the State Personnel Management System (SPMS).  Professional HR work is characterized by the use of knowledge, discretion and independent judgment in the interpretation and application of HR laws, regulations, policies and guidelines to address a variety of administrative activities, problems, issues and projects.  Professional HR work often involves analysis, evaluation, consultation, and innovative thinking in developing policies and procedures, in advocating recommendations of specific courses of action to be taken, both through persuasion and negotiation, and in determining the most efficacious and technically sound alternative from a number of feasible possibilities.  Employees in this classification specialize in a specific HR management functional area such as recruitment and employment services, classification and compensation, employee relations, test development and validation, or function as HR generalists with responsibilities for three or more areas of HR management.  Employees in this classification may lead personnel paraprofessionals or clerical support staff. Employees in this classification do not supervise.

Employees in this classification receive moderate supervision from a higher-level HR professional or other designated administrator.  The work may require travel throughout the State of Maryland to perform on-site visits at State agencies.  Employees are required to obtain and maintain certification in SPMS policies and procedures and in the functionality of the Statewide Personnel System (SPS) in order to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skill in the administration of HR programs in the SPMS.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the classification specification.

The HR Specialist Trainee, HR Specialist and HR Officer I are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The HR Specialist Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The HR Specialist performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The HR Officer I performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

As a HR Generalist or as a Recruitment and Employment Services Specialist:

Reviews applications and resumes for appropriate classifications and to rank candidates;

Develops scoring matrices for interview panel scoring of candidates;

Conducts training for hiring managers concerning recruiting and interviewing policies and procedures;

Prepares position announcements and bulletins for circulation;

Prepares job advertisements for local and national publications;

Plans and conducts special recruiting activities at job fairs and on college campuses;

As a HR Generalist or as a Classification Specialist:

Evaluates position description forms to determine if benchmark reclassification is appropriate;

Evaluates the non-competitive promotion requests to determine if action is appropriate;

Reviews Vacancy Downgrade within Same Series list to determine if applicable to vacant position;

Evaluates the propriety of reclass and acting capacity requests;

Documents justification for class and salary actions;

Applies salary guidelines pertaining to various class or salary actions;

Identifies and prepares agency annual salary review proposals and pay plan amendment requests;

Identifies and drafts class specification requests;

Counsels employees on classification and salary matters;

As a HR Generalist or as an Employee Relations Specialist:

Reviews requests for disciplinary actions and recommends appropriate resolution;

Provides advice and guidance regarding standards of conduct and the performance evaluation process;

Acts as an administrative conference officer for first or second step conferences concerning grievance disputes and disciplinary actions and/or represents agency management at settlement conferences and administrative hearings concerning grievance disputes and disciplinary actions;

As a HR Generalist (if test development is an assigned duty) or as a Test Development Specialist:

Researches information and conducts interviews to determine the existence of and magnitude of adverse impact in selection devices;

Conducts job analysis studies to identify the job characteristics;

Performs statistical analysis to assess the validity, reliability, readability, difficulty and impartiality of selection instruments;

As a HR Generalist provides HR services, including recruitment and employment services, classification and compensation, and employee relations, for a SPMS department, administration, agency, facility or institution:

Interprets and applies HR related laws, regulations, policies and procedures relevant to the SPMS;

Interviews applicants, employees and supervisors in order to obtain information concerning employee and organizational functions;

Researches HR, administrative, legal and financial data for use in the HR decision-making process;

Determines fiscal and operational impact of HR related actions;

Compiles, analyzes and evaluates HR related information and recommends actions based upon rules, regulations, policies, guidelines and precedents;

Provides advice and guidance to employees, supervisors, program managers, agency executives and other public officials regarding HR related matters;

Explains and defends HR related actions and recommendations to supervisory and managerial staff, agency executives and by testifying in official proceedings such as administrative conferences and hearings, legislative hearings and in a court of law;

Maintains confidentiality for all HR related activities;

May assist higher-level HR employees in the completion of HR related tasks and functions;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the provisions of the State Personnel and Pensions Article, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Code of Maryland Regulations-Title 17, equal employment opportunity laws and related State HR policies, rules and regulations;

Knowledge of the theories, principles and practices associated with public HR/personnel administration;

Knowledge of analytical procedures and research techniques used in collecting, evaluating and presenting data;

Ability to understand, interpret and apply HR related laws, regulations, rules, policies, procedures and guidelines;

Ability to obtain certification and recertification in SPMS policies and procedures and in SPS functionality;

Ability to prepare concise and comprehensive analyses and reports;

Ability to determine and select the best alternative for administration of HR operations and for the resolution of HR related problems;

Ability to defend actions in administrative proceedings such as grievance and disciplinary conferences, hearings and in court proceedings;

Ability to use various computer software applications such as word processing, spreadsheet and database applications;

Ability to maintain confidentiality;

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with employees, supervisors, subordinates, program managers, executives, public officials and the general public;

Ability to communicate effectively.

Experience: Five years of experience, one year of professional HR experience involving recruitment and employment services, classification and compensation, employee relations, test development and validation, job analysis, job evaluation, salary administration, HR program evaluation, or HR policy formulation and an additional four years of professional HR management work experience in the areas of recruitment and selection, classification, salary administration, employee relations, test development and validation or as a generalist.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute paraprofessional personnel work experience on a year-for-year basis for up to four years of the required experience.  Paraprofessional personnel work is defined as work involving the application of public sector personnel procedures, policies, rules and regulations to specific employment actions. Appropriate paraprofessional personnel experience includes responsibility for activities such as: preparing and maintaining employment records, calculating salaries, applying personnel-related rules and policies, preparing personnel related reports, conducting employee orientation and counseling employees regarding benefits and obligations and responding to inquiries concerning employment procedures.

2. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and one year of professional HR experience involving recruitment and employment services, classification and compensation, employee relations, test development and validation, job analysis, job evaluation, salary administration, HR program evaluation, or HR policy formulation for the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute the possession of thirty graduate credit hours from an accredited college or university in the fields of HR/personnel administration, business administration, public administration, statistics, tests and measurements, psychology or a related field for the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in human resources management classification or human resources management specialty codes in the human resources management field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Employees in this classification are required to obtain certification in State Personnel Management System policies and procedures and in the functionality of the Statewide Personnel System from the Office of Personnel Services and Benefits, Department of Budget and Management within six months from the time of appointment to the position.  Employees are also required to obtain recertification every six months thereafter.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle.  Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit as indicated by the designation of S (supervisor), M (manager), T (agency head), U (Board or Commission member), W   (student), X (excluded by executive order),  or Z (confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and therefore, all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.