State of Maryland

A Human Resources (HR) Specialist Trainee is the entry 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 close 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:

Learns to review applications and resumes for appropriate classifications and to rank candidates;

Learns to develop scoring matrices for interview panel scoring of candidates;

Learns to conduct training for hiring managers concerning recruiting and interviewing policies and procedures;

Learns to prepare position announcements and bulletins for circulation;

Learns to prepare job advertisements for local and national publications;

Learns to plan and conduct special recruiting activities at job fairs and on college campuses;

As a HR Generalist or as a Classification Specialist:

Learns to evaluate position description forms to determine if benchmark reclassification is appropriate;

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

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

Learns to evaluate the propriety of reclass and acting capacity requests;

Learns to document justification for class and salary actions;

Learns to apply salary guidelines pertaining to various class or salary actions;

Learns to identify and prepare agency annual salary review proposals and pay plan amendment requests;

Learns to identify and draft class specification requests;

Learns to counsel employees on classification and salary matters;

As a HR Generalist or as an Employee Relations Specialist:

Learns to review requests for disciplinary actions and recommend appropriate resolution;

Learns to provide advice and guidance regarding standards of conduct and the performance evaluation process;

Learns to act as an administrative conference officer for first or second step conferences concerning grievance disputes and disciplinary actions and/or learns to represent 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:

Learns to research information and conduct interviews to determine the existence of and magnitude of adverse impact in selection devices;

Learns to conduct job analysis studies to identify the job characteristics;

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

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

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

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

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

Learns to determine fiscal and operational impact of HR related actions;

Learns to compile, analyze and evaluate HR related information and recommend actions based upon rules, regulations, policies, guidelines and precedents;

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

Learns to explain and defend 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.

1. Specific educational and experience requirements are set by the agency based on the essential job functions assigned to the position.

2. 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, Maryland 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.

Class Descriptions 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.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

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 (Used by Agency or 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 collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and 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 the 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 level 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 by 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.