HR Staff Officer

Purpose of the Post

The HR Staff Officer is an integral role within the Human Resources Department. The postholder will be designated a remit under the HR Business Partner model within the department, ensuring provision of a wide range of HR services including, but not limited to:

• ER / IR matters
• Advice on HR Policies & Procedures
• Recruitment & Retentio
• Workforce Planning
• Training & Development
• Absence Management
• Employee Wellbeing
• Performance Achievement
• Probation
• Employee Engagement
• Reporting

Principal Duties and Responsibilities The position of HR Staff Officer encompasses both managerial and administrative responsibilities which include the following: General

• Provide advice and clarification to Line Managers and employees on HR related matters.
• Create an awareness of HR Policies & Procedures to be adhered to in the hospital.
• Manage and support Line Managers on ER / IR matters and attend necessary meetings, as and when required.
• Conduct and participate in investigations / incident report reviews; as and when required.
• Communicate with the HR Manager on a regular basis regarding any ER / IR issues within the Hospital.
• Create an awareness of Training & Development ensuring that staff within your remit are aware of Mandatory Training applicable to their roles.
• Promote scheduled training courses to enhance training compliance rates throughout the hospital.
• Provide information to line managers and employees on the HSE Sick Pay Scheme, the Managing Attendance Policy and conduct audits as directed by the HR Manager.
• Ensure staff reaching thresholds are being managed accordingly i.e. meeting with Line Managers, Occ Health appointments arranged etc.
• Ensure staff personnel records are maintained to include relevant data for legal, HR and financial purposes.
• Promote employee wellbeing throughout the hospital and ensure staff are aware of the services available to them such as the Employee Assistance Programme, Healthy Ireland etc.
• Participate in such initiatives as and when required.
• Promote Performance Achievement and provide support and assistance to Line Managers in conducting same.
• Maintain key HR metrics agreed for the hospital and submit other metrics as required in consultation with the HR Manager.
• Prepare and collate data, providing reports to HR Manager as and when required.

Recruitment & Retention

• Support Line Managers with strategic workforce planning, providing guidance and advice where necessary.
• Prepare and submit Employment Control Committee (ECC) applications to the HR Manager for Group Employment Control Committee (GECC) meetings, in a timely fashion.
• Conduct recruitment campaigns from start to finish with efficacy and accuracy including preparing, organising and conducting interviews.
• Engage with new recruitment tools and software as and when the need arises.
• Carry out relevant recruitment checks as per policy, collating references, Garda Vetting, Occupational Health clearance etc.
• Ensure all relevant equipment is in place for the employee on commencing employment.
• Ensure employee undertakes induction and departmental induction is scheduled with Line Manager.
• Ensure employee is aware of relevant Mandatory Training applicable to their roles.
• Support Line Managers and employees with managing performance appraisal and probation as necessary.
• Engage in local and nationally led Recruitment drives and initiatives as and when required.
• Keep HR Manager informed of any emerging issues.

Administration

• Ensure the efficient day-to-day administration of area of responsibility.
• Ensure deadlines are met and that service levels are maintained.
• Ensure policies and procedures are well documented, understood and adhered to.
• Ensure that archives and records are accurate, maintained confidentially and readily available to the appropriate authority.
• Ensure line management is kept informed of issues.
• Ensure that stakeholders are kept informed and that their views are communicated to middle management.
• Maximise the use technology in ensuring work is completed to a high standard.

Human Resources / Supervision of Staff

• Be a Leader- supervise and ensure the wellbeing of staff within own remit.
• Ensure an even distribution of workload amongst the team, taking into account absence due to annual leave etc.
• Cover for colleagues and share workload as and when the need arises.
• Create and promote a positive working environment among staff members which contributes to maintaining and enhancing effective working relationships.
• Promote cooperation and working in harmony with other teams and disciplines.
• Deal with under performance in a timely and constructive manner.
• Identify training and development needs of staff in own area.
• Pursue and promote continuous professional development in order to develop management expertise and professional knowledge.

Service Delivery and Improvement

• Ensure accurate attention to detail in own work and work of team.
• Actively participate in innovation and support change and improvement initiatives within the service; adapt local work practices ensuring team knows how to action changes.
• Monitor efficiency of service provided by team, identify and implement changes to the administration of the service where inefficiencies arise.
• Encourage and support staff through change processes.

Self-Development, Policies, Procedures & Legislation

• Maintain own knowledge of relevant HR policies, procedures, guidelines and practices to perform the role effectively and to ensure standards are met by own team.
• Maintain own knowledge of relevant regulations and legislation e.g. Financial Regulations, Health & Safety Legislation, Employment Legislation, FOI Acts, GDPR.
• Be aware of developments in HR practice.
• Attend training programmes as appropriate for the role.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
• Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him / her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications and/or experience Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition: i. Have satisfactory experience as a Clerical Officer in the HSE, TUSLA, other statutory health agencies, or a body which provides services on behalf of the HSE under Section 38 of the Health Act 2004. Or ii. Have obtained a pass (Grade D) in at least five subjects from the approved list of subjects in the Department of Education Leaving Certificate Examination, including Mathematics and English or Irish1 . Candidates should have obtained at least Grade C on higher level papers in three subjects in that examination. Or iii. Have completed a relevant examination at a comparable standard in any equivalent examination in another jurisdiction Or

iv. (Hold a comparable and relevant third level qualification of at least level 6 on the National Qualifications Framework maintained by Qualifications and Quality Ireland, (QQI). and v. Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard of suitability, for the proper discharge of the office.

Note1 : Candidates must achieve a pass in Ordinary or Higher level papers. A pass in a foundation level paper is not acceptable. Candidates must have achieved these grades on the Leaving Certificate Established programme or the Leaving Certificate Vocational programme. The Leaving Certification Applied Programme does not fulfil the eligibility criteria.

Post Specific Requirements

• At least 1 year previous experience of working in a HR role that encompasses a variety of HR related duties, comparable to this role.
• Demonstrable experience of employee and industrial relations.
• Demonstrable knowledge of HR Policies and Procedures, Employment Law, relevant HSE protocols etc.
• HR Qualification is desirable.

Health/ Character Health A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service. Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character Health & Safety These duties must be performed in accordance with the hospital health and safety policy. In carrying out these duties the employee must ensure that effective safety procedures are in place to comply with the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act. Staff must carry out their duties in a safe and responsible manner in line with the Hospital Policy as set out in the appropriate department’s safety statement, which must be read and understood. Skills, competencies and/or knowledge Professional Knowledge & Experience For example:

• Demonstrates knowledge and experience relevant to the role as per the duties & responsibilities, eligibility criteria and post specific requirements of the role
• Maximises the use of ICT, demonstrating excellent computer skills particularly Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel etc.
• Demonstrate the ability to work in line with relevant policies and procedures
• Demonstrate commitment to developing own professional knowledge and expertise Planning and Managing Resources For example:
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively plan and manage resources, effectively handle multiple projects concurrently, structuring and organising own workload and that of others effectively
• Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for the timely delivery of agreed objectives
• Challenges processes to improve efficiencies where appropriate, is committed to attaining value for money

Commitment to a Quality Service For example:

• Demonstrates evidence of practicing and promoting a strong focus on delivering high quality customer service for internal and external customers and an awareness and appreciation of the service user
• Ensure attention to detail and a consistent adherence to procedures and standards within area of responsibility
• Embraces and promotes the change agenda, supporting others through change
• Demonstrate flexibility and initiative during challenging times and an ability to persevere despite setbacks

Evaluating Information, Problem Solving & Decision Making For example:

• Demonstrate numeracy skills, an ability to analyse and evaluate information, considering a range of critical and complex factors in making effective decisions. Recognises when it is appropriate to refer decisions to a higher level of management
• Demonstrate initiative in the resolution of complex issues / problem solving and proactively develop new proposals and recommend solutions
• Ability to confidently explain the rationale behind decisions when faced with opposition

Team Working For example:

• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a dynamic team and multi stakeholder environment
• Demonstrate an ability to work as part of the team in establishing a shared sense of purpose and unity across a number of teams delivering on different projects
• Demonstrate leadership; creating team spirit; leading by example, coaching and supporting individuals to facilitate high performance and staff development
• Demonstrate a commitment to promoting a culture of involvement and consultation within the team, welcoming contributions from others

Communications & Interpersonal Skills For example:

• Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to present complex information in a clear, concise and confident manner (written & verbal).

Strong presentation skills

• Demonstrate the ability to influence people and events and the ability to build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, working collaboratively within a multi stakeholder environment
• Demonstrate commitment to regular two-way communication across functions and levels, ensuring that messages are clearly understood

Campaign Specific Selection Process Ranking/Shortlisting/ Interview A ranking and or shortlisting exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria for ranking and or shortlisting are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore, it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements. Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process. Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where applied) will be placed on an order of merit and will be called to interview in ‘bands’ depending on the service needs of the organisation. Remuneration

The Salary scale for the post is (as at 01/10/2024): €50,202 €51,704 €53,235 €54,801 €56,375 €58,211 €60,052 LSIsNew appointees to any grade start at the minimum point of the scale. Incremental credit will be applied for recognised relevant service in Ireland and abroad (Department of Health Circular 2/2011). Incremental credit is normally granted on appointment, in respect of previous experience in the Civil Service, Local Authorities, Health Service and other Public Service Bodies and Statutory Agencies.