UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of the ongoing Human Resources Business Process Transformation (HRBPT), Penn State employees can now utilize human resources shared services to get answers and information related to human resources and payroll. The primary ways for employees to ask their questions are by emailing AskHR@psu.edu or by calling 814-865-1473.
“This is a major step for the human resources team in realizing our multi-year transformation,” said Susan Basso, vice president of human resources. “Our goal is to provide consistent and clear information to all University employees.”
The new HR shared services model is a University-wide approach to realigning resources in order to create more efficient and data-driven service, based on industry best practices.
Other current HR implementations include an updated new employee onboarding experience for newly hired University employees, as well as updated processes for managers and supervisors to complete HR actions for their employees. Additionally, in late June, nearly 50 HR staff relocated to the new HR Shared Services Center in the 331 Building in Innovation Park, with another 60 staff members scheduled to relocate to the building during the upcoming fall semester.
While many HR roles and responsibilities will transition from departmental HR teams to the HR shared services team, some functions, such as faculty recruitment, will continue to fall within the purview of academic leadership and be supported by HR professionals. Additionally, employees in the College of Medicine will continue to direct their non-benefits-related questions to the HR team at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
“Our new model, which couples the strengths of both centralized and decentralized HR models, will allow for greater strategic support across the University,” said Basso. “By streamlining processes and focusing on areas of expertise, we can better meet the needs of all employees and administrative areas."
Since January 2016, Basso and other members of the HR senior leadership team have routinely met with a wide range of University constituents to prepare for and better understand the impact of the new HR shared services model.
“We’ve been planning for this transition for quite some time. Our HR team is eager to provide high-quality service,” said Basso.
Later this year, when the University’s new human-capital management and payroll system, WorkLion, launches, employees will be able to access HR shared services through an inquiry management tool in WorkLion. Additionally, an HR knowledge base full of relevant HR information and articles will be housed in WorkLion, providing a self-service feature for University employees.
For more information on the HRBPT, visit http://ohr.psu.edu/transformation.