PERSONNEL CLERK

DEFINITION

This is highly specialized and advanced clerical and related work in the field of personnel administration involving technical or paraprofessional duties, or varied and complex clerical work involving the supervision of a clerical staff in a personnel office.

An employee in this class performs a variety of difficult clerical tasks and other personnel-related work which involves the application of Merit System rules, regulations and procedures to a variety of situations. In the central personnel agency work is characterized by extensive responsibility in a specialized area of the statewide personnel program. In the personnel office of a Merit System user-agency, work normally involves acting as the chief clerical assistant to the Personnel Officer, with responsibility for supervision of a small clerical staff and personal participation in difficult and complex assignments. Work of this class is distinguished from that of lower clerical levels by the greater requirement for exercise of independent judgment in applying rules and procedures, and by the responsibility assumed in contacts with agency management, employees and job applicants. Special problems, or those not covered by establishment procedures or precedents are referred to an administrative superior.

Any one position may not involve all of the specified duties or knowledges, skills and abilities, nor are the listed examples exhaustive.

EXAMPLES OF WORK

In the payroll transaction and compliance audit unit of the Personnel Division, examines personnel transactions submitted by appointing authorities to insure compliance with rules and regulations; discusses routine discrepancies with appropriate contact in the user-agency personnel office; brings to the attention of a superior problems involving specialized interpretations of the law or rules; trains subordinate clerical employees to review and check transactions for accuracy and compliance and reviews their work; assumes responsibility for the operation of the unit in the absence of the supervisor.

In the certification unit of the Personnel Division, supervises and participates in the certification of available eligibles from appropriate registers in accordance with requests from appointing authorities; maintains merit system registers on a current basis; through correspondence and personal interview obtains information from eligibles on the registers concerning current employment availability, and may give information regarding register rank and status; audits actions taken on returned certificates for conformance with the law and rules; contacts appropriate user-agency personnel employees with regard to discrepancies; assumes responsibility for the operation of the unit in the absence of the supervisor.

Provides advanced clerical and related technical support to the Supervisor of the General Personnel Management and Compliance Audit Section; responds to salary surveys from public and private employers by matching job classes from survey job descriptions with Missouri Merit System classifications, and by providing salary ranges and statistical and other related information; provides clerical and general support in the conduct of salary surveys initiated by the Personnel Division; maintains salary survey files; examines personnel transactions which appear inconsistent with pay administration rules; contacts agencies to resolve pay administration problems; reviews requests for inductions above the minimum pay rate for consistency with established practice and maintains records of approved rates by job classification, agency and location; reviews and approves (or disapproves) salary adjustments proposed because of unusual or special circumstances.

Acts as the chief clerical assistant to a Personnel Officer, with responsibility for supervision of all clerical aspects of the personnel program; personally handles the more difficult and responsible tasks such as the initial interviewing and referral of job applicants, contacts with employees, section heads or program directors to give or secure information, and the application of merit system rules and procedures to the employment process; maintains files containing information of a highly confidential nature; prepares personnel transactions and/or reviews them for consistency with merit system rules and agency policy and procedure.

Composes and dispatches a considerable amount of correspondence relating to personnel administration matters.

Acts for a Personnel Officer or another administrative superior to the extent delegated.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Considerable knowledge of the operation of the State Merit System and of the procedures and rules prescribed for the processing of all types of general transactions.

Considerable knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.

Some knowledge of personnel management, including position classification, placement, training, performance reporting and other employee relations procedures.

Some knowledge of computerized record keeping.

Skill in application and interpretation of merit system rules.

Skill in developing staffing tables and in correlating various information required for personnel reports.

Ability to train subordinates and to plan and assign clerical duties.

Ability to maintain complex clerical records and to prepare reports from varied statistical sources.

Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with the public, with management and other personnel.

Ability to express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.

Ability to exercise judgment and discretion and to work with a minimum of supervision.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

(The following entrance requirements are used to admit or reject applicants for merit system examinations, or may be used to evaluate applicants for employment in positions not requiring selection from merit system registers. When applicable, equivalent substitution will be allowed for deficiencies in experience or education.)

Four years of responsible clerical experience, two years of which must have been above the entry level, involving the application of merit system procedures and rules in processing a variety of personnel transactions, including certificate request forms and personnel transaction record forms (PTR's), or equivalent experience in merit system pay administration or other specialized central personnel activities, and possession of a high school diploma or a GED certificate.

(Rev. 4/1/83)