Helpdesk Assistant - Headquarters (Short Term Staff - HR) at African Development Bank - AfDB

Position Number: 50095786

The Hiring Department

• The Human Resources Operations, Recruitment & Client Services Department (PTCS) focuses on interfacing directly with staff clients through integrated client services to internal and external stakeholders (through HR Operations, Recruitment and Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partnering, and Staff Engagement initiatives).
• This will help the Bank to achieve its strategic agenda through attraction, development, engagement, motivation and retention of a best-in-class workforce.
• The Human Resources Operations Division (PTCS.2) is responsible for the administration of the employee lifecycle, management of staff benefits, HR transactional processing, and management of the employee personnel data. Additionally, this Division is tasked with ensuring that HR leverages on the capability of technology to not only automate processes but to ensure full benefits by digitizing processes for efficiency.

The Position:

• The position of Short-Term Staff, Human Resources Helpdesk Assistant plays a crucial role in ensuring efficient and effective HR support within the organization. 
• This position is responsible for responding to queries and issues related to HR policies, procedures, and programs, providing effective solutions, or escalating issues to the appropriate HR representative. 
• The successful candidate will be a key member of the Human Resources team, ensuring that employees receive timely and accurate information and support.

Key Functions

• Under the direct supervision of the Human Resources Helpdesk Officer and the overall supervision of the Division Manager PTCS.2, the HR Helpdesk Assistant will undertake the following key responsibilities:

Employee Support:

• Listen to and treat employee queries and questions in a professional manner regarding their situation at the Bank, and provide timely information, guidance on HR systems, processes, policies, and procedures, whether by mail, phone, face-to-face, or videoconference.
• Coach staff to access employee help desk documentation and complete Human Resources forms. Review files brought by staff to check completeness before administrative processing by Human Resources teams. Log and follow through queries until closed.
• Provide accurate and up-to-date information to employees, avoiding errors or mistakes that could result in confusion or additional issues.

Documentation Management:

• Help to maintain a comprehensive set of documentation which is easy to find, interpret, and act upon, regarding HR matters of interest to staff members. Clean up and update outdated documentation (paper, internet-based).
• Maintain accurate records of employee interactions, including the nature of the query or issue, the actions taken to resolve it, and any follow-up required.

Collaboration:

• Collaborate with other HR representatives to provide seamless service to employees.
• Identify the root cause of HR-related issues and provide effective solutions or escalate the complex issues to the appropriate Human Resources representative if necessary, such as an Human Resources Business Partner or Human Resources Manager, to ensure timely resolution.
• Maintain good communication with staff from PTVP and across the Bank to facilitate the work and the achievements of each other's responsibilities and objectives.

Continuous Improvement:

• Keep abreast of continuous changes, developments and interpretations in Human Resources policies, programs and processes of interest to staff.
• Propose adaptations to work organization, tools, and practices to ensure optimal service to all staff members wherever located.
• Organize own work to deliver most efficiently, identify and report on areas for improvements in procedures and tools used, propose and introduce such improvements.

Customer Service:

• Act as the first point of Human Resources contact, provide user support and first-level assistance for Human Resources Information Systems and Human Resources Self-Services online.
• Ensure that employees are satisfied with the service provided, by responding to queries with empathy, providing effective solutions, and demonstrating a commitment to exceptional customer service.

Reporting and Analysis:

• Inform management frequently about work progress, current and anticipated issues, and propose actions to address them.
• Maintain statistics and reports on HR service delivery and requests and, in consultation with the respective supervisor, prepare analytical reports for the use of the management team and for other information purposes.

Competencies (skills, experience and knowledge):

• Hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree or its equivalent in Human Resource Management, business administration, commerce, or other related disciplines.
• Have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant practical working experience in customer service operations positions, preferably in a customer service or Call Centre of a service-oriented organization preferably in commercial banking or telecommunications sectors or the private sector or any other similar institution/function.
• Strong customer service skills, ability to perform various tasks, attention to detail, and ability to work under pressure and within a multidisciplinary and multicultural team.
• Previous experience using an in-house customer feedback, CRM system, and other information to track performance, identify areas of improvement, and develop strategies to enhance customer service.
• Familiarity with remote desktop tools to connect to customers' computers, diagnose problems, and provide hands-on assistance.
• A high sense of initiative, enthusiasm, and good team spirit, good organizational and interpersonal skills are strongly desired.
• Patience, empathy, and active listening skills.
• Client orientation and good problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrate operational effectiveness.
• Ability to work in line with departmental KPIs.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French. A functional knowledge of the other language would be an added advantage.
• Strong communication skills to interact with employees and other HR representatives.
• Demonstrate computer skills and be able to assimilate and learn new software quickly.
• Good knowledge of the use of standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and HRIS tools of the Bank. Knowledge of SAP or other HR Information systems would be an asset.
• Ability to work effectively within a team and maintain good working relations with colleagues.