The first few weeks of the HR Service Desk and Operations department are now behind us. A lot has changed since 15 June. For HR staff, this included several changes: a new team, a new way of working and, for many colleagues, a new workspace in the Berchmanianum. At the same time, the procedure for staff and supervisors to raise HR queries within the university has been updated. This news item provides an account of the first few weeks and explains how you can help ensure that our collaboration is effective and our HR services are efficient.
Staff and managers are well aware of the HR Service Desk and Operations department and submit HR enquiries in person, by telephone or online. Every day, HR staff process an average of 150 enquiries and change requests. In doing so, the HR Service Desk & Personnel Management department plays a key role in supporting staff and managers. The new department has got off to an enthusiastic start and is continuing to work on improving its services and working methods, so that staff and managers can be supported even more effectively. In addition, the summer period has begun, meaning staffing levels are temporarily lower than usual. HR staff remain fully committed to helping you as effectively and quickly as possible. However, processing times may be longer than you are used to from HR over the coming period. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this transition period.
Together, we will ensure a high standard of service
To provide you, as an employee, with the best possible support, it is important that the available HR resources are deployed where they are most needed. It helps if everyone follows the new procedure for putting questions to HR staff and makes use of the three contact options. Not every HR query or request submitted is equally urgent. You should therefore only indicate that your request is urgent in genuine emergencies and use the new way of working to submit HR questions and use the 3 contact options. This will enable HR to ensure that issues requiring immediate attention are dealt with first.
Only mark something as urgent if it really is
Not every HR enquiry or request submitted is equally urgent. You should therefore only indicate the urgency of your request in genuine emergencies. This enables HR to ensure that enquiries requiring immediate attention are dealt with first. You can find an overview of your requests under ‘My requests’ (please note: a VPN connection is required for this).
Please do not send reminder emails
We have noticed that outstanding requests are regularly followed by well-intentioned reminder emails. We do understand that you are keen to know where you stand. That said, every additional email has to be processed, which means there is less time available to deal with the actual substance of requests. HR therefore kindly asks you not to send any reminder emails. All requests are carefully tracked and assessed for urgency. This allows HR staff to devote as much of their time as possible to dealing with queries and requests. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. This will help HR to organise its services as efficiently and carefully as possible so that we can provide you, as an employee, with the best possible assistance with your operational HR query.
The HR Service Desk and Operations department will remain available to you throughout the summer break
Our HR staff will also be on hand to help you while the university is closed for summer. You can contact us by phone or submit your query online (please note that a VPN connection is required for this) via the ‘Contact HR staff | Radboud University’ contact page. The actual HR Service Desk in the Berchmanianum will be closed temporarily from 20 July to 9 August. You will be able to visit the reception desk in BM 01.300 again from Monday, 10 August.
