Human Resources Shared Services (HRSS) began as a vision in 2019 to provide more robust, responsive and personalized customer service to staff and faculty at Pitt.
To bring this vision to life, Victoria Lancaster joined the team from Faculty Records, committed to establishing a strong presence for the frontline customer service team in the Office of Human Resources. This brightly lit, wide open door would welcome and support Pitt community members’ human resources questions, concerns and requests for help.
HRSS launched with multiple human resources coordinators and subsequently expanded into two dedicated teams to support human resources and payroll-related inquiries: Client Services and Data. Lancaster’s role was to create the two groups, clearly define roles and improve the customer service and data reporting of human resources and payroll-related inquiries.
“At the start of 2020, we were ready to launch Shared Services. We had a team that was excited to be able to serve the University community and learn the systems,” Lancaster said. “Then, when COVID-19 hit, Shared Services transformed from a start-up support team to an essential, responsive human resources unit. The team remained agile and responsive, pivoting quickly to meet the needs of remote and onsite personnel.”
Lancaster took a new leadership role in Business and Operations as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Operational Excellence, with Laura Schmid now at the helm as Director of Shared Services to guide the team. Under Schmid’s inspiring leadership, HRSS has experienced continued growth and is focused on delivering a new level of service to meet the needs of the University.
“Shared Services supports the entire organization and is vital in helping employees across RCs and departments navigate diverse personnel needs, ranging from Pitt Worx timekeeping inquiries to medical benefits, wellness benefits and position clearances like I-9s,” Schmid said. “Knowing how important these services are to the University community, I am honored to lead the Shared Services team with a shared commitment to reach the next level of operational excellence in the department.”
Schmid is an experienced administrator with a background in higher education who specializes in project management, operational process analysis, efficiency improvement, organizational design and strategic planning. She previously served as Director of Personnel at the Graduate School of Public Health at Pitt.
To further expand HRSS service offerings and synergize efforts, Faculty Records joined the team in August, allowing the team to work toward Schmid’s goals of addressing inquiries across all employee groups accurately, consistently and quickly while bringing together University-wide insights to serve customers.
Another goal is to provide personalized interactions through customer service excellence. “Each team member shares their name and reinforces their commitment to support each employee’s request,” Schmid said. “It is not a computer that is responding to them – it is another human being and caring member of the Pitt family.”
One HRSS team member shared a recent interaction that delighted a Pitt staffer, stating, “When an employee needed a helping hand to complete their daughter’s tuition reimbursement request, it felt great to assist them with information on this topic, providing a tailored response with a friendly attitude that allowed them to navigate the approval process stress-free.”
Looking ahead, Schmid added, “I am excited about our future and the additional service enhancements we will provide to Pitt community members. We are here for you.”
The HRSS team now encompasses over 15 staff members and is available to provide customer support for human resources and payroll-related inquiries via the online contact form, or by phone at 412-624-7000 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Learn more about Shared Services on the Office of Human Resources website.