Personnel Department leads the way in being first in the state to use online job-title classification system

TRENTON, NJ — The National Association of State Personnel Executives has awarded its prestigious Eugene H. Rooney Jr. Award for the Innovative State Human Resource Management Program to the New Jersey Department of Personnel’s Classification Support System (CSS) Online.

CSS Online is an automated system for determining the validity and appropriateness of job-title classifications within state government agencies. By using a complex, decision matrix program, determinations can be made instantly as to which job title classification requests may be approved and which will require review. This reduces the need for human intervention, speeds up the process and saves labor costs.

“Prior to CSS Online, the classification review process was lengthy and rather labor-intensive, and everything was performed manually. With this new system, what previously took weeks can now be accomplished virtually overnight,” said Personnel Commissioner Rolando Torres, Jr.

“The State government programs recognized in the Innovative State Human Resource Management Program show the significant results that can be achieved by the thoughtful leveraging of technology,” said Commissioner Torres.

The automated decision matrix program alone is an innovation that takes the guesswork out of determining which requests require review and which do not. For those that do require review, the matrix tells the user in real time what form that review will take (online questionnaire or manual review). The system went live and has been functioning continuously since June 2006.

Currently, the Department of Personnel is working to make the CSS Online accessible to the blind and visually impaired. CSS Online will be a featured presentation during the NASPE Annual meeting held in Williamsburg, Virginia, July 24, 2007. Winners will be honored at an awards banquet July 24, 2007 at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond.

The Rooney Program was established in memory of former NASPE president, Eugene H. Rooney, Jr. The awards program recognizes innovative state human resource management practices that ensure access and equity while enhancing productivity and service delivery. The award also recognizes individuals who exemplify the character, qualities and influence that Eugene Rooney had on state personnel administration.

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The mission of the New Jersey Department of Personnel is to attract, develop and retain a high quality workforce for State, county and municipal governments and to partner with management and labor to develop a fair, efficient human resource delivery system rewarding quality, merit, and productivity.