10 Questions with Joanne Neris

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1.    What is your name, title, and department? a.    My name is Joanne Neris, Human Resource Manager at UIC Human Resources.2.    What is your role in Campus Human Resources?  a.    Advise, counsel and support campus hiring managers, employees and applicants on employment procedures and practices that include the State Universities Civil Service Rules and University Policy and Rules.3.    How long have you been in this role? a.    I have been in this role a little over a year.4.    How long have you been at UIC? a.    I have been with UIC for 18 years now.5.    Tell us about your job positions prior to your current role?a.    I joined UIC in 1995 as a Personnel Assistant II in Testing Services.  In this position, I was responsible for administering and grading Civil Service examinations.  Five years later, I was promoted to a Personnel Assistant III within Temporary Services where I placed new hires into temporary assignment, processed Criminal Background Checks, submitted payroll, and electronic billing. Shortly after that, I moved into the Human Resource Officer role.   While overseeing the Testing Services functions including the supervision of two staff members, I also worked with departmental staff to fill Civil Service positions. In 2005, I was promoted to an Assistant HR Manager. In this role, I continued to oversee the   overall operation of the Testing division, trained new staff on the Civil Service Hiring Process, and related HR Systems.6.    What do you enjoy most about your role? a.    One of the things that I enjoy most in my role is building relationships and trust with my customers.7.    Who are the primary customers you serve? a.    My primary customers are employees, department representatives and applicants.8.    What projects are you working on right now?  a.    I am not working on any projects at the moment, but recently was involved in the bi-annual Civil Service Audit that was just completed in June.9.    What services do you provide to customers at UIC? a.    Knowledge, guidance, support, and counseling during the hiring and application process which can seem complex at times and customer service.  I believe that providing more than what is expected by the customer demonstrates how valuable our customers are.10.  What do you wish more employees knew about the services you provide in this role at UIC?  a.    I would really wish that employees knew that we do understand their needs and that we are here to help in any way possible.11.  Bonus question: What do you do for fun and relaxation?  a.    For fun, I love taking my kids to the movies and for relaxation, I enjoy practicing hot yoga.