The Administrative Services Center Launches

The Administrative Services Center (ASC) is now open, and ASC personnel have begun serving the campus community. The center, located at 500 Tech Parkway, will serve as the “front door” for all human resources related inquiries, the initiation of hiring transactions for all types of employees, and employee data management.   

“We are excited to introduce this multifunction, shared services model for the entire campus community,” said Mike Shannon, interim executive vice president for Administration and Finance and interim chief business officer. “The Institute will experience a fundamental transformation in how we provide and receive business services at Georgia Tech.” 

The ASC is an outcome of Administrative Excellence (AdminX) – a strategic initiative that is delivering on operational excellence and providing an exceptional quality of service and customer satisfaction.  

Shannon added that the creation of the ASC is a manifestation of the Institute’s strategic plan, and this initiative is about the people of Georgia Tech and will help employees focus on the core aspects of their roles by streamlining administrative tasks.​  

Ira Bragg, executive director of the Administrative Services Center, is responsible for all aspects of designing, implementing, and overseeing the ASC. Bragg noted, “The growth and changes Tech has experienced over the past several years have created the need for a customer service-focused organization like the ASC. I’m eager to create a culture dedicated to making the many processes around campus simpler and more efficient.”

The first wave of the ASC is focused on navigating human resources activities and providing much-needed improvements to the hiring process. This is a multiyear initiative, and the scope will include transactional activities in information technology, finance, and support to research administration. 

New Processes 

What’s changing? The ASC is now the one-stop shop for onboarding activities, including BuzzCard and I-9. With the new HR service delivery model, the ASC consolidates approvals at the local unit level and, beginning Wednesday, Oct. 19, will remove many of the central office approvals.

When it comes to hiring, units will continue to follow the current process for traditional hires (i.e., candidates who need to be selected through an interview process), using OneUSG Connect Careers and submitting any requisite Manager Self-Service (MSS) transactions. ASC will work closely with the hiring manager throughout the hiring process and create the job offer transaction in Careers on behalf of the unit.  

In instances when an interview process is not required (i.e., student direct hires), the OneUSG Connect Direct Hire Form is no longer needed. Instead, units will utilize the new eRequest through ServiceNow and the ASC will use this information to complete the hiring transaction in OneUSG Connect. Units will no longer submit MSS transactions related to direct hires.  

GTRI’s Talent Management Division will submit an eRequest after recruiting a candidate via PageUp. 

For all hiring transactions, there will be early creation of the employee ID number, with the ASC submitting on the unit’s behalf. In addition, if a candidate is a foreign national, ASC will submit the applicable iStart eForms and work in conjunction with GTHR Global HR to ensure a smooth process.  

Units will continue to follow the current process (with reduced approvals) for all post-hire MSS transactions.  

New Portal 

The new ASC portal is intuitive and easy to navigate. It provides a high-quality user experience and improves searchability of HR content (job aids, knowledge articles, most viewed articles). The portal can also be used to schedule appointments, request help, and submit the new Direct Hire eRequest. This will greatly streamline the process for direct hires, including student employees.  

Portal access is role-based, displaying the most relevant information. At this time, only OneUSG Connect Level1/Level 2 approvers and provisioned initiators are authorized to submit an eRequest.  

New Location 

Effective Monday, Oct. 17, the ASC walk-up location will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, on the first floor of the building at 500 Tech Parkway, which is shared with GTHR. ASC staff will assist with the following services: 

• Onboarding paperwork and processing (e.g. Form I-9). 
• The work and documentation required for international employees. 
• Creation of BuzzCards. 
• Resolving hiring and payment issues. 
• Approval of name changes. 
• Completing exit interviews.​ 
• Assisting employees with questions and concerns. 

New Teams and Deliverables

HR Service Delivery  

The HR Service Delivery team, led by Laura Hessler, senior director of HR Support Services, is comprised of experienced personnel in Talent Services and Workforce Administration. This team will partner with many organizations across Georgia Tech to support hiring and onboard new hires to improve the employee experience. 

Customer Service Excellence 

Stacy Whitman, director of Customer Service Excellence, is leading a team of customer service professionals dedicated to providing live support for HR transactions and questions via phone, walk-ins at 500 Tech Parkway, and the new ASC Portal. Additionally, there will be customer relationship managers assigned to support the three largest areas on campus – academics, research, and Administration and Finance. These customer relationship managers will serve as customer advocates, identify blind spots, and work with the ASC to improve the service experience. 

Operational Excellence 

The ASC will produce integrated metrics to track, report on, and improve key performance indicators and metrics such as HR inquiries, resolution cycle times, hiring process error rate, and average time to hire. This data will be used to help make informed business decisions to improve administrative service delivery.  

With a focus on continuous improvement, this team will provide training, communications, and resources to support affected stakeholders as changes are introduced.  

The ASC team is looking forward to partnering with you. Visit adminx.gatech.edu for information to support you through this transition. You can click here to navigate the ASC and training pages for additional resources.