TELEPHONE OPERATOR
County of Los Angeles
Position/Program Information
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Exam Number
Y2420DType of RecruitmentWe welcome applications from everyone.
Filing will start effective November 12, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. (PT)We will be accepting applications effective November 12, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. (PT) and will continue to accept applications until November 21, 2025, before 5:00 p.m. (PT) or once we receive 200 applications, whichever comes first. Applicants received after the first 200 applications or 5:00 p.m. (PT) will not be considered.
WHY WORK FOR US?The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its unified system of 23 health centers and four hospitals - and expanded network of community partner clinics – DHS annually provides direct care for 500,000 outstanding patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $8.4 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov.
Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings to supportive housing.
MISSION:
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.
What does a Telephone Operator do?
Operates a telephone operations computerized system or console.
Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits! CLICK HERE to see a list of employee benefits! Essential Job Functions
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Call Management & Routing
- Answer and screen all incoming internal and external calls to determine location to route the call, provide general information, and route inquiries to the appropriate staff or department.
- Process a high volume of calls using systems such as SPOK and Cisco Finesse Console, including long-distance and international calls for medical personnel.
- Operate the American Messaging Paging system to summon physicians and relay critical communications promptly.
- Utilize available interpreting services to efficiently communicate with non-English speaking callers.
Reception & Customer Support
- Serve as receptionist and information clerk, greeting and directing visitors and responding to general inquiries.
- Provide after-hours customer service support using the ORCHID system to assist callers with locating patients and accessing services for both in-house staff and the general public.
Emergency & Disaster Response
- Initiate and coordinate responses to emergency codes (e.g., Code Blue, Code Red, and other disaster/security alerts) in compliance with established procedures.
- Announce overhead page requests in a timely manner upon receiving administrative approval.
- Take immediate action to alert staff and teams during emergent or disaster situations.
Recordkeeping & Documentation
- Maintain accurate and detailed records of emergency codes, interpreter calls, long-distance and international calls, equipment problems, and other incidental situations.
- Keep updated reference directories of all stations served by the telephone system for call routing and information purposes.
Clerical & Administrative Functions
- Perform clerical duties, including preparing documents, and reference materials using keyboarding and office systems.
- Maintain records and support administrative tracking to ensure continuity of communication and accountability.
Requirements
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REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY
Six (6) months of experience answering a multi-line telephone in an office setting in which business, clerical, or professional activities are conducted.
For the purpose of this examination, a multi-line telephone system allows you to handle two or more calls simultaneously. It enables employees to place calls on hold, dial internal or external numbers, and return to the line.
LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
PHYSICAL CLASS 2 - Light:
This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
Out of Class experience will be accepted for this examination.
If you performed work that differs from the duties described in your class specification and you believe qualifies you for this opportunity, please describe the out-of-class duties in detail in the Work Experience and Supplemental Questions sections of their application.
No withhold will be allowed. Required experience must be fully met by last of the filing and clearly indicated on the application.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
Additional credit will be given to applicants that possess the following:- Additional experience in excess of the Requirement
- Experience answering a multi-line telephone in a healthcare setting which includes, but is not limited to, acute-care hospitals; long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities; physicians' offices; urgent-care centers, outpatient clinics; and home healthcare (i.e., healthcare provided at home by a healthcare professional).
- Experience operating SPOK Automatic Call Distribution-Interactive Voice Response Call Center application and Cisco Finesse Console.
- Data entry experience which may include but is not limited: updating existing data, creating and managing spreadsheets, and collecting data and inputting information into databases or spreadsheets.
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE:The application includes a supplemental questionnaire at the end.- Responses will be evaluated to ensure job requirements are met.
- Responses will also be evaluated to generate a score using a standardized system, based on the required and desirable qualifications.
- All requested and pertinent information must be submitted to ensure accurate evaluation.
Additional Information
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OUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS:
This examination will consist of an Evaluation of Training and Experience and assign a score based on a standardized scoring system. This evaluation is worth 100% of your total score and will assess the Requirements and Desirable Qualifications.
Applicants must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on this assessment in order to be added to the eligible register.
ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION:
Applications are processed as they are received and those receiving a passing score will be added to the eligible register accordingly.
The names of candidates receiving a passing score in the examination will be added to the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of six (6) months following the date of promulgation.
SPECIAL INFORMATION:
Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
VACANCY INFORMATION:
The resulting eligible register will be used to fill vacancies throughout Los Angeles County as they occur.
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
Applications must be submitted online only. Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this web site.
You may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.
Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the exam requirements as listed on this job posting. Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.
Please note that all information included in the application materials is subject to verification at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment. Utilizing verbiage from Class Specification and requirements serving as your description of duties will not be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the exam requirements. Comments such as “See Resume” or referencing other unsolicited materials/documents will not be considered a response. Doing so may result in an incomplete application, and you may be disqualified.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.
NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL, AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.
COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. Please refer to their website for updated information https://lacountylibrary.org/library-locator.
ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. DHS is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Tanisha Buggs, Exam Analyst
(213) 288-7000
tbuggs@dhs.lacounty.gov
CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE:
(800) 735-2922
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COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Employment Information
Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement:
The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.
Testing Accommodations for Applicants:
The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.
Fair Chance:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
Employment Eligibility:
Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.
Career PathFinder:
Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.Veteran’s Credit:
Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.
For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdfRevised September 2025