How the HSE Care Service Works

HSE University creates a supportive and inclusive environment, one in which every individual feels valued and important. A key element of this environment is the Care Service, which helps quickly resolve issues unrelated to an employee’s core work responsibilities, without distracting them from their job. Vice Rector Irina Martusevich spoke about the Care Service and how it helps make life easier for people at the university.

— How did the idea of launching the Care Service come about?

— At the HSE Staff and Student Conference in March last year, Nikita Anisimov described HSE as a ‘technological, social, and global university.’ And a social university—large and spread across four cities—must provide tools to ensure every voice is heard.

The starting point for creating the service was HSE’s desire to care for its staff. To make it easier for people to communicate with the administration and support units, we developed a service that helps resolve everyday, organisational, and personal issues through a single-window approach. To build this system, we acquired software developed by the Mendeleev Institute for Demographic Policy, whose work has been praised by the president of Russia. The tool—a Telegram bot—had already proven effective in the Central Federal District, where it was used to support socially significant and vulnerable groups. For example, it is used in the Lipetsk region, and I was genuinely impressed by the regional care team’s dedication—they almost literally embrace those seeking help.

The key difference is that while the regional care service operates on a regional scale, our Care Service operates within the university. Its focus is on resolving individual issues that staff members face outside of their main job functions. These are personal concerns, not departmental or organisational ones.

— When was the HSE Care Service introduced?

— The pilot phase began in the summer of last year, and the Care Service was formally established in January this year.

Initially, it covered only a small number of people—we chose to test the system within specific departments and faculties and encouraged colleagues to submit as many queries as possible. At present, the Care Service is likely still in its trial phase, and we are continuing to integrate it into the broader life of the university along with our colleagues.

— Who works in the HSE Care Service?

— Establishing the Care Service at HSE entails creating an institution of personal curatorship within the university. We must ensure that every employee knows there is always someone ready to step in and help resolve their issues. While communication between the curator and the person they support takes place via a Telegram bot, it is essential to remember that it is a human caring for a human—not an algorithm.

As the administrator of the Care Service, responsible for developing and improving the system as well as managing the software, I also act as a curator for around two hundred people. These include members of the HSE Academic Council and heads of central departments. In addition, I personally monitor the quality of the service provided through all requests we receive.

— How many staff members are currently connected to the system? And are there any technical limitations?

— Around 4,000 people are already connected, and that number is growing daily. The only requirement is having a mobile phone that supports Telegram. Without it, we cannot add someone to the bot, but they can still reach out to a curator directly. Such cases are rare. If you have not yet joined the HSE Care Service, simply email us and we will get in touch quickly to connect you to the bot. An experienced curator will guide you through everything you need to know.

Once inside the service, you can ask your question, upload a file or image to support your request, or ask for follow-up feedback. Every employee registered in the Care Service is assigned a curator who is responsible for answering their questions and helping resolve any problems that may arise.

— Why can’t an employee just contact HR, finance, or IT directly to get answers to relevant questions?

— Not everyone understands how service responsibilities are divided among departments or which specific service to choose for a particular issue. Staff queries are often complex, and getting a quick, high-quality result requires a single-window approach—just like in Russian public service centres such as My Documents (Мои документы).

We also realise that advising colleagues can disrupt the work of back-office staff, who often need to concentrate on administrative tasks. Moreover, many of them prefer working with documents or IT systems rather than engaging in direct communication. The strength of every HSE Care Service representative, on the other hand, lies in personal interaction—they truly serve as a vital link between employees and university services.

— The MyHSE Services Account includes an extensive catalogue of services that anyone can access independently. Will Care Service representatives still assist with issues that are already covered in the MyHSE Services Account?

— Yes. Once a request is received, your Care Service representative—your curator—will call you back. Unlike public service centres like My Documents, where some services are only available online, we do not turn away queries even if the answer is readily available in the MyHSE Services Account.

I firmly believe that if we can respond to a request quickly, it is better to just do it than to tell a colleague to look it up themselves. Otherwise, they might spend several times longer solving the same issue, feel frustrated and uncomfortable, and be left with a negative impression. Our bureaucratic procedures should never outweigh the needs of the individual.

— How quickly does a curator respond to a request?

— We inform users that a curator will contact them either during the working day the request is received or on the following working day. From our experience, colleagues are more often pleasantly surprised at the speed of response, rather than dissatisfied with the wait time.

— What types of issues are users of the HSE Care Service currently facing? Can you give examples of typical and unusual requests?

— Financial queries top the list, followed by HR-related issues, and then administrative matters—mainly concerning the condition of workspaces.

For example, one department reported poor ventilation in their office via the HSE Care Service, and the issue was resolved within a few hours. Now the team can work comfortably without being distracted by everyday problems.

— Is there a risk that a curator might lose track of a request or abandon it halfway through?

— No, that is absolutely not possible.

Our methodology ensures that a curator cannot close a request until it has been resolved and the user—the person at the heart of our system—is satisfied.

If a user is unhappy with the response they have received, we will continue working on the issue. In cases involving personal data or commercially sensitive information, we will arrange direct contact with the back office. Even after that, the curator will still follow up to confirm everything is in order.

— Are there any topics that the HSE Care Service does not handle?

— There are no strict prohibitions. As mentioned earlier, we do not deal with institutional issues related to specific departments—that is the main boundary. We also do not handle problems unrelated to HSE University.

The HSE Care Service is not only about responding to individual needs—it also gives the university administration insight into what really matters to staff. Alongside satisfaction surveys, it is an important tool for change. Each of us can help improve the university—all it takes is pressing a button, requesting contact, and talking to your curator.

— What are the plans for developing the HSE Care Service in the near future?

— We aim to reach 90% of university staff with the service. Eventually, all interaction with support departments will take place exclusively through the HSE Care Service.

We want every university employee to feel calm, comfortable, and able to fully focus on their work—without having to figure out who to contact for help. They should know they can simply turn to a single point of access.

April 11