Student employment is a best practice supporting student success, retention, and the development of career-readiness skills. The degree of these positive effects can depend on supervision, work conditions, and institute policies and processes. Supervisors are the linchpin of a positive student employment experience.
Posting Jobs in Handshake: In compliance with New York State fair labor practices laws, all open positions must be posted on Handshake to ensure that all students have the opportunity to potentially apply, interview, and be hired. Other methods for recruitment may also additionally be used and successful candidates do not have to apply via Handshake. However, using Handshake contributes to obtaining a diverse and qualified applicant pool allowing the opportunity to make a meaningful choice in the selection process.
Interested students will apply to your job through Handshake. Video: How to access applicants for your job posting. The Career Design Office is happy to help you access and use Handshake to source applicants. Contact careers@naz.edu if you would like to arrange a tutorial.
On-Campus & Part-time Job Fair: Most student employment opportunities are filled on or around Nazareth’s fall semester Part-time and Work Study Job Fair (before fall classes start). You should plan to attend this fair to meet with students interested in your job, particularly if you have many opportunities to offer. An invitation to the job fair typically is sent to all on-campus supervisors in early July.
Interviewing Students: Because different positions have different levels of responsibility/risk and supervisors have anywhere from 1 to 100 students they need to hire, there is no single required selection process. However, whatever process utilized must be fair, consistent, and open to all qualified students. Consider the following:
Once you and/or your staff have determined whom you would like to hire, inform the successful candidate(s) and get their acceptance of the offer (email or verbal).
If you have not already done so, remind your new student employee that they, like any other employee, cannot begin work until they complete the I-9 and W4 forms in the Payroll Office (Smyth Hall 40). Original identification required (https://www2.naz.edu/payroll/documents).
Then complete the on-line work authorization form studentworkauth.naz.edu to add each student to your payroll account number. If you cannot find the student’s name among those you can select (under either Work-Study or Regular), contact the payroll office to determine if he/she has completed the appropriate paperwork. Your new student employee may not begin to work until he/she is on Payroll. Once the student completes their paperwork to be added to Payroll, they need to tell you so you can add them to your account number in the on-line work authorization form.
ONLY STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THIS PROCESS MAY WORK ON CAMPUS. YOUR STUDENT WORKERS CANNOT BEGIN TO WORK FOR YOU UNTIL THEY HAVE DONE SO.
For more details on how to use the online work authorization form, see updated instructions available on the Payroll webpage: https://www2.naz.edu/payroll/supervisors-student-workers/
Critical Steps
For many new students an on-campus job is their first employment. Your student workers may not understand that like all other jobs, this one comes with expectations that must be met for continued employment. You should explain as clearly as possible what the student's responsibilities are, providing a written job description if possible. In addition you should explain any other expectations you have with regard to dress, telephone etiquette, office behavior, reporting to work on time, etc.
Maintaining Confidentiality and Data Security: When students are added to the University payroll, they are required to read and sign the confidentiality agreement. As their supervisor you should reinforce these expectations of your workers and make sure that their access to confidential information is restricted to only that information required to do their work. Further, you should familiarize yourself with the University's expectations regarding maintaining the security of confidential data at this link: Naz Information Security. If you have questions about how to best maintain the security of the data you share with students, please contact the office of IT Services at tmsd@naz.edu.
Attendance: At times, like any other employee, student employees may need time off to attend to personal business. However, needing to study for an exam or to write a paper are not acceptable excuses for simply missing work. Part of the learning process for students is learning to schedule these activities and balance competing priorities. It is strongly recommended that students not work more than 10 hours per week to help maintain this balance.
Studying While at Work: Some supervisors allow students to study while at work, when all other responsibilities have been met. While this is an individual supervisor's decision, remember that:
Some jobs are very public and require maintaining an appearance of professionalism or a welcoming atmosphere.
A meaningful student employee job should not regularly allow for too much downtime.
Terminating a Student Worker: It is vitally important that you make your expectations of student workers clear at the beginning of the school year and address any concerns right away. You should document such discussions in writing for your records. If job performance does not improve, you have the option to inform the student that your department no longer needs his /her services. For additional information, please contact the Manager Student Employment (jbaurot6@naz.edu).
Each year approved budgets detail how much Work-Study funds (11-XXXXXXX-51022) and Regular funds (11-XXXXXXX-51020) you have available for student employment. Monitor Work-Study and Regular Campus Employment lines on monthly departmental budget reports to be sure that these budget items are not being consumed at an excessive rate to avoid overspending your budget.
If the number of hours budgeted is insufficient, alert your supervisor when you realize this is so and see if a funding solution can be found (this may or may not be possible).
End of spring semester: Talk with your returning workers to see if they are interested in working for you next year. If so, request a copy of their class schedule for fall scheduling purposes.
Early July: Call your returning workers to be sure they still plan to work for you. If Federal Work Study eligibility is in question, confirm with the Financial Aid Office.
Mid-July: Determine your student employment needs for the year. For new positions (never posted before) please complete the On-campus Student Employment Form and the Career Design Office will post the position on your behalf. In either case, be sure to indicate whether Federal Work Study is required for your position.
Mid-August: Attend the On-Campus & Part-time Job Fair if you are seeking more than one (1) or two (2) employees.
Late August/Early September: Review the profiles and resumes of candidates that have applied for your positions. Reach out to them to schedule interviews. Check to make sure the students you select have been added to the university payroll and are eligible to begin working. See Payroll's Supervisors of Student Workers webpage, which guides you to submit a work authorization form. Notify both successful and unsuccessful students of your decisions.
If you have returning workers you will need to select them to work for your department using the same work authorization system. Returning students should notify the Payroll Office if their withholding status has changed or if they have changed banks or accounts for direct deposit.
November: Monitor Federal Work Study and Regular Student Employment lines on monthly departmental budget reports to be sure that these budget items are not being consumed at an excessive rate.
December - January: Prepare budget request for student hours for the next academic year. If your department requires additional student worker hours, request them and provide appropriate justification.
February: Monitor Federal Work Study and Campus Employment lines on monthly department budget reports closely through the end of the academic year.
May: Federal Work Study ends on the Saturday of graduation weekend.
June 30: Fiscal year ends. Unspent funds for student employment are NOT carried over to the new year. Overspending on student employment may require written justification.
Nazareth University currently provides some additional funding for new student employment opportunities that have not been budgeted for. The Enhanced Student Employment program allows for any on department to submit a proposal for supplemental funding for the current budget year. Such funding is for the current year only. It is expected that the requesting department will request additional funding through the regular budgeting process in the following fiscal year.
Questions? Contact the Manager Student Employment (jbaurot6@naz.edu).
In rare circumstances remote work is allowable as long as a supervisor is available during remote hours and sensitive information remains secure. In addition, the employee must complete the work within New York State.
For information on transitioning student employment to a remote work arrangement contact the Career Design Office careers@naz.edu and complete the Request to Transition Student Employment to Remote Work Arrangement.
Some students may not understand that like all other jobs, this one comes with expectations that must be met for continued employment. Students with Work-Study may not realize that they will receive a paycheck, have taxes and social security deducted from it, or have to fill out time cards and payroll forms. It is your responsibility as their supervisor to educate student employees as well as provide support and accountability.
Additional Training: Seek out training opportunities to share with your student employees from on-campus partners such as Culture, Community , and Belonging or the Center for Life’s Work.
Staff Meetings: We recommend that departments include student employees in staff meetings and other appropriate department-wide forums. By attending these types of meetings, not only can student employees learn about team building and the dynamics of a professional workplace, but it can also reinforce the fact that they are valued and contributing members of the organization.
Inform: Keep all employees (including student employees) informed of changes in policy or procedure, scheduling, work location, etc. This is especially important if the employee does not attend staff meetings.
Shadowing: Observing a professional doing their work for a set time can be very beneficial for the observer to learn how to do something and gain a greater understanding of the department work as a whole. If possible, shadowing can be a great way to enrich a student employee’s experience in your work environment.
Mentoring One-on-One conversations can also be an opportunity for students to receive mentorship and guidance about how what they are learning through the job can apply to future jobs or career paths. Just like career employees, student employees deserve the opportunity to discuss on-going projects and assignments, and receive constructive feedback on their job performance (i.e., communication, teamwork, punctuality, etc.).
Supervisors can utilize empathy, patience, hands-on training, and positivity, among other qualities, to best support their student employees. For some students, an on-campus position may be their first job, and providing appropriate guidance and support can be critical to their success.
Lastly, remember that student employees are always students first. It can be helpful to keep in mind the more stressful periods in the semester for students (i.e., midterms, finals, etc.), and to be flexible and understanding during these times.
Student employees contribute to the overall success of the university in several ways and make Nazareth a fulfilling and excellent place to work and learn. The combined efforts of mentors, supervisors, and faculty help our student employees to be better employees. A simple thank you can make a difference to your employees. Other ways of expressing appreciation are: cards acknowledging birthdays, snacks around final times or even a presentation of a “certificate” in a staff meeting can make an enormous difference to students. Showing an active interest in your student workers, their studies and their lives can enrich their work experience and promote a positive mentoring environment.
Student Employee Highlight Event: Each spring the Payroll Office and the Center for Life’s Work host a student employee event where supervisors provide pictures and written commendations for their student employees. Keep an eye open for the “Save the Date” each spring.
Conflicts are an inevitable component of day-to-day life. Conflicts can happen at any time, with any set or group of people. Conflicts related to student employees can occur between multiple student employees, between a student employee and a supervisor, or between a student employee and a career employee within the department.
Below are some ways in which supervisors can manage and resolve conflicts within their departments:
Clarify the source of conflict Defining the cause of the conflict will enable you to understand how the issue came to grow in the first place
Find a safe and private place to talk To facilitate an open and honest discussion, you should identify a neutral location, where everybody feels safe and comfortable
Listen actively and let everyone have their say It is critical that each person and/or group has the opportunity to describe their experience, without judgment, without being interrupted. Establishing ground rules and expectations at the beginning can help lay the framework for the forthcoming discussion
Investigate the situation Be sure to collect as much information and facts as possible, and remain unbiased throughout the process
Collectively brainstorm ways to meet the common goal To maximize the chances of resolution, each party involved should contribute to identifying a solution - full buy-in is imperative
Agree on the best solution and determine the responsibilities each party has in the resolution Just identifying a solution is only part of the resolution process. Each party involved should acknowledge and confirm their role in the resolution. If appropriate, creating an informal contract that each person signs can help solidify and reinforce the plan moving forward
Evaluate how things are going and identify preventative strategies for the future Follow-up and monitoring are important parts of ensuring long-term success and resolution. If the initial action plan is not sufficient, re-evaluate the situation and identify alternative solutions. If the initial action plan works, you should identify strategies that will help prevent the same conflict from happening again with the same or other individuals in the department.
Supervisors will evaluate, coach, and address employee performance. This should be an ongoing process with regular check-ins between the supervisor and employee. These should be two-way conversations, meant to enhance the employment experience for the student employee. Conversations could include:
Acknowledging and praising positive performance
Addressing performance concerns or giving constructive feedback
Questions or clarification about policy or procedure
Discussion of professional development
Updates on changes in the department and/or job responsibilities
Whatever process or method used to evaluate your employees must be both fair and consistent for all your employees. These evaluations should be documented and retained in case that information is needed at some future date.
Center for Life's Work
585-389-2878
careers@naz.edu
Financial Aid
585-389-2310
finaid@naz.edu
Payroll
585-389-2039
payroll@naz.edu
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