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Managing Student Employees

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If your job involves assigning, supervising, or managing student employees, you may find the resources on this page helpful.

Human Resource Services, together with the Office of Student Financial Services, has created a presentation on “Managing Student Employees” [PDF]. The presentation covers the various stages of the employment relationship and provides numerous tips for making that relationship a success. Important points to consider include:

Plan for your student positions in advance. How will absences or schedule changes be handled? Will your student employees be expected to work during exams or breaks? How will assignments be communicated?
Establish expectations through clear communication with student employees.
Provide your student employees the orientation, training, and mentoring they need to succeed.
Motivate your student employees through goal-setting, individualized rewards, and recognition opportunities.
Provide regular feedback that focuses on goals and job performance.
When issues arise, address them promptly and objectively.

Presentations relating to student employment also take place at Student Employment Forum meetings, generally held once each semester. For more information, contact the Student Employment Coordinator.

Hiring and Onboarding

Here are some tools that may be useful as you hire and onboard your student employees:

Hire A Longhorn — Web site maintained by the Office of Student Financial Services. You can post a student job on the job bank and learn more about employing Federal Work-Study students. The site includes an online orientation for new student employees.
Student Employment Questions and Answers — provides information and resources on common student employment issues.
Supervisor's Checklist for Hiring a New Student Employee — steps to be taken from the time the hiring decision is made through the student employee’s first day of work.
New Student Employee Checklist — checklist of items a new student employee should complete after being hired.
HRMS Help — detailed explanation of HRMS processes and position management.
Preparing Appointments Documents — information from the Graduate School about processing assignments to graduate student academic positions.

Please also see the Student Employee Orientation and Training page.

Managing Performance

Here are some additional tools that may be useful in managing your student employees’ performance:

Performance Guidelines for Student Employees [PDF] — suggested guidelines that may be used in setting expectations for student employees.
Tips for Recognizing Student Employees [PDF] — ideas for simple and inexpensive ways to motivate student employees. Please also see the Celebrating Student Employees page.
Performance Management Overview — HRS Web page discussing performance management in general. The content is directed at managers of regular staff, rather than student employees, but the sections on Setting Expectations, Gathering Data, and Ongoing Feedback are useful in the student employment context as well.

Handling Student Employee Issues and Separations

These tools will help you if you encounter performance issues with student employees or need to separate a student employee before the end of the student’s assignment.

Process for Handling Student Employee Issues [PDF] — chart outlining the process to be used in addressing performance or eligibility issues involving student employees.
Student Employee Separations [PDF] — chart outlining rules and guidelines relating to separating a student employee before the end of the student’s assignment.
Overview of Student Employee Separation Process [PDF] — summary of the steps involved in processing a student termination and the use of reemployment codes.