Supervisors provide students with diverse part-time jobs that allow students to earn money for college while developing new skills, building their resumes, and gaining valuable professional experience.
To support supervisors looking for student workers, please refer to our list of instructions from how to post your job to how to hire.
Handshake is WVU’s career management platform for students and alumni where available on and off campus positions are posted.
Supervisors do not need a Handshake “user” account. Career Services and the WVU Hub post positions to Handshake so you don’t have to. Instead, we ask that you complete the Student Employment Job Posting Request Form. Most student employment positions should be posted as Federal Work-Study positions with the option to also post as regular student employment and accept applications from both pools of students. Your job is posted with two business days upon receiving the job posting request.
No, supervisors are added to Handshake as a “contact” only, not a user. This will allow you to receive applications via email only. When you receive an application, click on the “PDF of applicant package” and go to your recently downloaded documents to access the documents (resume and work availability). You may also receive an email summary of all applicants once the job expires.
Once you’ve identified who you want to hire (after interviews), you will need to complete the following steps to hire a student employee.
1. Complete the short WVU Supervisor Assessment. This assessment is required for FWS Supervisors only. You should receive a onetime passing score of 80%.
2. Submit a Student and Other NBE New Hire Form which goes to Career Services for approval and then passed onto Shared Services for processing. On each page of the form, scroll down to click Next. To hire a Federal Work Study student, complete the Federal Work Study New Hire Form. For more information on employee processing, go to https://sharedservices.wvu.edu/employee-processing
3. Shared Services will then instruct the student to process for payroll if they’re not already an employee. For more information on student processing and onboarding, go to Employee Processing.
4. Once the student has processed for payroll, the supervisor will receive an onboarding email from Shared Services that includes the earliest potential date that the student can start working.
5. You MUST receive the onboarding email before the student can begin working. Once you have received the official onboarding email, work with the student to determine their first day of work and their schedule for the semester. Remember, their first day of work must be on or after the official “Start Date” from the onboarding email.
On-Campus Student Employees will work with their supervisor to establish a feasible work schedule. Student Employees can work from one up to 28 hours per week on a semesterly basis throughout the fall and spring semesters. International students on F-1 or J-1 Visas, are limited to working 20 hours per week on-campus while school is in session. There are some exceptions where Student Employees can work up to 40 hours per week. Student days off, such as spring break, are days the University itself is not officially closed for a University holiday. Therefore, Student Employees can work full-time during spring break if needed.
This form is to request current student employment and work-study positions to be expired in Handshake.
This form is optional for regular student employment supervisors but required for Federal Work Study supervisors.
A Supervisor’s Playbook
Often underappreciated, student employment holds transformative potential, shaping students into well-rounded individuals ready for future challenges. By crafting a strategic playbook, we can adopt a holistic approach to student development, enhancing the overall student experience, boosting retention rates, ensuring student success, and preparing students for their careers post-graduation.
To achieve this, consider these key strategies:
- Align Skills with Career Goals: Make sure the skills student employees develop align with the job description and their career goals. This alignment helps students recognize the value of their work and understand how it contributes to their future success.
- Comprehensive Onboarding: Develop a thorough onboarding and orientation process. This sets the stage for a positive and productive employment experience from the very beginning.
- Clifton Strengths Assessment: Encourage student employees to take the Clifton Strengths assessment through the Purpose Center. Understanding their strengths allows for personal growth and skill enhancement. As a supervisor, you can better assign tasks that play to their strengths.
- Regular Feedback: Implement regular performance feedback sessions. Constructive evaluations help students understand their strengths and identify areas for improvement, fostering continuous development.
- Training and Mentorship Programs: Establish effective training programs, mentorship opportunities, and skill-building workshops. These initiatives enhance the quality of the student employment experience and prepare students for their future careers.
- Academic Integration: Look for opportunities to integrate student employment experiences with the academic curriculum. This synergy can enrich both academic and professional learning.
- Accessibility and Inclusivity: Ensure that employment opportunities are accessible and inclusive, supporting students from diverse backgrounds.
- Career Services: Encourage student employees to utilize the Career Services Center for assistance with career and professional development.
- Flexible Work Schedules: Recognize the diverse needs and ambitions of student employees by offering flexible work schedules.
Questions?
For Regular Student Employment questions, please contact us at studentemployment@mail.wvu.edu or call us at 304-293-2221.
For Federal Work Study questions, go to https://financialaid.wvu.edu/fws or submit a ticket with the WVU Hub at https://hub.wvu.edu/contact#ticket.
