How to Hire
Find your next student employee
Hiring LSU students is a valuable opportunity for you to contribute to their career development while boosting your department's work productivity. If you’re looking to hire LSU student employees, follow the steps below for finding your next hire.
Job Description Considerations
Before drafting a job description, review the Student Employment Policy Statement – PS 33 and consider:
- The number of employees you want to hire
- The number of hours per week they may work; appeals are considered on request.
- What funding source(s) you will use and the hourly pay rate (see additional details on these two components below)
Before Posting the Job:
An exceptional job description will include:
- A statement about funding if you position relies on Federal Work-Study or President’s Student Aid: "This position is open to students who have accepted Federal Work-Study or President's Aid."
- A specific but concise job title that gives context to the type of work the student will do. Avoid any abbreviations or acronyms.
- An objective sentence that gives a concise overview of the position and how it fits in with the broader goals of the office.
- Job duties, preferably in bullet-point format, describing tasks with a fair amount
of specificity and detail so the student knows what to expect.
Increase the diversity of your applicant pool and inclusiveness of your hiring process by including a note that you are willing to provide training. Many students have great potential, and the availability of training can encourage them to take the next step to apply. For example, “Prior experience not required, and training will be provided.” - A brief description of benefits. For student employment, benefits include the types of skills the student will have the opportunity to develop through their work.
How you fund the position determines student eligibility.
- If your department does not have available funding for student employees, you may choose to only consider those students who have a financial aid award or scholarship for employment – Federal Work Study (FWS) or President's Student Aid (PSA).
- If your position relies on aid funding, this should be clearly stated in the first sentence of the job description; "This position is open to students who have accepted Federal Work-Study or President's Aid."
- To check if a student is eligible for Federal Work-Study or President's Student Aid, email stuemployment@lsu.edu with the student’s name and LSU ID number.
Departments are required to have a outlining how students may receive an increase in rate of pay.
- All student employee jobs should be paid at least the minimum wage of $7.25.
- The current average wage for student employees is $9.73 (Data from Fall 2022).
- “Students performing the same type of work with the same degree of competency should receive the same rate of pay.” (PS 33)
- “Each department must have a policy outlining how students may receive an increase in rate of pay. Increases shall be applied in a fair and equitable manner with justification. Pay differentials should be recognized when the student gains job experience, when work is performed in an exceptional manner, or when additional duties and responsibilities are assumed by the student.” (PS 33)
Step Two
Advertise the Job in Handshake
On-campus faculty or staff members that would like to post jobs can request a Handshake account by emailing lmoran1@lsu.edu.
Handshake Instructions & Tips
- Do not use abbreviations or acronyms in the Job Title
- When posting a job, select “On Campus Student Employment” for Job Type
- Add an expiration date that is no longer than a few months. You can always extend or copy the job posting if you need to hire again or hire more students.
- Include contact information so students know who to email if they have questions. In Handshake, under “Account Information” in “User Settings”, select “Visible on Company Profile”. This will allow students to see your contact information and message you.
Step Three
Create a Hiring Timeline
Once you have a pool of applicants, consider the next steps in your selection process:
- Email your top candidates a set of questions, or an interest form to help determine the best candidates.
- Invite your top candidates to an interview via phone, internet, or in-person. Go over the expectations for the position, office policies, and procedures.
- After hiring an employee, inform other applicants that the job has been filled
Step Four
Understand Workday Procedures
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the following important Workday Procedures and documents:
- Workday Job Aids for Student Employment Partners: Find helpful video tutorials and instructions for Workday processes including topics like: Cost Allocation, Managing Positions, Adding Additional Jobs, hiring or continuing students with Work Study or President's Student Aid funding.
- Review I-9 Form Requirements
- Review I-9 Acceptable Documents
Take the next step.
We've gathered all the best practices for hiring departments and supervisors. Take the next step below.