Part-time jobs are almost an invariable part of college, considering that 43% of full-time college students have a job.
For an employer, this is good news for you because there’s a high chance you’re going to get a lot of applications. However, it’s not always good news because that means you may have a hard time picking the right one.
Even if you’re only offering part-time work, it’s only right for you to expect a decent amount of dedication from an employee. How can you ensure that when you hire college students?
Check out our tips below to find out how to hire the right one for the part-time job.
1. Get Someone Serious About Their Studies
Someone serious about their studies will devote their time studying to get good grades. You can expect as much, so why hire college students who might not have time for their jobs?
You might think that they’ll skip their shifts to study, but the truth is the contrary. Serious students are more likely to stick to a job, especially if it’s paying for their tuition.
The motivation to take their jobs seriously is already there. They need it so they can keep studying.
They’re also likely to develop responsible work skills along with their study habits. If they’re always on-time in class and with their assignments, you can expect the same toward their work.
On the other hand, college students who often skip classes for any reason are also likely to skip work. Furthermore, they may constantly need to cut hours from their shifts so they can get their studying and assignments done right before due dates or exams.
2. Check Their Job History
Many college students already have experience working a part-time job. If that’s what you’re looking for, then look at the past jobs they’ve held.
You’re looking for someone reliable. This someone will come to work when they’re supposed to and then do their job properly.
You can see if that’s the case by taking a look at their job history. If they have worked in a lot of places, chances are, they only did short stints.
Ask the nature of their jobs if it’s not clear. Sometimes, it’s project-based, which explains why they worked on it for a short time.
However, if it’s a normal job like a cashier or a waiter, then they might have a problem sticking to one job. They may have a bad habit of leaving when it becomes complicated. There are always going to be tough times in the workplace, and you don’t want someone who flakes under pressure.
Call their references and ask about the applicant’s reliability. There may be other reasons why the applicant had to leave that don’t speak about their work ethics.
3. Assess Their Skillset
Let’s face it, though — a huge chunk of college students have no prior experience. If it doesn’t matter to you, though, look at their interests, skills, and passion instead.
These things speak volumes about their work ethics. You also let them know that you value these things instead of a mindless worker. They’ll transfer their passion to work during work hours.
College students are also inclined to learn new things that can be valuable to their career path. Even if they’re only working part-time, you want someone who has the motivation to learn the ins and outs of their job.
If their interests and skills match the job you have for them — whether it’s bartending or small business internet marketing services — you can make them into a model employee even without prior experience.
4. Address the Schedule Right Away
Students have a consistent schedule, especially since their class hours are the same. However, many students don’t take into calculation their study time.
Come exam weeks, you may have trouble scheduling them because they didn’t manage their time efficiently. While education is more important, you — as an employer — deserve to get someone as serious about their job.
You should ask the student’s schedule during the interview phase. Ask their availability when they’ve already taken into account their study time.
This lets you know two things: one, that the student has available times they can commit to you. Two, that they are good at time management.
If they’re clear about their schedule, that’s a sign that they have already thought out how much time they can realistically commit to a part-time job. You want this type of employee, someone schedule-oriented and committed.
5. Be Flexible with the Schedule
That said, it’s only appropriate for an employer to expect to give students time-off during exam week. You don’t want their work to hinder their education, so make sure to manage your expectations. Understand that they have more responsibilities outside of work.
Have a plan in advance for when exams are coming up. Give them shorter shifts, but make sure you have enough employees to ensure you have someone who can cover more shifts. Sometimes, employees would be happy to get more hours.
Aside from the schedule, you can be flexible with them in other ways. If they’re a cashier who stays behind the counter all day, allow them to open a book if there are no customers.
6. Be Ready to Train
Many college students have talents and potential for great things. However, they can only achieve these with experience.
The thing you have to accept is that college students have minimal experience. For that reason, you have to be a professional presence that will encourage their growth.
On top of your workplace practice, you may also have to teach them some things about your industry. Lead by example and be ready to impart some knowledge and wisdom to your employees.
Be patient, take the time to coach them, and let them grow. You’ll get the best results from a college student this way.
Hire College Students Who are Right for the Job
What you can surmise from our tips above is that apart from knowing how to hire college students, you must know how to be a good employer, too. For part-time college students, you must set the right expectations.