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The success of
students in obtaining employment is important to a number
of parties on the college campus. In addition
to students themselves, these parties include the professionals
who work in Career Services, Admissions, Institutional
Advancement, and Alumni Services, and you, the faculty.
You
play a direct role in the employment process for new
graduates. Usually, your role and that of the career
services practitioner are complementary. Occasionally,
however, helping students in their job searches can
result in unanticipated illegal or unethical actions.
The
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE),
to which a great number of academic and hiring institutions
belong, provides a set of ethical standards for guiding
the job-search process. Entitled Principles for Professional
Conduct for Career Services & Employment Professionals,
these standards are based on notions of fairness, truthfulness,
non-injury, confidentiality, and lawfulness. In its
foreword, the Principles document notes that colleges
and employers share the common goal of "achieving the
best match between the individual student and the employing
organization."
Three
basic precepts serve as the foundation of this goal,
namely:
- Maintaining
an open and free selection of employment opportunities
in an atmosphere conducive to objective thought,
where job candidates can choose optimum long-term
uses of their talents that are consistent with
personal objectives and all relevant facts;
- Maintaining
a recruiting process that is fair and equitable
to candidates and employing organizations
Supporting
informed and responsible decision making by candidates.
Guidelines
- Candidate
Referral
Employers may contact you to request the names of
students who would be excellent candidates for job
opportunities.
At
first glance, it seems harmless to provide the names
of your best students. However, there are some potential
legal and ethical pitfalls. If you or a colleague receive
a job lead from an employer and choose only to refer
a few individuals without publicizing the position to
all students who may be qualified, you are not maintaining
"a fair and equitable recruiting process."
Also,
by identifying individuals for employment on a "regular"
basis, you may be considered an "employment agency"
for purposes of compliance with equal employment opportunity
laws. For example, if it appears as if you are (innocently
or otherwise) referring only male students or only minority
students, you may be open to charges of discrimination.
Employers
who act in accordance with these Principles understand
and expect students to receive open and equal access
to information about job opportunities.
A
Suggested Course of Action:
If you receive a request for student referrals, you
can, of course, notify individual students who have
declared an interest in such positions and encourage
them to apply. However, also post the position in your
department and announce it to your classes. At the same
time, contact the university career center so that the
position can be listed campus-wide. There are practical
reasons for these actions. The career services office
may have an existing relationship with the requesting
employer through co-op, part-time/summer job, internship,
job fair, or other recruiting programs. Or, the career
center practitioners may wish to develop a broader relationship
with the employer. Sometimes unproductive misunderstandings
occur when an employer works with more than one campus
office.
- Referral
of Minority Candidates
Most employers have diversity objectives in their
college relations programs. Accordingly, they will
make a special effort to identify and attract minority
candidates. You will probably be asked for help in
accomplishing this task.
The
NACE Principles document endorses compliance with EEO
guidelines and adherence to affirmative action principles
by both college and staffing professionals. It is illegal
to discriminate against protected groups. It is considered
appropriate for career center practitioners to inform
members of protected groups about employment opportunities,
especially in areas where minorities are underrepresented.
Similarly, employers are encouraged to inform minority
populations of special activities, e.g., information
sessions or career fairs that have been developed to
help achieve an employer's affirmative action goals.
You can participate in all of these activities.
While
it is lawful and ethical for you to assist employers
in reaching out to minority groups, it is inappropriate
for you to identify only minority individuals who might
fit the needs of an organization. You have an obligation
to provide a "fair" system, i.e., one where all students
have access to information about career opportunities.
A
Suggested Course of Action:
If you receive a request for minority candidate referrals,
you can make announcements in class, post signs in your
department, notify minority students' organizations
(e.g., societies of black, female, or Hispanic engineers),
pass the request on to Career Services, and encourage
the employer to contact Career Services directly. You
can also refer the employer to your college's minority
student advisory office (if one exists). That
office may be authorized to provide a full list of the
members of a requested population.
- Providing
References
When you are asked by an employer for a student's
reference, confidentiality becomes a major concern.
Simply, information about a student should not be
shared unless the student has furnished you with prior
authorization. Once permission has been obtained,
you should provide information that is based on facts,
not conjecture, and not on personal information unrelated
to the student's qualifications for the job in question.
A
Suggested Course of Action: When you are asked to
provide a written or oral reference for a student, obtain
written permission from the student. All reference information
should be based on firsthand knowledge and, if possible,
written documentation. When providing information, you
should avoid personal matters (e.g., marital status,
health, disabilities, race, religion, etc.) that by
law should not be included in employment decisions,
even if you believe that such information might enhance
the student's candidacy.
- Final
Comments
The goal of student employment is most likely reached
when all parties involved work cooperatively, ethically,
and within the law. There may be instances when you
are unsure of how to help your students and stay within
the law. On those occasions, call Career Services
for more information.
You
and your colleagues on the faculty are encouraged
to offer comments to your Career Services practitioners
regarding these guidelines and the issues this guide
addresses. Please feel free to note issues that may
not be covered.
This article has been reprinted with the permission
of the National Association of Colleges and Employers,
copyright holder.
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