BENEFITS
As with any mutually beneficial employment arrangement, the more a supervisor understands the needs and goals of their staff, including their student workers, the better they can create positive and rewarding work environments. This is common knowledge; however, it is especially important when it comes to student workers. It is essential that a supervisor meets with their student worker on at least a weekly basis. These meetings are necessary for status updates and questions, however, the supervisor should make it a habit to continue checking in with their student workers in terms of if the student worker is meeting their personal goals and gaining the benefits from the job that they were hoping to achieve…while still meeting the goals for the student position upon which the student worker was hired.
To have an effective student worker program, it’s important to take a holistic view of benefits and to develop processes, programs, and goals that can provide those benefits to the extent possible for both the student worker and the supervisor.
Student Worker
Paycheck - One of the obvious benefits and reasons why the student is sacrificing their free time….is to get a paycheck. Unfortunately, this too will likely be the area where a supervisor is going to have the least amount of flexibility with a student position. However, this emphasizes the importance of the supervisor having regularly scheduled, standing meetings with their student workers. These meetings are great opportunities for checking in with the student worker to determine what other benefits could be provided, in order to offset any direct financial constraints the supervisor may have for pay rate.
Job Training – Student workers gain valuable training as part of their assigned jobs. This training includes required and recommended training to carry out their job functions that can be obtained in live classroom sessions, online, and through On-The-Job training. This type of training is an invaluable part of academic studies by putting theory into practice. Supervisors should look for and encourage opportunities where student workers can connect their job responsibilities and training towards their academic studies whenever possible.
Supervisors of student workers should capitalize on the student’s thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm by providing additional training opportunities whenever possible. Supervisors should not focus solely on technical training and instead mix technical training with personal and professional development for the student worker. Many of these types of courses are offered online at no charge to the student at the institutions they attend. There are also various training certificate programs which student workers should be encouraged and supported to complete, as well as attend personal and professional development training as part of the career growth.
Work Experience – The work experiences a student worker can gain can literally be a life-changing experience for the student worker…and the supervisor. In addition to putting their academic training into practice, student workers gain valuable experience working in an office environment. They also gain a better understanding of administrative and operational aspects of the organization. Supervisors of student workers should take opportunities to provide as varied as a work experience for their student workers to maximize this benefit. It is not uncommon for well-trained student workers to become full-time staff members in the departments they currently work as students.
Professional Networking – Students working on campus have excellent opportunities for meeting many new faculty, staff, and students in their roles as a student worker. This professional networking can further be enhanced through participation in training, conferences, workshops, and local chapters of professional membership organizations. Supervisors of student workers should actively seek professional networking opportunities for their student workers.
Resume Building – Another benefit that is perhaps overlooked or not fully appreciated by many (most?) supervisors of student workers are resume building opportunities. This can include things such as training certificates, attendance at workshops, development of training materials, speaking opportunities, volunteer activities, and more. Supervisors of student workers should actively facilitate resume building activities for their student workers. Resume building will be covered in greater detail in the article dealing with Strategies in developing an effective student worker program.
Cultivate Friendships – Because student workers can have much more exposure to people on campus than by just taking classes, there are numerous opportunities to build new friendships across campus. Some of their best friends can and will be made with people in different academic programs. There is also a certain type of bond among student workers, especially working in the same department. If a supervisor can foster this bond and team building among student workers, then that supervisor will be provided with a team of student workers that will be highly productive team members. There are also numerous examples of student workers remaining lifelong friends with their former student coworkers and their supervisors.
Supervisor
Economical Labor – An obvious benefit to supervisors of student workers is economical labor compared to hiring part- or full-time staff with benefits. This is due to simply supply and demand principles with the number of available study jobs on campus, and the fact that some students will qualify for the Federal Work-Study program. Unfortunately, because the available funding for student workers positions can be limited, supervisors should actively seek other ways to reward their student workers for their hard work efforts, such as offering attendance at conferences and workshops, and other professional development activities.
Fresh Set of Eyes – A student worker can bring a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective to existing programs manuals, training materials, and other documents. They can also bring the perspective of a campus customer and provide feedback on whether or not program documentation, training, etc., make sense or will have suggestions for updating.
Enhance Existing Programs – A student worker can bring life back into existing programs in terms of advertising and marketing material and implementation. Supervisors should work with their student workers to determine what their passions and interests are within their work and then try to match these up when assigning the student to review and enhance existing programs.
Improve Customer Service – Student workers can greatly improve customer service for a supervisor’s programs. This could be something small like having someone help out with deliveries or following through on specific requests so there can be a timelier response. Student workers are well suited to improve customer service for program implementation.
Enhance Goodwill Programs – Another area student workers excel is in the support and implementation of “goodwill” programs. Smart supervisors recognize that implementing “goodwill” programs can further market their programs and department’s programs and help build relationships and networks across campus. While “goodwill” programs may not be necessarily by compliance oriented, they can increase compliance and participation in other program areas. Goodwill programs are especially suited for student workers because in most cases, a supervisor should be able to allow maximum creativity for the student worker to carry out whatever task is associated with the “goodwill” program.
Staff Assistance – Student workers can be great resources to lighten the task load on other departmental staff. This provides more work variety for the student worker, as well as introducing them to other program areas. In many cases this staff assistance may provide additional training and possibly job-shadowing opportunities for the student worker. At the same time, if a supervisor can facilitate the sharing of the student worker’s time with other departmental staff for short-term projects, then the support to other department staff should also enhance the continued support for the student position and perhaps the creation of additional student positions.
However, supervisors should not use the student worker position to assign all of the undesirable projects that staff do not want to perform. Supervisors must also ensure any task or project requests for the student worker…must go through the supervisor…and not directly to the student worker. Student workers can be a great resource for other departmental staff; however, supervisors need to manage the task request and task assignment process.
New Skills – Supervisors can greatly benefit from the new skills, ideas, and energy a student worker can bring to a team. In many cases, the student worker will have more knowledge of current technology through their classes and personal activities…than some staff members. This is especially true with communication channels as well as creative ideas for marketing and advertising programs. As part of supervisor’s regular meetings with their student workers, they should encourage the student to share what skills they have, and then provide them the freedom to put those skills to work on a program they are interested in learning more about to enhance their knowledge and skillsets.
Possible Future Staff – Supervisors should view their student workers as potential future staff members and train and manage them accordingly. It is not uncommon for a student position to generate the data necessary to both enable the supervisor to get support to create a new part- or full-time position…and…have a highly trained and highly qualified candidate upon your student worker’s graduation. Even if the student worker does not remain at the same institution, the student worker may someday become a peer at another institution upon whom the supervisor can network and continue to support each other in the future. Student workers can also be great resources and references for their supervisors in identifying and hiring other highly qualified student workers and staff.
The most important thing to keep in mind when supervising student workers in terms of benefits…is the supervisor needs to view the time spent with their student worker…as an investment of their time. Student workers can bring an immense amount of energy and enthusiasm to a job and develop and enhance programs that many people underappreciate and do not make the conscious efforts needed to fully utilize these incredible and talented resources. Those supervisors who take the time to meet with their student workers regularly, engage with them on the development and implementation of programs, and simply treat them as staff members and an integral part of the team…will reap great rewards for the investment of their time. In addition to benefiting from the growth of their programs, supervisors will also be provided with the amazing benefit of being part of the growth of a young professional.
