CHALLENGES
The challenges of hiring and supervising student workers are similar to the challenges associated with managing any staff members. However, there are also some unique challenges associated with student workers, but with an effective student worker program, supervisors work with their students to overcome these challenges to create positive and rewarding work experience. While the challenges listed below are not all-inclusive, they are important elements in an effective student worker program. The first step for any supervisor is to being aware of these challenges, and then implement strategies to turn the challenges into opportunities.
Time – The constraint of available time to accomplish goals is a natural part of life and can seem to be a constant challenge. When coupled with class scheduling and work expectations, time becomes an even bigger challenge for both the student worker and the supervisor.
Besides the lack of funding, the lack of time to adequately train and supervise student workers is consistently noted as one of the other most common challenges. This is usually coupled with a statement to the effect…that it would take the supervisor less time to just do the project or task themselves, than it would take to train a student worker….let alone supervise a student worker to take on the work.
Arguably, whether the position is for a staff member or student worker, this is short-term and backwards thinking. While there may be high level tasks and final reviews that must be conducted by staff or the supervisor, a well-trained student worker can be just as productive as a staff member. In some cases, the student worker may also possess certain skills sets (think technology) that can exceed current staff member’s capabilities on certain projects or tasks. It is both the responsibility of the supervisor and the student worker to discuss what skillsets may facilitate saving time.
If a supervisor spends the time to properly assess and train the student worker, any time spent should have a multiplier effect as part of overall team productivity. Supervisors should view time spent training and working with their student workers….as an investment of THEIR time. They also need to understand that this investment can have many long-term benefits to overall program development, growth, and implementation. This investment of time can also substantially improve customer service and provide an opportunity to participate in more “goodwill” programs.
Scheduling – Creating a new student worker schedule to match up with both their class schedules and programmatic needs can be challenging as well. This challenge extends to the supervisor’s availability for the student worker based on previously scheduled meetings. The biggest mistake supervisors make with this challenge…is simply waiting too long to engage with their student worker on class scheduling…in order to determine work scheduling. In some cases, this situation may not be a challenge, however, for many supervisors of student workers, scheduling can be a major challenge.
Conversations around class and work schedules need to be included as part of the hiring process. Student workers who are interviewed, should be requested to provide specific times they expect to be available for work. Similarly, the supervisor should have thought through their most preferred schedule(s) and discuss this briefly as part of the interview process as well.
These conversations should also be included as part of regular supervisor meetings with the student worker, and well before class registration begins for the next semester. Supervisors should require the use of an online team calendar system or, at the minimum, a weekly paper schedule. The purpose is to make the student worker(s)…work schedule and availability…visible to other student co-workers and staff, especially when multiple student workers as part of one team.
High-quality student workers keep their supervisors well-informed of class schedules and where possible take work schedules into consideration when deciding on class schedules. The key is good communication between the student worker and the supervisor well in advance of changes to work and class schedules. High-quality students initiate this process well in advance and without the need for a reminder by their supervisor.
Tasks – A common challenge heard from student workers is related to the quality of their tasks and projects. Specifically, a lack of clarity about job duties other than high-level bullets. This is not so much in reference to a formal job description, although those are helpful as resume builders, as it is a running list of tasks and projects. This includes “time-filler”, low priority tasks that can be fit in before or after breaks or toward the end of the day. When student workers do not have a set list of tasks or job responsibilities, they can become bored and frustrated with the position. Two common concerns heard from student workers are related to the type of tasks they are assigned and/or the lack of clarity about their overall duties other than some high-level bullets. Without having a clear list of tasks and duties, including low-priority and “filler tasks”, student workers can get bored and frustrated. This issue is exacerbated when a supervisor does not spend adequate time meeting with their student worker.
Student workers should be provided with a list of duties, in addition to a running, daily or weekly tasks list depending on the job functions. The point is to keep plenty of tasks in terms of quantity, quality, and variety to keep the student workers busy, engaged, and interested in what they are doing and how the task fits into the bigger picture. This is especially important if multiple student workers are performing similar functions or working on the same project. This also highlights the importance of having work schedules visible to student workers and other team members. Assigning tasks to student workers will be covered in more detail in the Strategies article.
Communication – Like time, another challenging part of life is with communications. This challenge can be present between supervisors and staff as well. However, supervisors need to be particularly mindful of their communications with their student workers. This is especially important because of the supervisor’s additional roles as both a trainer and a mentor, for the student worker. Supervisors also need to be mindful of the differential in knowledge and experience between themselves and their student worker, as this is another area that can easily get overlooked when training student workers.
When the supervisor loses sight of these factors in their communications with the student worker, frustration can build between both the supervisor and student worker. Commons issues that contribute to the communications challenge that can occur between a supervisor and their student worker include:
The supervisor does not provide adequate training or covers the material so fast that information is missed. A poorly trained student worker (or staff) can lead to frustration on everyone’s part and can have a substantial negative multiplier effect later on. The supervisor needs to remain conscious of these issues and the student worker has the responsibility to speak up if they have questions about anything.
The student worker is not provided with standard operating procedures (SOP), or other documentation related to a particular project or task. If an SOP does not yet exist, then the supervisor should assign the development of the SOP to the student worker or a staff member.
The frequent use of acronyms or business jargon by the supervisor or other staff training the student worker without adequately explaining the terminology.
Supervisors need to be conscious of the knowledge and experience differential and to not assume that student workers have knowledge or experience in some basic areas.
At the end of the day, however, the student worker also has a responsibility to speak up and ask questions if they do not understand what they were being instructed or trained on by their supervisor or other individuals. Student workers also have the responsibility to speak up if they have questions about any aspects of their jobs. Supervisors also have a responsibility to encourage and support their student workers speaking up and asking questions if they do not understand.
Academic Aspects – While the experience gained by a student worker is invaluable, there are academic aspects that a supervisor of a student worker needs to recognize and take into consideration. Specifically, this highlights the dynamic between a student who is attending classes with various faculty….while also serving in a student worker position. At times these two paths may come into conflict during the course of their employment. This can be further complicated if that student position falls under a campus, compliance-based organization (such as environmental health and safety). Additionally, there may also be cases where a faculty member is also the supervisor of the student worker. While every situation will have its own unique circumstances, supervisors should first rely on common sense and courtesy when dealing with these situations. Having a well-trained, high quality student worker, coupled with an effective student worker program…should go a long way in minimizing this challenge. As with any challenge though, supervisors should sit down with their student workers, have a discussion and come up with a plan on the best steps moving forward.
Work Limitations – Due to a number of reasons, there can be limitations in the type of work that can be assigned. These limitations can include legal requirements, training, and experience. However, in many cases students can be trained up to the level that a staff member would be required to obtain, to carry out certain job functions. Additionally, when supervisors break work projects and tasks down into management system style pieces…tasks that contribute to completion of the whole project…student workers can be great assets as part of those projects. Even if there are work limitations for a project, student workers can still help document processes, write SOPs, contribute to development of training, etc. A supervisor will be able to work through this challenge with their student worker with a little creativity and management systems thinking.
Employment Term – A known challenge with hiring student workers is their short-term employment status up to the point of graduation. This challenge can be further compounded when supervisors have a high turnover of student workers. Having an effective student worker program can help prevent frustration and boredom and can lead to supervisors retaining highly trained student workers throughout their academic career. Supervisors should invest the necessary time in planning for the projects and tasks that a student worker will be assigned. Such planning will make more productive use of the student’s time and help reduce frustration and boredom. Additionally, highly trained and motivated student workers can be invaluable resources and make significant contributions toward projects even in the short-term.
Funding – A never-ending challenge with any program is obtaining the necessary funding. Some supervisors are fortunate because their leadership recognizes and support the value student workers bring to their campus jobs. These campus leaders also recognize the multiple side benefits that student workers bring forth in furthering the institutional mission throughout their employment. Supervisors without immediate funding for a student worker are encouraged to evaluate the following three strategies to obtain funding.
As with any other programmatic need, supervisors should develop a business case identifying the benefits and value the student worker position will bring to team programs and department goals. Creating a business case for a student worker position is a great first step in developing an effective student worker program, as you will want to incorporate many of the business case documents and procedures into your overall student worker program. The business case should include the justification for the student worker, proposed job description and duties, specific projects and deliverables in the first year and short-term and long-term goals for the student worker position. Most student worker positions are best kept at 10-15 hours per week per student. If funding is available, then extra hours can be provided during academic breaks and the summer. It is critically important to include hard metrics and data within the business case to present the true scope and need for the student worker position.
One task student workers can excel at includes the collection of metrics and basic data analysis. This is not in reference to bean-counting metrics…this statement refers to decision-making metrics. Metrics that drive program growth and implementation and provide justification for funding. Other examples are discussed in Part 6 – Project Ideas.
Supervisors should check with the Financial Aid Office and Student Employment Office to see if any funding or work-study programs are available, what procedures need to be followed, what forms need to be completed, deadlines for submission, etc. These pre-planning efforts need to take place well before a student position gets created. During these pre-planning efforts, the supervisor should document the process well for efficiency in hiring future student workers.
Supervisors can also meet with faculty members who do research related to their career field and discuss whether a 1 or 2 credit hour internship or independent study course could be established for a student to work on a very well-defined project. Even these short-term project-based assignments can generate valuable metrics that can be used later to justify the creation, or refilling, of a student worker position.
An excellent starting point could be speaking with a faculty member in business administration and suggesting an independent or team project to develop a business case to justify funding in order to create some student worker positions.
While all of these challenges can impact the success of an effective student worker program, these challenges can be overcome. Supervisors who remain aware of these challenges and work with their student workers in coming up with creative solutions, can easily turn these challenges into opportunities. A key point for supervisors is to remain conscious of their role as a supervisor, trainer, and mentor. Maintaining this mindset and staying focused on these elements…will result in the development of effective student worker program.
