University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Recruiting Guidelines

To facilitate opportunities and partnerships between students and employers, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Career Services Community has established policies that provide a consistent operational position on recruiting that adheres to the standards of the university and our profession, as well as Illinois campus policies. Principles for Ethical Professional Practice as established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) guide our efforts to maintain a fair and equitable recruitment process, and to support informed and responsible decision making by candidates.

 

Equal Employment Opportunity

Recruiting practices and employment professionals must comply with the US Department of Labor Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action principles, including the following items:

  • Recruit, interview, and hire individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, military/Vietnam Veteran, and/or disability; and to provide reasonable accommodations upon request.
  • Review selection criteria in order to prevent adverse impact based upon the student’s race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
  • Avoid use of inquiries that are considered unacceptable by EEO standards during the recruiting process.
  • Engage in recruitment practices that are inclusive and respectful of cultural differences and diversity.
  • Inform campus constituencies of special activities that have been developed to achieve the employer’s affirmative action goals.
  • Investigate complaints forwarded by the Illinois Career Services Community regarding EEO noncompliance and seek resolution of such complaints.

 

University of Illinois Campus Policies

All visitors to the University of Illinois are subject to the campus policies. Policies that may be relevant to campus recruiting include but are not limited to:

 

Sexual Misconduct

The University of Illinois Sexual Misconduct Policy applies to all members of the Illinois campus community. As such, conduct by third parties that occurs in the process of selection for employment is covered, including conduct that occurs on University premises or property, as well as conduct that does not occur on University premises or property. All hiring organizations and its representatives participating in on-campus recruiting programs and activities must abide by the policy.

If a student of the university is involved in sexual misconduct or discrimination within an employer’s workplace, with colleagues, and/or during the recruiting process that employer is expected to report the situation to The Career Center or the appropriate career services office.

In accordance with campus policy, all complaints are forwarded to the Title IX & Disability Office for further review.  The university may notify the hiring organization of reported misconduct by a recruiter or employee. In addition, the university reserves the right to suspend campus recruiting privileges to individual recruiters or organizations depending on the severity of the complaint or a pattern of problematic behavior.

 

Inclusive Recruiting Practices

In the spirit of the NACE principles, along with Illinois’ commitment to providing safe and enjoyable venues and experiences for educational, entertainment, athletic, and social purposes, we encourage employers to consider culturally sensitive recruiting practices. Be mindful that Illinois is a diverse campus where students have a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, nationalities, religious beliefs, experiences, etc. Your choice of date, location, and food/beverages at your recruiting events is a reflection of your company culture and how it values diversity and inclusion. Carefully considering the value and purpose of alcohol aids this endeavor by  ensuring alcohol is served only in accordance with all applicable laws, policies, and regulations, only to those guests and participants over 21 years of age and who are drinking responsibly. Even if students are of legal drinking age, offering alcoholic beverages can inappropriately shift the focus of the event and may put students in an uncomfortable position. Further, students who abstain from alcohol will likely feel less welcome.

 

Third Party Recruiters

Individual career services offices will use sound judgment in determining the policies for third party recruiting within their designated offices. Below are some important considerations:

  • Offices may confirm whether the job vacancy from a third party recruiter is a real job vacancy and decide if it is appropriate to allow the actual hiring company to remain anonymous on the job posting.
  • Students should be informed that the positions to which they are applying have been submitted via a third party agency. This could involve designating a third party recruiter as such within the company title on the job board.
  • The third party agency must not charge any fees to students.

 

Investment as a Condition of Employment

The use of university space and facilities for student recruitment is restricted to student groups and prospective employers who do not require an investment by candidates as a condition of employment, or that do not require the candidate to pay the organization for their own training.

 

Unpaid Internships

Employers offering unpaid internships to Illinois students should follow the US Department of Labor guidelines for internships under the Fair Labor Standards Act. They are reminded that the student should be the primary beneficiary of the experience, and the internship should provide training similar to that which would be given in an educational environment.

 

Guidelines for Employment Offers and Acceptances

HireIllini and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are focused on providing an environment where students have equitable opportunity to explore, build relationships, and secure a role in which to continue on their career path.

To that end, we support the Principles for Professional Conduct as adopted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The principles are designed to provide practitioners with three basic precepts for career exploration, career planning, and recruitment:

  • Maintain an open and free selection of employment opportunities in an atmosphere conducive to objective thought, where job candidates can choose favorable uses of their talents that are consistent with personal objectives, skill set, and education;
  • Maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable to candidates and employing organizations;
  • Support informed and responsible decision making by candidates

Adherence to the guidelines will support the collaborative effort of career exploration, recruitment activities, and job offer acceptance while reducing the potential for abuses. The guidelines also apply to new technology or third-party recruiting relationships which may be substituted for the traditional personal interaction among career services professionals, employer professionals, and students.

Timelines
We expect that employers abide by the NACE advisory opinion on setting reasonable deadlines for job offers and not place undue pressure on students. Offers should be extended in writing, and employers should be prepared to exhibit written offers to the appropriate career services office if requested. Illinois does not condone the use of exploding offers (offers that will be retracted or expire in a very short time) or any other practice that puts unreasonable pressure on students. Exploding offers do not afford a candidate the appropriate amount of time to either accept or decline and put enormous pressure on students to make a decision before they have completed the interviewing process. Your partnership and cooperation help ensure that students can accept an offer in full confidence and commit to your organization with less likelihood of reneging on your offer.

Return Offers
We understand that firms need to know their hiring needs prior to the start of recruiting, however, it is in the firm’s and students’ best interest if students are granted ample time to make informed decisions.

Requests for Extension
On occasion, students may request an extension beyond the dates given. Each request should be considered on a case-by-case basis and be accommodated if possible. Please feel free to reach out to appropriate member of our career services offices to discuss any questions or concerns related to this policy. The possibility of negotiating decision deadlines should be clearly stated to students at the time the offer is made for both full-time and internship positions.

Offer Rescinds and Reneges
We expect students and employers to honor commitments made during the recruiting process—specifically related to offers of employment. Rescinding or reneging an offer breaches the trust and good faith agreement between the two parties.  If offers are rescinded or reneged, contact the other party, as well as the appropriate career services office immediately.

 

Releases, Indemnity Agreements, and Affirmation of Liability Insurance – Experiential Activities

The University of Illinois Career Services offices, and their representatives, do not provide releases or provide signed indemnification agreements to employers for internships, cooperative education, or other experiential activities. However, under certain conditions, the university is able to affirm the student has liability protection under the university’s liability self-insurance plan. These conditions include:

  • When the student is an enrolled student for the semester in which the experiential activity occurs; and
  • When the experiential activity is unpaid and a requirement for graduation in the students’ academic program, and/or
  • When the experiential activity is unpaid and the student is enrolled for academic credit directly related to the work experience

Any release or indemnity agreement must clearly delineate the rights and responsibilities of the parties involved, and if appropriate, must submitted to Illinois Office of University Counsel for review and approval.

A release or indemnity agreement will not be accepted if the student is receiving financial compensation in conjunction with the experience. Students who are in unpaid experiential positions and not receiving credit should request from their employer liability coverage for “volunteers” at their workplace.