Recruiting Guidelines

We encourage employers to consider culturally sensitive recruiting practices in the spirit of the NACE principles, along with Auburn’s commitment to providing safe and enjoyable venues and experiences for educational, entertainment, athletic, and social purposes. Be mindful that Auburn 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 reflects 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 following 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. 

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 an actual 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 they are applying for 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 training. 

Employers offering unpaid internships to Auburn 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 like that which would be given in an educational environment. 

Handshake and Auburn University are focused on providing an environment where students have equitable opportunities 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. 

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. Auburn University does not condone the use of exploding offers (offers that will be retracted or expire quickly) or any other practice that puts unreasonable pressure on students. Exploding offers do not afford a candidate the appropriate amount of time to accept or decline and put enormous pressure on students to decide before they have completed the interviewing process. Your partnership and cooperation help ensure that students can accept an offer confidently and commit to your organization with less likelihood of reneging on your offer. 

We understand that firms need to know their hiring needs before recruiting; however, it is in the firm’s and students’ best interest to grant students ample time to make informed decisions. 

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 contact 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 when the offer is made for both full-time and internship positions. 

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.