Supervising Undergraduate Student Employees

Unique Considerations

• Students first. Student employees are always students first with their studies as their top priority. Students juggle lectures, readings, activities, and their own personal lives all while transitioning into adulthood and exploring their interests, strengths, and social identity. Their calendar and mental capacity could be maxed out by the time they clock in for their job. For these reasons, we support managers offering students increased flexibility to help them find a balance between all their responsibilities. 

• New to work. You may be a student employee’s first manager. They are new to professional life and may not understand expectations and norms standard to a workplace. However, this fresh perspective also comes with a lack of skepticism, as many students are willing to try new strategies to meet your team’s goals.

• Looking for skill development. Students are hoping to grow professionally while working on your team. Employment gives them a chance to gain skills that will help develop their long-term career. As members of your team, students have a chance to develop skills around time management, conflict resolution, communication, and problem-solving. 

All of these factors, plus many more, are why managing undergraduate students can be both challenging and rewarding.

Faster Onboarding

Students may not join your team until late in their academic career and may only stay for a semester. With such short employee life cycles, managers of students find themselves onboarding new students often and needing to do so quickly. 

Most onboarding frameworks use a 30-60-90-day onboarding plan; however, a student is with you for much less time than a full-time employee. Our new Quick Guide to Onboarding Undergraduate Students offers guidance for getting a student employee up to speed with the team’s work within a realistic timeline while supporting their needs.

Since this may be a student’s first professional experience, they don’t know what they don’t know! As a manager, prepare to explicitly explain work expectations including dress code, communication methods, schedules, status updates, and how and who to reach out to regarding urgent issues.

Balancing Flexibility and Accountability

Setting clear expectations can help you balance flexibility and accountability while possibly alleviating unspoken concerns of the student. Explain procedures for calling out sick or trading shifts and outline the potential consequences when those expectations aren’t met. Clarify that attendance is expected during finals, and consider ways you can offer flexibility during that time before the end of the semester.

Sharing your support of their studies and encouraging them to reach out and ask for flexibility when needed can help foster open communication. 

On-going check-ins are also an excellent opportunity to provide support and show that you care about both their experience and wellbeing. If managing multiple students, start small with quick check-ins once a month or move the conversations online. Each employee has different needs, so keep in mind that often less experienced employees may need more interaction than employees familiar with the workflow. 

And remember, support for students is more than just your team. Larger teams can meet with students in groups, which also allows students to connect with each other. Train experienced students to become team leads who newer students can reach out to with questions. Also, ensure other team members know how they can help your student employees.

Helping with Career Readiness

The work your student does serves as a stepping stone toward their aspirations following graduation. As a manager, you can collaborate with your student employees to connect the work to their academic interests or long-term goals. Regardless of how related the work may be to their major, they’re gaining critical skills for their next steps in life. 

Reflect on these questions (from University of Iowa’s Guided Reflection on Work) together to help them identify skills they can add to their resume:

• How is this job fitting in with your academics?
• What are you learning here that’s helping you in school?
• What are you learning in class that you can apply here at work?
• Can you give me a couple of examples of things you’ve learned here that you think you’ll use in your chosen profession?

Resources exist to help you identify which career readiness competencies their work experiences are strengthening (e.g., the University of Minnesota’s Student Learning Outcomes, or National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Career Readiness Competencies). Students can then collaborate with their campus’s Career Services office to make sure their resume highlights the skills they learned through working at the University. 

In addition, there are many other ways you can help support your student employee’s career development. Consider implementing mock performance reviews or helping expand their network by introducing them to colleagues and professionals.

Students are at the center of our work at the University of Minnesota, and their time as a member of your team is an important college experience that affects their academic success and future career.

Resources for Supporting Students

We have compiled a list of resources that can help you support your students with food access, mental health, transportation, and career support. Visit the Student Support Resources for valuable systemwide resources for supporting student wellbeing.