student worker experience by anders selhorst

STUDENT WORKER

EXPERIENCE:

Importance of Recruiting and

Retaining Talent at the High Point

Campus Library

Anders Selhorst, High Point Campus Library, GTCC

Goals and Objectives

•Overview of Guilford Technical

Community College & High Point

Campus Library

•Summary of Student Worker Program

•Discussion of Recruitment and

Retention Methods

Guilford Technical

Community College

(GTCC)

•Founded in 1958, current name

adopted in 1983

•Serves over 45,000 students

GTCC Quickfacts, 2013: http://www.gtcc.edu/media/339293/quickfacts%202012-2013.pdf

GTCC Campuses & Centers

•Jamestown Campus (Est. 1958)

•Greensboro Campus (Est. 2005)

•T.H. Davis Aviation Center (Est. 1991)

•Small Business Center (Est. 1940)

•Cameron Campus (Est. 2014)

•High Point Campus (Est. 2004)

Jamestown Campus, Est. 1958

Jamestown Campus, Est. 1958

Greensboro Campus, Est. 2005

Aviation Center, Est. 1991

Small Business Center, Est. 1940

Cameron Campus, Est. 2014

High Point Campus, Est. 2004

High Point Campus

•HP Campus serves approximately

6,000 students (approx. 2,000

curriculum students)

HP Campus Programs

and Courses

•Performing Arts and Entertainment

Technology

•Pre-Counseling and Human Services

Technology

•Simulation and Game Design Technology

•Pharmacy Technology

•English, and other core courses

High Point Campus Library

HP Campus Library Staff

•One Librarian, and one part-time

Library Technician

•Seven undergraduate student workers

are expected to perform duties often

performed by paraprofessionals

Duties of Student Workers

•General information and basic

reference support

•Customer service support

•Processing serials and collection

materials

Duties of Student Workers

•Overseeing the library when

professional staff is unavailable

•Perform special projects as needed,

such as book moves, collection

inventory, etc.

Recruit Talent

•Job description must be clear and

focused on necessary skill sets:

attention to detail, ability to work

without much supervision,

professionalism, and communication

skills

Recruit Talent

•Use tools for wide distribution of job

advertisement, especially online job

posting sites (preferably through the

institution)

•Talented staff can help recruit

prospects: talent can attract other talent

Best Fit for Position

•Recruit skill sets that overlap with

needs of the Library

•Value professionalism and

communication skills

Value Professionalism

•Experience working in a professional

setting

•Understand the expectations of a

professional job

•Discipline to work with minimal

supervision

Value Communication Skills

•Students with foreign language skills

•Students with diverse cultural

awareness

•Students with diverse learning styles,

e.g. multi-modal learners

Interview with Rigor & Fairness

•Establish fair but rigorous interviewing

practices focused on the job description

and recruiting needs

•Use scenario questions to recognize

experience/skill with challenging

situations, and determine ability to

creatively solve problems

Retention of Workers

•Provide effective training and guidance

•Create a culture that values learning

and communication

•Evaluate performance in a fair and

consistent manner

Training & Guidance

•Provide three weeks of training or

about 45-60 hours of training per

student worker

•Administer opportunities to shadow

other student workers

•Give one-on-one training sessions with

real-world scenarios

Training & Guidance

•Provide clear communication via a

detailed training manual,

comprehensive orientation checklist,

weekly memos, video tutorials, and

professional literature

Training & Guidance

•Reward quality work and dependability

•Provide opportunities for growth

through special projects and

professional literature

Evaluating Performance

• In situ observation: provide immediate

feedback based on performance during

a specific situation

•Teachable moments: use mistakes as

opportunities to instruct staff

•Document performance concerns and

offer opportunities for improvement

Conclusion

•The student worker experience is

maximized through effective recruiting,

hiring, training, and providing a

supportive culture for professional grow