Hiring Students

Create a Job Description with the following information:

• Description of Job (be sure to include hours/week you expect students to work)
• Qualifications
• Pay rate/hour
• Is Job for Federal Work-Study, Pepperdine Work Program, or Departmental Pay?
• Contact Information

Post your job description on Handshake to advertise your department's job openings.

• All open student employee positions MUST BE posted on Handshake for at least 5 days. To post your position, please complete a Student Employment Job Posting Request Form
• Tip: On the job posting, please ask applicants to submit their resumes and work hour availability. We encourage departments to interview applicants to determine if applicants are a good fit for your department. This will also give students the opportunity to practice their job interview skills.
• For questions or assistance with posting your position, please email student.employment@pepperdine.edu

• We encourage departments to interview applicants to determine if applicants are a good fit for your department. This will also give students the opportunity to practice their job interview skills.
  • Here are some commonly asked interview questions

• Once you have selected student employees, send job offers either via email or telephone to each candidate. Be sure to follow-up with students who were not selected. Example of a Regret Email.
• Email Kate Suriyatip at kate.suriyatip@pepperdine.edu when you would like your job posting removed from Handshake.

1. Once candidate accepts job offer, determine whether or not the candidate has completed the following employment paperwork with the Student Employment Office: Form I-9, Form W-4, Mandated Reporter Acknowledgement Form, Background Screening and Confidentiality Agreement. You can check to see if students have completed their paperwork by going into the Student Hire Center. IMPORTANT: Students legally cannot begin their first shift/assignments/projects with your department until they have completed all the necessary employment paperwork with the Student Employment Office.

• If the "Details" and "Select" buttons in the Student Hire Module are enabled beside the student candidate's name, it means that the candidate has completed the Form I-9 from previous position at Pepperdine. Therefore, no additional employment paperwork is needed from the candidate. Candidate may be hired immediately.
• If the "Details" and "Select" buttons in the Student Hire Module are disabled beside the student candidate's name, it means that the candidate has never completed the Form I-9 because this is the student's first job at Pepperdine (or it can mean that the student's I-9 status expired; I-9s have a shelf life of 3 years). If this is the case, please do not have the student begin their job assignment with your department yet. All student I-9's will be completed remotely and by appointment only until further notice. Supervisors, please complete this Hiring Request Form: On-Boarding Paperwork Completion Request to setup a remote I-9 appointment for your new student employee.

2. Student employee completes the following with the Student Employment Office: Form I-9, Form W-4, Mandated Reporter Acknowledgement Form, Confidentiality Agreement.

3. Both the supervisor and student employee will receive an email confirming that your hire may be entered into our system and may begin working at that time. Your student employee MAY NOT begin working until you have received this confirmation email from our office.

4. Supervisor ensures the student is hired in the hire module before the student's begins working. (See instructions on how to hire your student employee in the Hire Module)

Your student must be hired in the hire module before they begin their first day of work or training. Please visit the Student Hire Module how-to video to see the step-by-step written instructions.

• Note: if you do not have access to the Student Hire Module, please complete the following forms:
  • Student Hire Center and Roster Access
• Kronos Approval Access Form
  • Completed forms should be sent to the Student Employment Office or emailed to: shelby.white2@pepperdine.edu

It is essential to provide adequate onboarding and training to all new student employees. Be sure to set expectations (such as dress code, punctuality, professionalism) with each of your student employees. Remember, student employees cannot work more than 20 hours per week. These hours include other Pepperdine jobs that a student may hold. Combined hours may not exceed 20 hours per week. Check with each student employee to see if they are working more than one job on-campus, and keep track of their work-study awards if they are utilizing work-study with your department.

• NOTE: All new student employees are required to complete the online new student employee training that includes Kronos training. The training takes about 45 minutes to complete. New Student Employee Orientation and Kronos Training in the Student Employment Office.

Verify student hours worked and approve your student employee's timecard in Kronos each bi-weekly pay period. Approvals by the supervisor are due by 9:00am on the Monday following the end of the bi-weekly pay period. View bi-weekly pay period schedule. Kronos Supervisor Guide.

• NOTE: If a student is working more than 6 hours in a single work day, they must take at least a 30 minute unpaid break before the fifth hour of work and log this break on their timecard. This includes hours worked for all on-campus positions.
• Pepperdine follows the CA State Wage and Hour Regulations that requires employees to be provided with the option to take a 15 minute paid rest break for every 4 hours of work. This break is not noted on the Kronos timecard since it's a paid break.
• Remember, student employees cannot work more than 20 hours per week. These hours include other Pepperdine jobs that a student may hold. Combined hours may not exceed 20 hours per week. Check with each student employee to see if they are working more than one job on-campus, and keep track of their work-study awards if they are utilizing work-study with your department.
• In California, an employer may not employ an employee for a work period of more than five hours per day without providing the employee with a meal period of not less than thirty minutes, except that if the total work period per day of the employee is no more than six hours, the meal period may be waived by mutual consent of both the employer and employee. A second meal period of not less than thirty minutes is required if an employee works more than ten hours per day, except that if the total hours worked is no more than 12 hours, the second meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the employer and employee only if the first meal period was not waived. Labor Code Section 512.

Please read all email notifications from the Student Employment Office as these emails will include important deadlines, changes, and updates that occur regularly. If you do not receive these emails, please send your request to be on these emails to shelby.white2@pepperdine.edu

• The Student Employment Office sends a Monthly Supervisor Newsletter. To be included in Newsletter sends, please email tess.marme@pepperdine.edu

National Student Employment Week

• Keep a lookout for an email in January requesting nominations for student employee of the year.
• Final dates for National Student Employment Week and the Student Employee of the Year Banquet are to be determined but will take place the second full week in April.