Category
HR Management
Training/Education
Submitted By
Anne Hudson, anne.hudson@colorado.edu, Office Assistant
Project Team
Anne Hudson, anne.hudson@colorado.edu, Office Assistant
Mackenzie Teepen, mackenzie.teepen@colorado.edu, Manager of Finance and Business Operations
Lindsye Law, lindsye.law@colorado.edu, Engagement and Services Manager
Mindy Elizabeth, mindy.elizabeth@colorado.edu, Language Classes Program Coordinator
Ayelen Costa, ayelen.costa@colorado.edu, ALTEC
Project Description
The Anderson Language and Technology Center (ALTEC) relies on many student employees with roles ranging from front desk patron services to language tutoring, photography and graphic design staff support, and more. We care deeply about our student employees and want to prepare them for success in the professional world after college. This policy document streamlines our unit’s processes by providing supervisory staff with consistent guidelines to use when evaluating student employees. Specifically, the document outlines a framework that references job code pay rates, evaluation criteria for awarding raises, evaluation due dates relevant to the student employee’s start date and includes links to the referenced forms. The document encourages best practices for supervisors of student employees by referencing when goals should be created with the student employees and the completion of exit interviews at the end of employment with ALTEC.
Project Efficiency
Previously, without universal guidelines, each supervisor managed their student staff independently. However, the collaborative development of this policy document has unified the approach, ensuring the process is equitable for our students. Now, everyone can access the same information from a single source. Our students can now anticipate a consistent process regardless of their supervisor. This has led to a more transparent process overall. Students will receive the evaluation criteria for their future assessments when they draft their performance plans. Students will have clear expectations regarding the timing of their evaluations based on their semester of hire.
Project Inspiration
Due to the absence of centralized guidelines on assigning pay increases to our long-term and high-achieving student staff, we initiated a detailed review of existing practices by creating a spreadsheet of student staff start dates and pay history. This effort uncovered that several student employees at ALTEC had not received pay raises for over a year, primarily due to understaffing on our core team. Out of this review, we recognized the need for a standardized evaluation and raise policy to rectify our shortcomings and have a more transparent process for the future.
What Makes You Happiest about this Project?
We are deeply committed to equipping our student employees with the tools they need to succeed in their future careers. This project enables us to provide comprehensive training and assessment opportunities for our students, ensuring they are well-prepared for what lies ahead. With structured evaluation plans in place, they can receive constructive feedback, achieve regular salary increases and advancements, and bolster their resumes with pertinent experience. Through these initiatives, they gain valuable insights into the dynamics of full-time employment, including goal setting and achievement, as well as characteristics of a supportive workplace.
