Purdue University Northwest > Career Center > For Employers > Employer Recruitment Policy

Employer Recruitment Policy

The Career Center is the centralized department that services students and alumni of Purdue University Northwest regardless of campus affiliation. Our goal is to facilitate positive outcomes and partnerships that assist you in meeting your hiring goals.

General Principles and Ethics

All employers who wish to recruit at Purdue University Northwest must agree to and abide by the National Association of Colleges & Employers Employers Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, as well as comply with state and federal Equal Employment Opportunity legislation, as well as University policy. Failure to do so will result in immediate suspension of on campus recruitment activities, including removal of any active job postings within our PNW Handshake system. To review all applicable state and federal laws as well as University policy, please visit the Office of Institutional Equity Web page.

Additionally, the Career Center has developed the following policies to ensure that Purdue University Northwest students and alumni are treated fairly and are being recruited for viable positions. The Career Center reserves the right to deny recruiting privileges (resume drops, on campus interviewing, career fairs, etc.) to any organization.

Commission-Only Employment

Employers and individuals offering employment/entrepreneurial opportunities must pay a base salary equal to or greater than the federal minimum wage and comply with federal, state and local regulations.

Upfront Product Purchase

Employers and individuals offering employment /entrepreneurial opportunities with compensation packages requiring commission only or requiring prospective employees to purchase products or services upfront are not permitted to recruit on campus or attend career fairs.

“Pyramid” or ” Multi-Level” Employers

Employers /individuals offering employment /entrepreneurial opportunities based on a “pyramid” or “multi-level” type networking structure requiring or encouraging the recruitment of others who recruit others and so on to sell products and services will not be permitted to recruit on campus or attend Job Fairs.

Third Party Recruiters

Definitions of Third Party and Temporary Employment Agencies: Third Party or Temporary Employment Agencies are organizations or individuals that recruit candidates for temporary, part time or full time employment opportunities for other organizations rather than for their own organization’s internal hiring needs.

Policies for Third Party and Temporary Employment Agencies:

Agencies wishing to recruit Purdue University Northwest students must adhere to the following::

  • Third Party Recruiters can no longer be accepted on Handshake. The employer who is filling the role would need to create a profile and manage their own applications.
  • When requesting resumes from The Career Center, we are not able to provide those unless we receive correspondence directly from the client organization indicating your firm has exclusive responsibilities for filling this position. Please provide this information to TheCareerCenter@pnw.edu.
  • Agree that you or your client may not forward Purdue University Northwest students’ resumes to any other party without the student/applicant’s written consent. Failure to comply with this is a violation of The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

Independent Contractors

Organizations and employers that wish to hire students as independent contractors (1099) must following adhere to the following recruiting guidelines:

  • 1099 positions are eligible for posting on Handshake for experienced graduates (3 + years) and must include the following disclaimer in the posting: “This is a 1099 position. Persons paid on a 1099 basis are independent contractors and self-employed. Independent contractors are required to pay all self-employment taxes (Social Security & Medicare) as well as income tax. Independent contractors generally do not receive any type of employment benefits from the client.”
  • All organizations that wish to hire independent contractors are encouraged to review the U.S. Department of Labor, Division of Wage of Hour Fact Sheet #13 to ensure full compliance with the law.

Babysitting or other In-Home Employment

We do not post babysitting jobs or other positions where an employee will work out of someone else’s dwelling (house, apartment, condo, etc).

PNW Campus Recruiting Guidelines

Disclosure of Employer Recruitment Activities & Practices

  • We ask that employers/recruiters work with the appropriate career center(s) and/or departments on their recruiting and campus activities to ensure an exceptional PNW experience and to make sure all guidelines are being followed.
  • We ask that recruiters be transparent with the Career Center about their recruiting activities and the information provided to students. ‘Bait & Switch’ tactics and embellishing opportunities or compensation, for any reason, is not permitted.
  • We ask that employers do NOT drop-in unannounced to classrooms in order to promote their opportunities or pass around sign-up sheets to capture student contact information. Best practice dictates that unless you or your staff have a personal connection to the faculty member, that you don’t cold call/email university staff.

Undue Pressure by Employer

  • Recruiting Students – Employers must refrain from putting undue pressure on students to attend recruitment events or to apply for opportunities with the organization. Whereas assertive recruitment is appropriate, aggressive recruitment is not (unsolicited or excessive phone calls, unsolicited emails to students, etc.).
  • Pressure To Accept an Offer – Exploding offers (offers that do not afford a candidate the appropriate time to either accept or decline) are unacceptable. For example, an offer with a 48-hour window or less would be an exploding offer. Employers are to refrain from exerting any undue pressure on candidates to accept a job offer.
  • Employers should not try to persuade students to renege on employment offers from other companies under any circumstances. This would be in direct breach of the recruiter code of conduct and ethics.

Student Direct Referrals

The Career Center staff supports and maintains fair and equitable recruiting practices and is therefore precluded from making direct student referrals or recommendations as outlined in NACE Principles of Professional Practices .

Financial Investment by Student

Employers are prohibited from charging fees to students during the job search process or during employment. The Career Center will not post positions where the student is required to purchase or rent any type of sales kit or presentation supplies.

Alcohol Connected to On-Campus Recruiting

The serving of alcoholic beverages at or during a recruiting or corporate event is discouraged since students attending may be under 21 years of age. “Serving alcohol should not be a part of the recruitment process on or off campus. This includes receptions, dinners, company tours, etc,”as stated in the Principles for Professional Practice for Career Services & Employment Professionals from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

OFFER GUIDELINE AND POLICIES

Extending Offers

We ask that employers convey final hiring decisions to candidates within a reasonable time frame and communicate that time frame to candidates during the interview process.

As a general rule, employers should give students a minimum of two weeks from the date the offer is made to make their decision.

We ask that employers making full-time offers to interns at the conclusion of their internship to give students until at least November 15th so that these students are able to participate in on-campus recruiting during the fall semester. This will allow students to make informed career decisions and will support their acceptance of offers and commitment to employers.

Employers should in no way try to persuade students to renege on employment offers from other companies under any circumstances. This practice would be in direct breach of our recruiter code of conduct and ethics and may result in restricting access to our career services and students.

Exploding Offers

Exploding offers (offers that do not afford a candidate the appropriate time to either accept or decline) are unacceptable. For example, an offer with a 48-hour window would be an exploding offer. Employers are to refrain from exerting any undue pressure on candidates to accept a job offer. Applying pressure to a student to accept a job offer at the conclusion of a summer internship prior to commencement of the fall recruiting season would also be considered an example of an exploding offer.

Rescinded Offers

If conditions change and require your company to rescind an offer made to a student, we ask that you call the Career Center prior to taking any action. If, after discussions with the Career Center, the offer is rescinded, we ask that you pursue a course of action for the affected candidate that is fair and equitable potentially including, but not limited to, financial assistance and outplacement services.

Contracts

If your organization has a required contract that must be signed in order to be employed with your organization, the student must be allowed to take the contract with them in order to review and seek any needed counsel or advice before signing. They must also be afforded a reasonable amount of time (general rule is a minimum of two weeks) to consider before making a decision. The Career Center also reserves the right to request to review any contracts being used in campus recruiting.

Breaches of Conduct by Employers

Consistent unfair treatment of students has the potential to result in any/all of the following:

  • Restricting access to career services and students
  • Placing the name of the employer in our internal database to denote unfair practices

Student Reneges

We encourage students to immediately release offers they do not plan to accept. Additionally, any student reneging on an accepted offer is considered in serious breach of our recruiting policies and a poor reflection on Purdue University Northwest. If this situation occurs, contact Career Center prior to taking any action. The student will receive immediate attention. Actions that may be taken include revoking the student’s access to career services.