FAQ for Employers

For general information about Student Employment and its website, please refer to the Q & A below.

How do I post a position on Handshake?

The Student Employment Office posts all positions. When you are ready to post a position, complete the Student Employment Forms: Post Existing Position under the Quick Links for Employers on the SEO website.  Additionally, please review the Supervisor Employment Flowchart for a visualization of the hiring process.  This flow chart can also be found under the Quick Links for Employers.

Review the Student Job Database to see if any existing positions will suit your needs. Remember to review the General positions as well as the positions listed under your department. If no positions fit your needs, complete a Student Employment Forms: Create New Position, and SEO will start that process.

I need to hire a student. What form do I need to submit? Where do I find it?

You will need to submit a Student Personnel Action, which is also found in the Quick Links for Employers section. When you make a job offer to the student, please ensure they are Bates Work Authorized. If they are not work authorized, they cannot work until they have completed the onboarding process.

How does a student get work authorized, and what documents do they need?

Once a student has applied for and been offered a position, ask your student to send you their verification of work authorization via the student’s Garnet Gateway account to confirm their BWA. Students must click on their BWA in Garnet Gateway and search for their supervisor’s name for this email to be sent. Detailed instructions on how to send this notification can be found on the Bates Student Employment Website.

If a student has worked at Bates College in the past, they have completed their Bates Work Authorization (BWA), meaning the student has completed employment paperwork and is eligible to start working. If the student is BWA, please submit a Student Personnel Action Hire – Has BWA.

If a student is unable to verify their work authorization, the student is not work authorized and must complete New Hire paperwork (I-9, W-4, etc.) before they can begin working. Please submit a Student Personnel Action Hire – Needs BWA. This will initiate the BWA process and SEO will coordinate with the student.

See the Documentation for Working page on the SEO website for more information on what documents are needed for employment eligibility verification.

What is expected of me as a supervisor?

Being a supervisor means knowing the work being done and when it is being done. Additionally, supervisors are expected to submit the required forms to start the hiring process for a student. You also need to track the student hours of work and make sure you approve and sign off on each timesheet. Students may only work 20 hours per week, regardless of the number of jobs the student has. See the pages on the Student Employment Office website under the “Employer Information” heading on the main menu at the top of every page.

Why do students need to be rehired every academic year?

All student positions are ended the last day of the pay period during the academic school year because:

  • Work-study status changes from year to year.
  • If positions did not have an end date jobs would remain active. Students would have a list of all the jobs they have worked, even if they are not in the job anymore.

How do I terminate a student before the end of the academic year?

Submit a Student Employment Forms: Terminate.  This can be found under the Quick Links for Employers section.

Still Have Questions? Contact:

seo@bates.edu or 207-786-6303

RESOURCES AND LINKS: