Recruitment

The recruitment and hiring process requires compliance with federal, state and CSU guidelines. Please plan ahead to ensure timely staffing: Dates & Deadlines.

The Process

Job Requisition

  1. Begin by writing the job description using the required templates below.
  2. Describe what students will be doing in the role and which skills are preferred. Determine if the role requires a Live Scan. If so, include this in information in your job posting. We are available to help you write the job description; email us at [email protected] for advice.
  3. Complete the Student Employment Requisition and attach your job description. Route the requisition for signatures with your appropriate administrator and fiscal officer. (Reference the Requisition Form Completion Handbook)
  4. Submit the completed and signed Student Employment Requisition  to [email protected] for approval.

Notes: 1. A new requisition must be submitted each year. Be sure that the active requisition has been approved for the term you are seeking to recruit. 2. If your requisition is for a Federal Work-Study position, the FWS program will inform you of approval; email: [email protected].

Job Posting

Handshake is an online career community for college students. Students can search for student jobs at Cal State LA in addition to internships and jobs to launch their career.

All student assistant jobs must be posted on Handshake and students must submit their application directly on Handshake.

Request Access to Post Jobs on Handshake

If you do not have a Handshake account, contact [email protected] to receive the form to request an invitation to join. Please provide the email address of the requestor and the email address of their department head.

The invitation will be sent by Handshake and you will need to click on the link provided to get started. Then, use our Handshake Campus Employer Registration guide to set up your account.

Post the Job on Handshake for Approval

With your employer access to Handshake, use our How to Manage Student Job Postings in Handshake to post the job.

Your job posting will be pending review by Career Center. We compare your job posting to the description approved in the requisition. If there are discrepancies, we will contact you to request edits. When your requisition and job posting on Handshake match, we will approve the job posting making it active for students to see and apply.

Note: The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships reviews and approves Federal Work-Study positions. Visit the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program for more information or email [email protected].

Review Applications

Applicants are required to submit the Student Employment Application to the job posting on Cal State LA Handshake. Use your Handshake account to see who has applied for the job and to access their applications. We encourage you to indicate the status of the candidate's application. This action helps students know where they are in the process of applying.

Confirm Eligibility

Candidates for student assistant and instructional student assistant classified positions must be currently enrolled or admitted to a Cal State LA degree program and registered for the following academic semester, and not academically disqualified.

Interview Candidates

Interview qualified candidates. List and rate all interviewees on the Student Employment Interview Record Form.

Offer the Position

In Handshake, select hire for the candidate(s) you would like to hire. Select decline for the candidates you did not select. Go to How to Manage Student Job Postings in Handshake for more guidance.

Inform the Career Center of your Hiring Request

Submit the following to [email protected]:

*IMPORTANT: The effective dates that are entered in the Employment Transaction Form (ETF) are requested dates and not the actual date to begin work. Students cannot begin working until we issue an Authorization to Work notice by email.

Reminders: Positions under Federal Work-Study must be coordinated with the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program. For more information or email: [email protected].

Employment Eligibility

When we receive your hiring request, our team will review whether:

  • The student has cleared Live Scan if required for the job duties listed on the student employment requisition.

  • The student is enrolled in accordance with the related CSU classification.

  • The student was previously employed at Cal State LA in accordance with related I-9 clearances.

If a Live Scan is required, Career Center staff will contact the student to arrange a Live Scan appointment. 

Once we are notified of the results of Live Scan and they have passed, we will email to schedule the hiring appointment to verify their I-9 employment eligibility.

The Live Scan appointment will be conducted at the Cal State LA Department of Public Safety. To help prepare your student for the appointment, we have listed the instructions below. There is no cost for Cal State LA student employees.

Students will be asked to take the following steps:

  1. Respond to our email to confirm your in-person Live Scan appointment. Complete and sign the Information Practices Act Notice Form and the Live Scan Application Form. These forms are sent via DocuSign. 

  2. Attend your scheduled Live Scan appointment.

  3. Once the Live Scan appointment is completed, you must email your name, CIN and the ATI number listed on the Live Scan application to [email protected].

  4. Once we are notified of the results of Live Scan result and you have passed, we will email you to schedule the in-person hiring appointment to verify I-9 employment eligibility.

Career Center staff will invite students to schedule a hiring appointment through Navigate LA. 

During the Hiring Appointment

Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification

All candidates for student employment must demonstrate employment eligibility. The steps for demonstrating employment eligibility depend upon the students' status.

Review the steps for obtaining an Authorization to Work to help your candidate complete the process in a timely manner. Students are responsible for completing their I-9 verification in person.

Payroll Documents

After I-9 verification, students will be asked to complete payroll and new employee documents. We guide students through these steps during the hiring appointment.

Once the above steps are completed, we will email the student, supervisor and preparer of the Employment Transaction Form (ETF) to provide the Authorization to Work notice.

The Authorization to Work notice will indicate the day the student employee can start working. A student employee is not able to begin work until we have sent out the work authorization email.
 

Types of Authorizations to Work

Authorizations to Work are issued based on the enrollment status of the student employee.

Enrolled Half-time or More

Student assistants (classification 1870) are temporary, part-time workers who are currently enrolled, at minimum, a half-time credit load with the primary goal of achieving a degree.

Enrolled Less than Half-time

If a student is enrolled less than half time at the time of hire (classification 1874), they must have been enrolled half time or more in the prior term AND enrolled half time or more in the upcoming term.

Exception: If the student graduated in the prior term, they can work one term immediately following graduation.

Not Enrolled When Hired Nor in the Previous Term

A conditional authorization to work is issued on the condition that the student will enroll half time or more in the coming academic term. 

Failure to enroll half time or more by the Census deadline may result in termination of employment.