For Employers (Hire a Smithie)

As members of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the Career Centers of Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College adhere to the NACE Principles for Career Services and Employment Professionals. All employers who wish to partner with us will be expected to review and follow all NACE Principles.

To promote professionalism and ensure a positive experience for our students, alumni, and employer partners, and to clarify areas of unique concern, we have adopted supplemental Recruiting Policies that represent our profession's standards and best practices. The following policies apply to all employment organizations participating in the formal recruiting activities at Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College including on-campus interviews, resume collections/referrals, information sessions, and career/job fairs.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges are committed to treating all members of the college community in an equitable manner. The colleges will not discriminate because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, national origin (including ancestry), citizen status, physical or mental disability, including AIDS, age, marital status, sexual orientation, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era, or any other protected category as required by applicable local, state, or federal law. The colleges' nondiscrimination policies comply with all current statutory requirements and apply, as required, to admission, employment, and access to all programs, services, and other activities offered by the colleges.

Employer partners should maintain Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance, including certification of EEO compliance. The Career Centers should be notified of an employer partner's exempt status under the Immigration Reform Control Act, Solomon Amendment, or any other statute which might serve to limit the employer partner's ability to comply with the Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Smith College policy.

Third Party Agencies

A third party agency or recruiter represents a candidate or an employer client, and is not the principal employing organization. This includes, but is not limited to, organizations such as contract recruiters, career development consultants, career marketing firms, and temporary or contact agencies. The Career Centers will sponsor third party recruiting activities if the third party agency agrees to:

• Reveal the identity of the employer being represented and the nature of the relationship between the agency and the employer, and permit career services to verify this information by contacting the client. If the Career Centers have an existing relationship with the client, we will inform the third party agency and decline to post the position.
• Identify, on all announcements, the name of the employer being represented.
• If requested, provide a position description for valid openings.
• In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), release candidate information only with the written permission of the employment candidate and only to the identified employer.

Definition of Recruiting Activities

Recruiting activities include, but are not limited to: career fairs; on-campus interviews; information sessions and company presentations; campus information tables; classroom presentations and guest panel discussions; and other advertised opportunities communicated to students through bulletin boards, mail announcements, and e-mail.

Excluded Practices

The Career Centers may choose not to sponsor recruiting activities for opportunities if:

• The opportunity involves on-campus solicitation, posting of materials, or sale of products or services.
• Compensation is exclusively commission or fees/percentage of sales from others under their sponsorship in the organization.
• The organization is sponsoring an individual to establish their own business for the purpose of selling products or services, and/or recruiting other individuals to establish their own businesses.
• The organization requires an initial payment or investment, or account balance or similar fiscal requirements, with the organization itself serving as an umbrella or parent corporation. The initial investment may include, but is not limited to: requirement to attend unpaid orientation or training sessions; direct payment of a fixed fee; payment to attend orientation or training sessions; and/or the purchase, leasing, or renting of a starter kit, sales kit, or presentation supplies.
• The work assignment negatively affects student academic progress or encourages students to discontinue their studies.
• The employer fails, for any reason, to provide necessary information needed to post a job vacancy or internship opportunity (e.g., job description, qualifications, application instructions).
• Upon request, the employer is unable or unwilling to provide written documentation of registration with a Better Business Bureau.

Disclaimer

The Career Centers of Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Smith reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to deny any employer or recruiter access to the services offered by the Career Centers.

Outreach

Employer partners should coordinate all outreach and marketing activities through the individual colleges. This includes any form of communication to student organizations, affinity group advisors, or faculty/administrators. Mass email policies vary from campus to campus and should, therefore, be coordinated separately with each of the career centers.

Resume Collection

Employer partners receiving resumes through our Resume Collection service should respond to candidates they intend to advance in the recruitment process, within three weeks of the resume collection deadline.

Interview Scheduling

The Career Centers do not permit employers to schedule interviews during reading or final exam periods. Employers offering second-round interviews should provide at least two dates - without negative consequence to the candidacy of the applicant - so that candidates do not miss exams or previously scheduled first-round interviews.

Employer Representatives

Recruiters should be trained in professional interviewing standards and protocols and exhibit professionalism at all times. We require that recruiters refrain from what might be interpreted as offensive or inappropriate behavior. Alumni and other individuals representing an employer are acting in an “official capacity” for their organization when recruiting at Amherst, Mount Holyoke or Smith.

Alcohol

Use of alcohol by candidates as part of the recruitment process, on or off campus, is strictly prohibited.

Testing

All tests used as part of the hiring process must be a valid measure of employability and must be compliant with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) standards, and testing procedures must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Information on testing practices should be shared with the Career Centers. Employer partners must notify students of testing at least two full days in advance, so that students who require accommodations may make arrangements.

Job and Internship Offer Policy

The Career Center believes that providing sufficient time for students to evaluate the employment opportunities offered to them allows them to make the wisest decisions for all concerned, creating a positive experience for candidates and employers, and ultimately reducing renege and attrition rates. Job offer processes can affect your brand on campus.
With that in mind, we strongly encourage the following:

• Former Summer Interns: Students who are offered a full-time position (or second internship) after completing an internship should have until November 1 or two weeks after receiving the written offer, whichever is later, to accept or decline. This allows students time to participate in fall on-campus recruiting if they so choose.
• Fall Recruiting: Students who are offered full-time or internship positions during the fall semester should have until November 1 or at least two weeks from receipt of the written offer, whichever is later, to accept/decline.
• Spring Recruiting: Students who are offered full-time or internship positions during the spring semester should have at least two weeks from receipt of the written offer to accept/decline.

Exploding Offers

It is against our policy for employers to make employment offers that include undue time pressure for acceptance of offers, or that encourage the revocation of another employment offer. Exploding offers are strictly prohibited. We define an exploding offer as any offer that does not adhere to our job offer policy stated above and/or that has special incentives attached for early acceptance, including signing bonuses. Employer partners must refrain from any practice that improperly influences and affects job offer acceptances.

Rescinded/Deferred Job Offers

Employers needing to rescind or defer employment offers should review the NACE Position Statement on Rescinded and Deferred Employment Offers. Employer partners should contact the candidate's Career Center and the candidate as soon as possible.

Reporting New Hire Data

When requested, an employer will supply to the Career Centers information regarding students who have been hired to fill full-time, internship, or other related positions. Information may include, but is not limited to, student name, title, division or unit within the organization, geographic location of position, employment start date, and compensation (if applicable).

Policy Changes & Updates

These policies will be reviewed annually and may be subject to change at Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Smith's discretion. When reasonably practicable, prior to revising this document, employer feedback will be sought and considered. Employer partners will be notified of revisions and of when they will be applicable.

Accountability

The Career Centers reserve the right to suspend an employer's privilege to recruit at Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College for any reason, including failure to abide by our policies.