Employer policies

The Missouri State University (MSU) Career Center adheres to the NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice and expects employers to do the same. These principles are available on the National Association of Colleges and Employers website.

Missouri State University’s Career Center works closely with employers to maintain a positive, collaborative working relationship to help them meet hiring needs. Services offered include posting jobs or internship opportunities, participating in career events, career fairs, on-campus interviews, advertising in The Standard, host career events, Career Center social media sites, career fair apps, and connecting with students in campus organizations. Employers are invited to connect with Missouri State University Career Center through Handshake.  The MSU Career Center serves all students at our  Springfield, MO campus encompassing all of our colleges & departments. 

Missouri State University’s Career Center has outlined policies and procedures for employer to ensure that there is a mutual understanding of expectations with job postings, services offered to employers and to ensure smooth operation of on-campus interview visits, providing the job and company information and data requested, providing hire data as requested, complying with the legal obligations of recruiters, and maintaining the confidentiality of student data as outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Employers are expected to abide by the Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers Principles for Ethical Professional Practice.

Sections

  • Disclaimer / Restrictions
  • Service Guidelines
  • Third-party recruiters
  • Job postings
  • Internships
  • Internship Guide 
  • Unpaid internship considerations
  • Compensation and fees
  • Résumé access
  • On-campus recruiting / interview scheduling
  • Student privacy issues
  • Exceptions to policies and guidelines
  • Missouri State University non-discrimination policy
  • Legal notes

Disclaimer / Restrictions

In good faith, we work only with employers who subscribe to the Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines adhered to by the University as previously stated on the main webpage. We reserve the right to review job postings before publication to students and refuse service to employers for factors such as but not limited to, the following:

  • Misrepresentation by dishonest information or absence of information
  • Fraud
  • Complaints by students about discrimination, harassment, threats, unsafe working conditions, or any other questionable circumstance.
  • Harassment of Missouri State University students or staff
  • Breach of confidentiality
  • Positions not likely of interest to college students
  • Outlay of personal funding required to obtain the position such as requiring upfront payment of any kind of purchase of products or equipment/tools(except if for safety equipment such as steel-toed boots).
  • Agencies, organizations, or individuals who solicit employment other than for their own needs.
  • If specific opportunity or nature/status of the company suggests that it is inappropriate for our service population
  • If organization provides services to companies or positions involved with the use, production, testing, or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana (due to the Career Center’s obligations under Federal law)
  • The Career Center does not recommend or select candidates for employers.  Faculty and staff of Missouri State University will not recommend nor select candidates for the employer either.  This does not comply with equal employment opportunity guidelines.
  • Employers without a website will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; however, preference will be given to an employer website that seems transparent and easy for students/alumni to connect with the employer by easily locating career opportunities and viewing team members of the organization.
  • The Career Center reserves the right to not serve the employer who hasn’t provided complete information or until the website is operational.
  • An employer account provides a limited, terminable right to access and use the Career Center job search site only for internal business use to seek candidates for employment and scheduling interviews.

Service Guidelines

  • The Career Center invites employers to promote jobs or internship opportunities through the Career Center’s online job board, Handshake.
  • Employers can refer to our website for guidance on how to recruit students at Missouri State University, create their Handshake profile and post jobs.
  • The Career Center reserves the right to refuse service to any employer who violates the National Association of Colleges and Employers Principles of Ethical Professional Practice or any Career Center policy.  Lack of important information from the employer will result in declining employer approval and job approval requests; especially when requested multiple times by the Career Center.
  • The Career Center cautiously works with Third Party Recruiters and allows Third Party Recruiters access to Handshake to post jobs under limited circumstances. Third-party recruiters will abide by our Third-Party Recruiters Guidelines as described below:
  • Identify themselves as a third-party recruiter on their employer profile and all job announcements (Must specifically state their Third-Party Recruiter status on their contact profile in Handshake).
  • Charge no fees to the candidate.
  • Identify, upon request, the name of the actual employer they represent and permit verification of this information (job postings, career fair recruitment, etc.)
  • Provide a position description for valid openings.
  • Operate in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  Release candidate information provided by the University exclusively and only to the identified employer; assuming the student has provided permission to disclose their information. Re-disclosure of candidate information is not permitted.

Note: The Career Center will respect the Third-Party recruiters’ confidentiality of the actual employer information and will not publish it in any manner.

Job postings

  • Job postings must be actual, current openings for internships, cooperative education assignments, and/or traditional, W-2 or 1099 full- or part-time employees.
  • Full-time job posting should target soon-to-be graduates or alumni; job postings are reviewed & approved based on post-graduate job qualifications.
  • Job postings that do not require a degree or are not career development oriented will not be posted or approved in Handshake. We will refer them to Student Employment Office.   
  • Job postings or emails must contain sufficient detail to convey clearly to the user the nature and basic requirements of the job opportunity.
  • Job postings or email communications may not contain anything that is sexually explicit, obscene, libelous, defamatory, threatening, harassing, abusive, or hateful; or anything that is embarrassing or offensive to another person or entity.
  • Job postings seeking candidates to promote a product, services, or website to other Missouri State University students on campus will not be posted. Examples of job titles include Campus Brand Ambassadors, Campus Managers/Reps, Campus Marketing Assistants, etc.
  • Job posting or email may not be used to post advertisements or solicitations for employment requiring personal information at the time of application (such as bank and social security numbers); misrepresentation, whether defined by dishonest information or absence of information; fraud; harassment of Missouri State University students, alumni or staff; breach of confidentiality as required by FERPA; failure to adhere to Career Center employer guidelines; any violation of Missouri State University rules and regulations; any violation of local, state or federal laws.
  • If a Missouri State University student experiences any harassment or actual or potential harm at the workplace during an internship or job, the employer’s recruiting privileges will be suspended pending a resolution of the situation that is satisfactory to university and the Missouri State University Career Center.

Internships

As defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), an internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths, while giving employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. Internships are learning-based opportunities that assist with career skill development and include a training component. Make sure to review and adhere to the the Internship Department of Labor Statement. Internship positions can be part-time or full-time, and paid or unpaid. 

For more information on listing your internship and our policies, read through our Career Center Internship Guide for Employers.

Unpaid internship considerations

The legal considerations are addressed through six criteria for unpaid interns for the service they provide to “for-profit” private sector employers articulated in the Fair Labor Standards Act (see FLSA Fact Sheet #71). If the six criteria are met, the Department of Labor (DOL) considers there to be no employment relationship. The six criteria established by the DOL are:

  1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the employer’s facilities, is similar to training that would be given in a vocational school.
  2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the student.
  3. The intern does not displace regular employees but works under the close observation of a regular employee.
  4. The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern. Occasionally, the operations may actually be impeded.
  5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.
  6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time in the internship.

Compensation and fees

  • Employers offering paid positions must pay at least the Missouri State minimum wage or the applicable local minimum wage if higher (calculated over any time scale such as hourly, weekly, semi-monthly, monthly or annually). 
  • Cryptocurrency, bitcoin, tokens, fiat or equity are not acceptable forms of payment.
  • All internship postings must be clearly stated as paid or unpaid. (All unpaid internships must meet the guidelines – See unpaid internship consideration section).
  • We do not post positions that are purely unpaid or volunteer opportunities as positions must meet the Department of Labor definitions and requirements that allow them to do so legally, and they must clearly state the pay status when posting their opportunities on Handshake. 
  • For local organizations that have volunteer opportunities may be referred to our Center for Community Engagement & Citizenship & Service-Learning
  • Commission Sales Positions: If no initial base salary is provided, the form of remuneration should be clearly stated in the employer's job descriptions and at the time of the initial interviews. 
  • Recruitment for positions requiring monetary outlay by candidates for equipment and training is strongly discouraged and potentially unlawful. Students and recent graduates will be reluctant to apply for such positions. This includes fees for certain federal and state licensing requirements, e.g., real estate, securities, etc. If fees are involved, this information must be explicitly included in the position description.
  • Postings that request donations, application fees, or investments cannot be listed on Handshake.

The Career Center reserves the right to remove job listings on Handshake or decline further service to those employers who do not abide by these compensation/fee guidelines.

Access to résumés

  • The Career Center will not forward résumés to home-based businesses.
  • The Career Center will not send résumés to personal email accounts. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
  • The Career Center will not send résumés to corporate "student ambassadors" or "student campus recruiters". It is a violation of professional standards to provide a student's résumé to a fellow student for review and decision-making.
  • The Career Center will not send résumés to Third Party Recruiters.
  • The Career Center reserves the right to not allow employers "résumé access" if the employer uses the résumé data inappropriately or abuses this service. The Career Center will evaluate and act accordingly to student/alumni complaints about employers.

On-campus recruiting/interview scheduling

  • Employers interested in setting up a table in the Plaster Student Union or academic buildings on campus must reserve the table through our Bear Your Talent Tuesday process or contact the Career Center directly.  The employer must adhere to the campus/building guidelines for visitors/vendors.
  • The recruiting table locations are to stay in the designated areas established by the Career Center. The Career Center will not allow employers to leave their table to solicit to students who have not shown an interest in their organization. If the Career Center learns from other campus departments that an employer is soliciting and harassing students while visiting campus, the employer will not be allowed to visit campus again—even if there has been a change in recruiters for that organization.
  • Cancellations: Employers that cancel interview schedules once the student sign-up window has opened are responsible for contacting students who were invited to interview to inform them of the cancellation.
  • Space available: During peak periods, the Career Center may limit the number of recruiting space is available for a given employer. Employers with a history of reserving more schedules than they can fill will be limited to one more interview room than was filled in the prior year.
  • Extra space/“room only”: If you will need additional space for tests or administrative purposes, please request a “room only” at the time you request interview space, as same-day requests often can‘t be accommodated.
  • Missed deadlines: Career Center will make repeated efforts to contact employers who miss on-campus recruiting deadlines. However, should the employer fail to acknowledge reminder calls or emails, the Career Center reserves the right to determine whether to change the schedule from pre-select to qualified open or to cancel the interview schedule.
  • Schedule timing: Employers should consider travel implications before interview schedules are finalized—or at least before student sign-up begins—to minimize conflicts on the interview date. The Career Center will gladly accommodate employers’ schedule preferences when stated in advance. Please note that all interviews (and tests) should be planned to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and conclude by close of business at 5 p.m.
  • Intern housing: Co-op and intern employers should clearly specify the nature of any housing or relocation assistance in their interview information and company profile.

Student privacy issues

  • Photos or videos should not be used as part of the selection process. Exceptions will be made for use of video conference facilities on campus for those employers unable to conduct on-campus interviews.
  • Social security numbers should not be used during the hiring process.

Exceptions to policies and guidelines

The Career Center reserves the right to make exceptions to these policies and guidelines as warranted by special circumstances, i.e., in certain situations deemed to be acceptable and beneficial to our students, the Career Center, the University, or recruiters using our services. Such exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Any exception made does not constitute a change in policy, nor is there a guarantee that this same decision will apply in the future.

Missouri State University non-discrimination policy

Missouri State University is a community of people with respect for diversity. The University emphasizes the dignity and equality common to all persons and adheres to a strict non-discrimination policy regarding the treatment of individual faculty, staff, and students. In accord with federal law and applicable Missouri statutes, the University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin (including ancestry, or any other subcategory of national origin recognized by applicable law), religion, sex (including marital status, family status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other subcategory of sex recognized by applicable law), age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law in employment or in any program or activity offered or sponsored by the University. Sex discrimination encompasses sexual harassment, which includes sexual violence, and is strictly prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

This policy shall not be interpreted in a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or of military organizations associated with the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

The University maintains a grievance procedure incorporating due process available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against. Missouri State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Minority/Female/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity employer. Inquiries concerning the complaint/grievance procedure related to sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, should be addressed to the Title IX Coordinator, Carrington Hall 205, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65897, TitleIX@MissouriState.edu, 417-836-4252, or to the Office for Civil Rights. All other inquiries concerning the grievance procedure, Affirmative Action Plan, or compliance with federal and state laws and guidelines should be addressed to the Equal Opportunity Officer, Office for Institutional Equity and Compliance, Carrington Hall 205, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65897, Equity@MissouriState.edu, 417-836-4252, or to the Office for Civil Rights. (Res. Board Policies No. 70-11; Bd. Min. 10-28-11.)