Winthrop University’s human resource team recently adopted a new system for employed students to solve issues such as security and customer service. Kim Sipes, the employment manager, answered a few questions about how it’s been working out.
“Prior to the new applicant tracking system, there was no centralized place where students could view on-campus employment opportunities,” Sipes said.
“Students were sent to Financial Aid, Career and Civic Engagement, and/or various departments on campus to inquire about employment. In order to provide better customer service to students seeking employment, we implemented the new system. The system also provides supervisors with the ability to locate student workers when there are student employment opportunities within their areas.”
Sipes also offered the benefits of the system by listing new qualities it consisted of, including the ease of tracking student employment.
“The new system allows supervisors to review the student applications electronically, making it a more secure and efficient process than paper applications. Also, when a student is offered a position, the student is able to track the hiring process in the system and will know when the hire has been approved,” Sipes said.
“As departments have openings, HR will continue to post positions on the new job portal. We have received feedback from departments who have seen a drastic increase in the number of students who have applied for their openings, which they attribute to the new online system.”
Sipes also offered advice for students who are looking to apply for an on–campus job.
“We advise students to be sure to read all of the application instructions and provide any supplemental documents required by the hiring department (e.g., resume, cover letter, etc.). The information a student provides on and with the application, and the degree to which the student follows directions, is key for determining whether the student’s skills fit the department’s needs which, in turn, helps hiring supervisors choose the best candidate,” Sipes said.
“The staff in Career and Civic Engagement were instrumental in implementing the new process for on-campus student employment as they too recognized the need for a centralized location for posting student jobs. Students who are interested in employment outside of Winthrop can contact Career and Civic Engagement at (803) 323-2141.”
If students are interested in an on-campus job, there are still opportunities. For a list of vacant positions, please check our website at https://winthrop.peopleadmin.com/ and click on the “Student” tab. The website is updated daily, so please check often for new employment opportunities.
There is still a wait for the system to take its full affect as some positions and clubs/organizations are still waiting to complete the process, however, once this is done, it’s expected to be more efficient overall.
