EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYERS

The Career Services Office serves employers looking to fill full-time, part-time, permanent professional positions requiring High School Diploma (HiSET/GED), Associate Degrees, or Certifications. Career Services posts jobs and internship opportunities to our Job Board sent directly to STCC students.

Career Services employer expectations (listed below) apply to all employers, on or off campus, interviewing Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) students:

Refrain from practices that improperly influence and affect job acceptances (i.e., time pressures, encouraging backing out of other offers, exploding offers, etc.).
Honor all offers made to students and alumni. Withdrawing job offers, both written and oral, violates professional standards and has a negative professional and financial impact on STCC students.
Ensure all recruiting events and interviews are professional and do not include alcohol.
All student information is confidential. Sharing student information with another organization is prohibited without prior written consent from the student.
Maintain fair and equitable recruiting and hiring process including timely communication of candidate status and hiring decisions.
Post all jobs/internships in a reasonable amount of time leading up to the position’s start date. STCC’s Career Services Office considers a minimum of 3 weeks prior to the position’s start time as reasonable.

Prohibited Positions and Practices

Career Services reserves the right to restrict access to services and programs in the best interest of our students and alumni. The following practices, positions, and strategies are restricted from our campus:

Employers and individuals offering employment/entrepreneurial opportunities requiring employees to pay start-up fees, purchase a franchise, products or services upfront.
Employers/individuals offering employment/entrepreneurial opportunities based on a “pyramid” or “multi-level” type networking structure requiring/encouraging the recruitment of others who recruit others to sell products and services.
Placement agencies/organizations offering unspecified opportunities to teach abroad, teach abroad agencies based outside of the United States and those that charge for their services.
Placement/training agencies or organizations that provide training with no definitive or guaranteed job offer.
Use of “exploding offers” that include undue time pressure to accept an offer (such as same day) and/or those that encourage candidates to back out of existing offers.
Rescinding, deferring, or making bad-faith job offers.

Third-Party Recruiters

STCC's Career Services utilize the National Association Career and Education’s (NACE) Principles for Third Party Recruiting described in the NACE Principles for Professional Practice which you can review:

Third-party recruitment agencies must disclose that they are such an agency in their Career Coach profile.
Third-party recruiters who are hiring for positions within their own organization and will be the employee’s full-time employer may post these positions on our database.
Third-party recruiters who are hiring for full-time professional positions requiring an Associate degree or Certification outside their organization may have positions posted provided they include the name of the organization they are recruiting for in the posting. Additionally, contact information for the client employer must be provided upon our request.
Third party recruiters who directly charge candidates are prohibited.
Third party recruiters must not retain any student resumes or records for future placement unless the student provides written consent.
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, third-party recruiters will not disclose to any employer, including the client-employer, any student information without obtaining prior written consent from the student. Under no circumstances can student information be disclosed for other than recruiting purposes, nor can it be sold or provided to other entities.
Follow EEO standards in the screening, recruiting, and referring of qualified applicants without regard to any background/protected group.

Position Posting Guidelines

The Career Services Office seeks employers filling full/part-time professional and internship positions requiring a High School (HiSET/GED) degree, Associate degree, or Certification. All job/internship postings have a limit of 90 days on our system but can be refreshed.

Actual jobs/internships for our students and alumni and not post solely to collect resumes.
Ensure that all position postings must have full details, verifiable contact information, detailed descriptions, and all conditions of employment must be clearly articulated in the posting.
All postings must be received a minimum of 3 weeks in advance of the job/internship start time. Any posting that is considered a “last minute” posting may be refused by the Career Services Office and is at the discretion of its Director.

Position Offer Guidelines

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has issued the following advisory opinion on Setting Reasonable Deadlines for Job Offers that we encourage employers to review. A few important recommendations:

Avoid offering opportunities to candidates 12 months or more in advance of the start date.
Allow candidates adequate time to consider the position offer; one to two weeks at a minimum.
Consider reasonable requests for additional time for candidates to review offers to make the best choice for both the candidate and employer.

Right to Refusal

The Career Services Office at STCC reserves the right to refuse service to potential employers due to any of the following:

Requiring personal information at the time of application, such as financial information, social security numbers, or information pertaining to protected class status
Misrepresentation, whether defined by dishonest information or absence of information
Fraudulent activity or business practices
Harassment of STCC students, alumni, or staff
Breach of confidentiality as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Failure to adhere to the Career Services Office/STCC’s employer guidelines
Any violation of STCC’s rules and regulations
Any violation of local, state, or federal laws

Non-Discrimination Policy

At STCC we foster a climate of purposeful inclusion, an environment where all can feel safe, valued, cared for, and given an opportunity to form meaningful connections with each other. STCC values the diversity of humanity, a diversity which includes differences in sex, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, range of abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, financial means, education, and political perspective.

These beliefs and practices apply to all of the programs on campus: they inform all of our decisions, including our employment decisions and commitment to our community and collaborating partners.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Guidelines

Employers seeking to recruit STCC students for internships and jobs, whether through on-campus activities or independent recruiting processes, are expected to follow Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines, as indicated by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Professional Standards for University Relations and Recruiting, in addition to STCC’s guidelines outlined elsewhere on this website.

Salary Transparency and Compliance Policy

STCC’s Career Services Office requires employers posting U.S.-based paid full-time and internship positions to provide the salary. Employers may provide the exact salary, a range, or a link to salary information on their website. Please note, each employer must provide the salary information in a manner that complies with the regulations of the state or city where the position will be located.

Accessibility Guidelines for Campus Recruitment

While not all suggestions are ADA-required, they make the environment more welcoming for students.

Job Advertisements and Descriptions

Use clear, concise language that focuses on essential job functions.
Ensure that online job postings are on accessible websites with navigable features for those using screen readers.
Offer alternative formats for job descriptions, such as large print or accessible digital formats.

Interview Process and Events

Ensure interview locations are physically accessible to all candidates (e.g., ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms).
In your interview and programming invitations, consider including language such as “Please contact [staff name] if you need an accommodation to participate in the program/interview fully.”
Provide reasonable accommodations for the interview process when requested, such as sign language interpreters or written materials in alternative formats.
Do not ask disability-related questions and focus solely on the applicant’s ability to perform the job’s essential functions.

Digital Communications

Ensure all digital media, including videos, are captioned.
Provide transcripts for audio content.
Use alt text for images in emails and online content.
Ensure color contrasts on websites and digital materials are distinguishable for those with visual impairments.

Printed Materials

Offer materials in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, or electronic formats compatible with screen readers.
Use clear fonts and sufficient contrast between text and background.

Online Application Systems

Ensure that online application platforms are accessible to individuals using assistive technologies.
Offer alternative methods for submitting applications, such as via email or a phone call.

*Please note that this list of accessibility considerations is not exhaustive. Employer recruiting partners are strongly encouraged to consult with their own compliance or legal departments for comprehensive guidance on accessibility and meeting all relevant ADA requirements.