Recruiting Guides and Policies

policiesTo ensure the quality of our services and to minimize risk to Grinnell College students, alums, and other users of our services, the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) has outlined this policy to govern all recruiting activities that occur on the Grinnell College campus and that are sponsored by the CLS.

  • CLS Employer Recruiting Activities Policy
    The Employer Recruiting Activities Policy covers all virtual and in-person recruiting activities.
  • Types of Recruiting Activities
    Recruiting activities include but are not limited to, on-campus; career or internship fairs; interviews; information sessions or meetings; company presentations; information tables; presentations and guest panel discussions; postings for jobs, internships, fellowships, post-graduate service opportunities; and other advertised opportunities communicated to students through bulletin boards, posters, mail announcements, and other campus communication methods.
  • NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice
    The CLS and Grinnell College follow the National Association of Colleges and Employers Principles for Ethical Professional Practice designed to guide the process, decisions, and outcomes to provide a recruitment process that is fair and equitable and where professionalism and ethical behavior are promoted. Please review
  • Offer Guidelines

    The CLS understands that students need sufficient time to make informed decisions when comparing and responding to offers for internships, full-time positions, and related opportunities. These offer guidelines are designed to help ensure overall fairness to all participating parties and allow employers and students to participate fully during the recruiting season. We encourage employer partners to honor the following timeframes to ensure students have sufficient time to make informed decisions, benefiting everyone involved.

    SUMMER: For offers extended during the summer (June, July, August)—resulting from an internship experience or regular recruiting efforts—employers should provide students 6 weeks or until November 1st (whichever is later) to respond to the offer.

    FALL OR SPRING: For offers extended during the fall or spring semesters (September through May) for internships, full-time employment, and related opportunities, employers should provide students a minimum of three weeks from the date they receive the written offer to respond to the offer. To facilitate the decision-making process, the CLS recommends that written offers:

    • Clearly state all appropriate terms and conditions, including, but not limited to, position title/description, location (if known at the time of offer), start date, end date (if applicable), compensation (salary, bonuses, etc.), and benefits (if applicable).

    If bonuses and other incentives are part of the offer, those should remain in full effect for the entire offer period. If warranted, employers should also remain flexible in granting students additional time to consider an offer on a case-by-case basis.

    The CLS encourages students to make decisions on offers within a reasonable timeframe and to be sensitive to employer needs. The CLS neither encourages students to delay their decision nor request arbitrary extensions unless there is a specific reason.

    For more information or questions, contact Employer Engagement at (641) 269-4895 or recruit@grinnell.edu.

  • Campus Communication
    Organizations are expected to go through the CLS for their recruiting purposes and refrain from contacting other Grinnell departments, offices, programs, faculty, staff, or students directly. This is to ensure compliance with this policy and centralize communication on campus.
  • Minimum Recruiting Requirements
    The CLS will sponsor recruiting activities that meet the following conditions:
    • All organizations seeking to recruit students for any activity or employment position must comply with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity regulations (including ADA) and the College’s nondiscrimination policy;
    • All job postings must supply the position title, description, and qualifications; a company/organization description; and appropriate application instructions. Anonymous postings will not be accepted;
    • All organizations recruiting for employment purposes must have a public, formal website, and the recruiting contacts must have email addresses directly affiliated with the organization they are representing;
    • Posting for full-time and internship positions must require or prefer enrollment/completion in a bachelor’s degree program;
    • All “for-profit” private-sector employers wishing to post an unpaid internship position must review and agree to meet the criteria set forth by the Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act:
    • Postings of part-time employment positions are permitted only for organizations located within the Grinnell, Iowa city limits;
    • Posting materials or other forms of solicitation for recruiting purposes must be approved by and coordinated by the CLS.
  • Excluded Recruiting Practices
    The CLS will not sponsor recruiting activities for opportunities if:
    • The opportunity involves on-campus solicitation including, but not limited to, the posting of materials or sale of products or services
    • The organization sponsors an individual to establish their business/organization to sell products or services or recruit others to develop their business/organization.
    • Compensation for the opportunity is exclusively commission or fees/percentage of sales from others under their sponsorship in the organization.
    • The job, internship, fellowship, or post-graduate opportunity requires an individual to pay a fee – directly or through raising funds – to participate.
    • The employer requires an initial payment or investment, account balance, or similar fiscal requirement, with the organization serving as an umbrella or parent corporation.
    • The opportunity negatively affects a student’s academic progress or encourages a student to discontinue their studies.
    • The employer fails, for any reason, to provide the necessary information needed to post a job or internship opportunity (e.g., job description, qualifications, and application instructions.)
  • Start-Ups
    The Center for Careers, Life, and Service has established these criteria for identifying appropriate entrepreneurial employment opportunities for promotion through its services. Start-ups must have progressed sufficiently in their business development process so that they can:
    • Provide a company name, business address, website, and email address, and identify a principal as the key contact.
    • Verify that they are not seeking potential partners or investors.
    • Confirm that they have obtained the necessary business licenses, Tax IDs, and sufficient funding, including identifying their funding model and investors if requested.
    • Offer positions for pay, not just equity.
    • Provide clearly defined organization and position descriptions in Handshake.
  • Marijuana and Cannabis Industries
    Grinnell College and the CLS will not allow marijuana or cannabis-related organizations to recruit on campus or permit positions involved with the use, production, testing, or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana to be posted in Handshake or any other Grinnell platform. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level and Grinnell College receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law. In addition, the use of marijuana violates the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989 and continues to be banned on campus.
  • Third-Party Agencies
    The CLS is interested in providing all possible employment opportunities to our students. We will work with and provide services to selected third-party and contract agencies and recruiters who agree to comply with the following policies and procedures:
    • If requested, the agency will 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 CLS has a relationship with the client, we will inform the third-party agency and decline to post the position.
  • Service and Volunteer Recruiting (pre-graduation)
    The recruitment of current Grinnell College for unpaid service or volunteer opportunities is generally restricted to local community partners. Organizations needing current volunteers should contact the Civic Education & Innovation team at 641-269-4940 for an exploratory conversation.
  • Political Activities
    The Center for Careers, Life, and Service will not make arrangements for College facilities and/or resources to be used by or on behalf of an outside organization or individual whose purpose is to further the cause of a particular candidate, political party, or campaign. For example, a meeting on campus with an organizer for a specific candidate focused on recruiting students as campaign workers for that candidate would be prohibited. Such organizations may post positions in Handshake to recruit interns or full-time employees. However, such organizations may not reserve space for recruiting activities such as “tabling” or hosting “information sessions.”
  • Campus Solicitation Policy
    External organizations seeking to reserve space on campus to sell products or services, advocate for a cause, solicit support for an issue, or share political materials are not permitted.
  • Disclaimer Statement
    Grinnell College’s Center for Careers, Life, and Service reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to deny any organization or recruiter access to the services offered by the Center for violations of these policies, as well as reason including but not limited to:
    • Any violation of state or federal laws.
    • Misrepresentation of employer information or absence of information
    • Complaints by students and alumnae.
    • Harassment of Grinnell College students, alumnae, staff or faculty.
    • Requiring personal information, such as bank and social security numbers, at the time of application.
    • Fraud.
    • Breach of confidentiality as required by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA.)
  • Exploding Offers/Excessive Pressure Policy
    Exploding offers are strictly prohibited. The CLS defines exploding offers as Any offer that improperly influences, provides excessive pressure, or affects job offer acceptances. These may include undue time pressure for Acceptance of offers, diminishing bonuses, reduced options for location preferences, and encouragement of revocation of another offer. Violating this policy will prompt a review and potentially terminate the recruiting relationship.
  • Offer/Acceptance Reneging Policy

    Extending an offer for an internship, a full-time position, or a related opportunity is a serious commitment that we expect employers to honor. Rescinding offers extended to Grinnell College students is a practice that will not be tolerated. Violating this policy will prompt a review and potentially terminate the recruiting relationship. Similarly, accepting an offer for an internship, a full-time position, or a related opportunity is a significant commitment, and students would only accept an offer if they intend to honor it. When students accept an offer, they are expected to cancel all other scheduled interviews (if applicable); it is inappropriate for students to continue interviewing or applying for other opportunities once they have accepted an offer. If students are uncertain whether they should accept an offer, they are encouraged to consult with a CLS adviser to discuss their offer and options, including requesting an offer extension.

    Reneging (i.e., accepting an offer and then declining it) can severely damage the student’s reputation in the short term and for the duration of their career. Additionally, reneging negatively affects the College’s relationship with the employers and can affect opportunities for future Grinnell College students.

    A student who reneges on an offer may have their access to Handshake suspended and become ineligible to participate in any College-sponsored recruiting activities (e.g., campus interviews, regional interview events, consortia interview days.)

    If there are extenuating circumstances that may impact an offer extended (by employers) or accepted (by students), we ask that either party consult with the Assistant Dean and Director of Employer engagement before taking action.

  • Misrepresentation Policy
    If any information provided in a student’s Grinnell College Handshake account, resume, or other application materials presents inaccurate or fraudulent information, access to Handshake, or participation in some or all Grinnell College recruiting activities may be withdrawn. Examples of misrepresentation include falsifying information provided during an interview, at a recruiting event, in a written resume or cover letter, and Handshake profiles, resume books, and uploaded resumes. Employers who believe they have encountered candidates from Grinnell College who have misrepresented themselves during the recruiting process should contact the Employer Engagement team at recruit@grinnell.edu.