Recruiting Policies - University of Houston
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College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

NSM Career Center

Recruiting Policies

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The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) Career Center recruiting policies have been developed to ensure that NSM students and alumni are recruited with the highest level of integrity, treated fairly and recruited for valid employment opportunities. To ensure a positive experience during the recruiting process, all employers are expected to adhere to NSM Career Center guidelines and the employment rules and regulations of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principals for Professional Practice, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Texas Workforce Commission.

The NSM Career Center is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), a national association dedicated to ensuring best practices in the career development and employment process. NACE bases their principles and efforts on two basic precepts:

  • Maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable
  • Support informed and responsible decision making by candidates

The NSM Career Center adheres to the NACE guiding principles, and all employers are expected to strictly adhere to the principles as well.

NACE Principles for Professional Practice

Official NSM Career Center Recruiting Policies

HireNSM Usage Policy

HireNSM is provided by the University of Houston NSM Career Center to current students and to employers who provide salaried or hourly based positions. NSM reserves the right to refuse access by employers at any time based on the College’s sole discretion. Students are advised to use caution and encouraged to request reference information as needed to establish employer validity and conditions of employment.

Account Registration

  • Contact Information. Employers must provide accurate and verifiable information to include:
    • Full name of contact person (We must be able to connect the registration contact to the company through an internet search.)
    • Full company name
    • Email Address. The email address must be connected to the business domain. No Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo emails will be approved. The contact name should be included in the email address. Employers must use the same email for the job posting.
    • Website Address. The employer website must be active, functioning, professional, in the English language, include physical location address and an “about” or “overview” section.
    • Location
      • Employers must provide a physical, verifiable address that is not a private home or residence.
      • Virtual employers may provide a P.O. Box for location purposes; however, we reserve the right to ask for an additional address verification.
      • Employers located outside of the U.S. will be vetted extensively and potentially denied.

Job Postings

Job and internship postings are reviewed and approved/rejected based upon the information contained in the postings. All postings must be career related, for degreed or degree-seeking professionals and specifically for majors in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

The NSM Career Center reserves the right to deny job postings for not following the stated policies or due to the position not being the right fit for our student community.

  • Position Type. Employers must select the appropriate position type. The position type must align with the job position and be clearly identified within the description.
  • Resume Receipt Email Address. Employers must use an email address that is connected to their business. Job postings with Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc., email addresses will be denied. Email addresses must include the company domain name or an abbreviation thereof and the recruiter’s name. Exceptions may be allowed for human resource or recruiting team email addresses.
  • Description. Job postings must contain at least five job duties, responsibilities, or tasks. Job postings that fail to list a job description or less than five job duties will be denied.
  • Location. Employers listing jobs that require students or alumni to work in private or personal residences, apartments, condos, etc., will not be approved. Examples: caregiver, nanny, in-home tutor, and startup company positions that place students/alumni in residential homes.

    Virtual positions will be allowed, but students may not visit or work in a personal or private home.
  • Salary/Compensation. Employers failing to list an acceptable salary description will be denied. Acceptable options include:
    • A salary range (i.e. $15-$25 per hour)
    • A specific amount (i.e. $60,000 per year)
    • “Depending or based on experience”
  • Commission Only. Employers listing commission-only positions will be denied. Postings that include referral bonuses are also not allowed. Stipend-based internships are allowable but must disclose the per-week stipend amount and the hours of work required per week.
  • Brand Ambassadors/Fee-Based Programs. Positions requiring interns or employees to market/promote or create/develop free or fee-based programs, products, services, events, etc., and/or collect student information on the UH campus on behalf of an employer are ineligible. Job postings for positions that support or supervise the work of such positions are also not allowed. Fee-based programs, including fee-based training programs and fee-based placements or positions requiring the purchase of supplies or a training kit, are not allowed.
  • Unpaid Internships. Unpaid internships are not allowed and will be rejected.
  • Course Credit Offerings. Jobs offering course credit will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If approved, it is solely up to the student to coordinate the course credit with their department or NSM. The NSM Career Center is not responsible for coordinating or submitting the course credit in any way. Students must verify they can complete an internship for credit with their departmental academic advisor. An academic advisor will confirm guidelines and give permission.

On-Campus Recruiting Policies

The policies and guidelines for the recruiting process of the NSM Career Center are in the best interests of our students and corporate recruiters. The positive outcome of our recruiting process is enhanced by strict adherence to these policies. On-campus recruiting includes: On-campus interviews (in-person or virtual), Information Sessions and the promotion of on-campus or off-campus opportunities.

  • Promotion of Career Opportunities. In order for the NSM Career Center to promote career opportunities or grant a registration for a campus event, the organization or company, must have an approved employer account through HireNSM.
  • Employer Eligibility. All related events, marketing efforts and hiring practices should be directly scheduled and conducted by the recruiting organization's employees, rather than by third-party representatives. Employers should be seeking candidates who are pursuing or have earned a degree.

    The NSM Career Center reserves the right to refuse any direct hiring organization from participation in the on-campus recruitment program, especially in cases of misrepresentation or violation of NSMCC policy, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principals for Professional Practice, and all federal and state employment laws.
  • On-campus Interview Timeline
    • On-campus interview requests must be submitted six weeks in advance
    • For preselect designated on-campus interviews, preselect lists are due no less than eight (8) days before the interview date.
  • Information Session Timeline
    • Information Session requests must be submitted six weeks in advance.
    • To promote the session, employers will be asked to provide a high-resolution file of their logo and a synopsis of their presentation.
  • Communication
    • Employers are expected to notify the NSM Career Center of any cancellations or changes to their interview schedules so students and alumni can be notified in a timely manner. We ask for a 1 business day notice of any changes.
    • It is important that both the employer and student keep an open line of communication throughout the interview, offer, and evaluation processes. All companies should establish and maintain at most, a four-week window of communication with candidates throughout the process. For example, if your interview was February 11, please send a follow-up communication no later than March 11, even if the message simply states your process is continuing and that candidates will be notified by an approximate date. All candidates not selected for further consideration should also receive notification of their final status once the selection process has been concluded.
  • Reneging on Offers/Acceptances. If an employer must withdraw an offer made to a student for any reason, the employer is asked to notify the Assistant Director of the NSM Career Center as soon as possible. Likewise, if a student reneges on an acceptance of employment with an employer, the Assistant Director should be notified. The NSM Career Center considers reneging on acceptances to be unprofessional behavior.
  • Interview Eligibility. Only current NSM students/alumni of the University of Houston may be interviewed in our facility.
  • Inclement Weather and Closings. The NSM Career Center reserves the right to close our office due to inclement weather and safety for students, alumni, staff, and employers. The career center will work with students and employers to identify potential rescheduling options. Employers will be expected to contact their applicants directly about interview cancellations and alternative interview options.

Event Policies

The NSM Career Center provides students a venue to network with employers, submit their resume to recruiters and learn about employment opportunities. Event types include, but are not limited to, career fairs, special events, receptions, or corporate events.

Career fairs held by the NSM Career Center will be for NSM students only. Participating employers must be hiring for career-related, professional positions which require a degree from the majors of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

  • Right to Refuse. The NSM Career Center reserves the right to deny access and participation to any student, alumni, recruiter, hiring organization and/or school.
  • Eligibility. Any recruiter representing their direct hiring organization may participate in NSM Career Center events. Third-party recruiters may not participate in career fairs, except specifically noted.
  • Event Fees. In registering for an event, the employer acknowledges the associated cost of the event and agrees to pay that amount in full, prior to the deadline.
  • Event Deadline. All event deadlines are 1 week prior to the event date unless otherwise noted.
  • Event Participation Cancellations. Employers wishing to cancel participation in an event must submit their request to cancel in writing to the NSM Career Center (HireNSM@uh.edu). Cancellations within 1 week of the event will receive a full refund or credit toward a future event. Cancellations within 3 business days or (72 hours) of the event will receive a credit toward a future event of the same value within the academic year.

    A “No-Show” is defined as a participating employer who registered for an event and did not show up. If an employer is a “No-Show," registration fees will not be refunded or credited toward any future fair or event. If the registration was unpaid, payment will still be expected from the organization.
  • Inclement Weather and Unforeseen Situations. The NSM Career Center follows all University protocols regarding inclement weather and unforeseen situations. Up-to-date information on closing decisions can be found at http://alerts.uh.edu/. The NSM Career Center reserves the right to make a decision to cancel an event out of the safety of students, alumni, staff and employers.

    If an event is canceled, each paid employer will be able to choose one of the following: 1) attend the rescheduled date, 2) receive a credit for a future event of the same value, or 3) receive a full refund. The employer’s choice must be submitted in writing to the career center by the predetermined deadline.

Third-Party Recruiting Policy

The NSM Career Center welcomes third-party recruiter job postings that adhere to the following policies:

  • May post specific positions with specific clients but may not post general advertisement(s) to solicit candidates for their services.
  • Must identify the client’s company in the job form for verification that the third-party is recruiting for a bona fide job or internship opportunity; the career center will not disclose or publish client information to job seekers.
  • Must gain permission from the student before sharing contact information, etc., with client company.
  • May not collect and use student materials or information for opportunities other than the position for which the student applied.