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Student Employees: From Fresh Faces to Department Experts

Student Employees: From Fresh Faces to Department Experts. Mark Zocher Student Technology Services Manager University of San Diego August 13, 2013. A Little about USD. Private Catholic university in San Diego, CA – founded 1949 8,000+ undergrad/grad and law students ~1,500 faculty/staff

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Student Employees: From Fresh Faces to Department Experts

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  1. Student Employees: From Fresh Faces to Department Experts Mark Zocher Student Technology Services Manager University of San Diego August 13, 2013

  2. A Little about USD • Private Catholic university in San Diego, CA – founded 1949 • 8,000+ undergrad/grad and law students • ~1,500 faculty/staff • Focus on business/arts • Top 10 “beautiful campuses” in USA • #1 for participation in Study Abroad

  3. Our ITS Help Desk • Employs 20-45 student employees • Responsible for student support via phone, web, and in person • Tradition of “White Glove” style of support

  4. Survey of 200+ IT Alumni • Alumni from public, private, and community colleges • Included alumni in careers as IT, education, public health, banking, engineering, hospitality, marketing, and law • Worked in areas similar those of my students • 80% - Computer Repair (Software) • 73% - Phone-based Technical Support • 64% - Computer Repair (Hardware) • 53% - Computer Lab Supervision • 44% - Managing Employees

  5. First: Some Clarification • “Department Experts”? Really Mark? • Schools picking smarter and smarter students each yr • All “Digital Natives” • Need for internships and real life experience • How many times have managers of graduating seniors thought, “Will we ever have another Jim or Sue?”

  6. Big Differences Between Managing Students & Staff • Millenial generation • A group of “Eager Beginners” • Guaranteed Turnover – can try different things • ~3 year shelf life Image: Ken Blanchard, Situational Leadership

  7. Why You Want Student Employees • Affordability*(remember to factor in training) • Participate in the education of students • Fresh ideas • Relates to customers • Guaranteed Turnover – can try different things

  8. Why Student Employees Want You • Competitive job market = need for experience • 83% said the skills they learned as a student employee helped them get a full time job • Mentorship – 74% of those with mentors said their mentorship contributed to them getting a full time job

  9. Hiring • Make sure it meets your dept needs • Don’t limit recruiting to certain majors • Group interviews, multiple chances to prove themselves • Focus on customer service skills

  10. Onboarding / Day 1 • Make sure the culture and goals of the department are clear • Don’t gloss over policies thinking they know them already • Involve others from IT -“It takes a village”

  11. Onboarding Training: What I Did • Wednesday: • BBQ/Scavenger Hunt: meet new coworkers and ITS team • Name Game (45 min) • FISH! Customer Service video/discussion • Thursday: • How training works • Policies/Procedures • Icebreakers: team juggle (multitasking) and telephone • Intro to Networking (w/ tangerines) • Tech Rotations • Torero ready Setups • Windows Support • Mac OS X Support • Mobile devices/Gaming • Friday: • MORE rotations • Obstacle Course • Residence Hall Etiquette sketches • Tech Tools • Art of Tempura • One Red Paperclip

  12. Ongoing Training/EDP • Make sure everyone has a base knowledge • If possible, encourage cross training with other areas • Decide: Structured assignments (EDP) or semi-directed learning (Achievements) • Help people play to their strengths!

  13. Evaluations • Meet 2x / semester • Clear expectations, no surprises • Include feedback from leads and peers • Have leads run evaluations?

  14. Evaluations - Rubric

  15. Keep It Memorable • Ask yourself: • What would I or my staff appreciate as recognition? • What are the positive things about work I share with my family/friends at the end of the day?

  16. Keep It Memorable

  17. Shadowing New Techs • Save you the trouble of retraining every year – have them do it! • Great use for your leads • Encourage cross training, require prospective leads clock shadowing hours

  18. Alumni Power • Find ways to keep your alumni connected(LinkedIn, Facebook Group, etc) • Share job listings & news – encourage others to do the same!

  19. Where Do You Get Started? • Identify tasks or projects • Don’t ask “What work can a student do?” – instead ask “What work needs to be done?” • Keep from limiting you (or your student’s) imagination • Keep from losing knowledge when students graduate – make documentation and shadowing a part of the culture (or at least the job requirements)

  20. Remember What Skills Alumni Want • When alumni were polled about what skills they *wished* they had received as student employees, the answers were predominately soft skills

  21. Thank you! Resources and copy of slides (to be posted later today): http://mark.zocher.us/projects/studenttechs • Reading Material: • Made To Stick • The Power of Habit

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