Employer Resources

Welcome to Handshake! Here you will find carefully curated steps designed to ensure a seamless onboarding experience: Getting Started with Handshake for Employers.

Ensure that students have the most up to date information about your company or organization by logging into Handshake and updating your profile.  This information can include social media links as well as videos showcasing your organization.

One of the best ways to connect with KU students is by posting your opportunities with us. This service is free and you can get started at Handshake where you register as an employer and start posting your opportunities. All KU students have access to this service and are encouraged to use it when searching for internships and jobs. 

Please note that the University of Kansas uses the Handshake platform for HireJayhawks. To ensure maximum visibility with KU students, all job opportunities are encouraged to be posted in Handshake. While employers may also post to other platforms, only jobs posted in Handshake will be included in KU's student-facing marketing and communication.

We hold a number of career fairs where you can network with students. Career fairs are a great way to meet with a variety of students in one day and promote your brand as well as your opportunities. Login to Handshake to view and register for upcoming events.

• View list of 2025-2026 KU Career Events

If your organization has any recruiting activities (online info sessions, scholarships, webinars, etc.), please send those our way through Handshake and we can easily incorporate the events into our calendar and weekly newsletters. We do not send them weekly in the summer, but we will touch base with students a few times throughout.

Employers can hold an information session on campus or virtually and invite students to come and learn more about their opportunities. Our offices can help arrange space and advertise this session to students.  Login to Handshake to request an information session.

Mock interviews provide a great opportunity to ensure that your company is top-of-mind with students. These can be held virtually or in-person.  The Handshake system can help with scheduling and facilitating mock interviews. We greatly appreciate the volunteer support provided by employers through mock interview program.

Please contact one of our career services offices for more information.

The University Career Center has implemented a Student Pathways model which allows KU students to explore career pathways in a more focused and personalized way. In addition to viewing the job opportunities posted in Handshake, students receive customized newsletters that highlight jobs and internships specific to their interests.

If you have not yet reserved a date for on-campus interviews, we encourage you to do so. On-campus interviews provide an additional layer of promotion for your opportunities and are managed through Handshake. Maximize your candidate pool by working with a career services office to facilitate interviews following a career fair. On-campus interviews can be done virtually or in-person. We recommend logging into Handshake to reserve and lock in your interview dates as soon as possible.

Please contact one of our career services offices for more information.

Position Description Guidelines   

Position Descriptions that provide sufficient details and relevant information will attract more attention from students. If your posted position on HireJayhawks is not receiving applicants, you may be able to improve results by reviewing the description and making modifications to it.    

When posting your positions for either full-time career positions or student internships, keep the following in mind:   

• Include a description of your organization and/or its purpose.     
• Let students know what they can expect to learn in the position     
• Explain who the employee/intern will be working with, both inside the organization and outside of it.    
• Include information on the training provided    
• Offer information on special benefits or opportunities during employment, such as attending meetings, flexible schedule, travel, etc.    

Some suggestions for making your description more compelling (from WetFeet, Indeed, Recruiterbox):  

• Find a balance between providing enough details so that students understand the job/internship, while also keeping your description concise and easy to read. Keep it simple and avoid jargon.    
• In the brief summary of your organization, include details on what makes your culture unique, or why do people want to work for you. Do you offer perks such as flextime, on-site gym, etc.     
• Make your job/internship title specific – targeted job titles are more effective than generic ones. Don’t use titles that seem to inflate or are euphemistic.    
• Focus on rewards and what the position offers, such as intellectual challenges or earning potential. Candidates need to know what they would gain from the position.    
• Include enough details in the responsibilities that students understand the work environment and the activities they would engage in on a daily basis. Detail the technical skills and include soft skills (communication, problem solving) as well as personality traits that a successful candidate would possess.    

Some employers set a GPA requirement as part of their job posting. However, this can actually exclude qualified candidates. When considering whether to use GPA as a screening tool, consider the following:   

• Use of GPA as a screening tool could be subject to non-discrimination laws. If you are asking for GPA as part of your screening, it should be related to the job and necessary for its performance. This fact sheet from the EEOC may be helpful in deciding whether to use GPA to assess candidates.    
• A GPA does not consider a candidate’s pursuit of self-guided learning or skill acquired through hands-on projects, volunteerism, extracurricular activities or internship/work experience.    
• How does the candidate’s GPA compare with their school’s average? A 3.5 may mean something different depending on the institution.   

While a high GPA may indicate an individual has high ability in learning, it does not account for the impact of hard work on success.    
  

Job Offer Guidelines   

• Employers should communicate final hiring decisions within a reasonable time frame, and this time frame should be outlined during the interview process.    
• Employers must give a student adequate time to consider an offer. A minimum of 2 weeks is customary and allows the student time to make an informed, confident decision.    
• Exploding offers (offers that do not afford a candidate the appropriate time to either accept or decline) are not permitted in recruitment activity at KU. Employers are to avoid undue pressure when making a job offer.    
• Employers making full-time offers at the conclusion of an internship should allow students to participate in fall on-campus recruitment events before communicating their decision. This provides time to explore all options and encourages a well-informed, confident choice.    
• Employers should never encourage a student to renege on a previously accepted employment offer. This behavior is unethical and will result in restricted access to our recruitment services and students.    
• If an offer must be rescinded from the employer, for any reason, we ask that you contact our office KU Career Services before taking action with the student. We will prepare to offer services and support in this potentially devastating situation.    
• If making an offer contingent on security clearance, background check or drug tests, students should be given a timeline for the completion of such screenings and notified if their offer is being rescinded due to the results.    

Get more guidance on offer timelines from  NACE.

Employer Recruiting Policies 

KU Career Services is committed to ensuring students have access to fair and ethical employment opportunities. To uphold this commitment, we have established the following guidelines for job postings, employer participation, and recruiting activities:

• All employers must be legitimate organizations with verifiable business name, email address, phone number, website, and a contact. 
• Recruiters must be transparent with career services about their recruiting activities and the information provided to students. Falsifying information about opportunities or compensation will not be tolerated. Complaints will be investigated and may result in discontinuation of employer services.  Examples include:
  • Misrepresentation by dishonest information, misleading or ambiguous information or absence of information;  
  • Harassment of students, alumni, or staff by the employer;  
  • Documented first-hand complaints have been filed against the employer by students, alumni, or staff  
  • Breach of confidentiality;  
• Job postings will be rejected due to:
  • Requiring at the time of application personal information such as bank account and social security numbers;  
  • Email accounts such as Yahoo and Gmail that are not affiliated with the hiring organization;  
  • P.O. Box addresses;  
  • Positions not likely to be of interest to college students or alumni as they are attaining or hold post-secondary or graduate degrees;    
  • Requiring a financial investment or payment by the student or alumni  
  • Positions that may involve unreasonable physical risks, where known;  

Internship postings with a for-profit company that are unpaid will be rejected. Unpaid internships with non-profit and government organizations will be approved to post.

KU Career Services reserves the right to deny or remove any job posting or employer participation at our discretion if an opportunity does not align with these policies or misleads candidates about the nature of the position.

Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) & Network Marketing Organizations

KU Career Services does not permit multi-level marketing organizations or network marketing to participate in Handshake, career fairs, on-campus recruiting, or other career services events. This includes, but is not limited to, organizations that:

• Require individuals to establish their own business for selling products/services and/or recruiting others.
• Require an initial investment, such as purchasing materials, attending training sessions, or maintaining an account balance.
• Compensate participants primarily through commissions, fees from recruits, or a percentage of sales made by others in the organization.

Independent Contracting & Self-Employment

Job postings or recruitment for independent contractors, franchise ownership, or self-employment opportunities will not be accepted. Positions must be W-2 employee roles rather than 1099 independent contractor arrangements.

Commission-Based Positions

Employers offering commission-based roles must meet the following criteria:

• Offers significant compensation or benefits of some kind outside of commission-only sales. May include: 
  • Base pay for hours worked at or above state minimum hourly wages
  • Disbursed stipends for different timeframes of involvement within the position
  • Subsidized or free professional certifications that further qualify students for future industry careers.   
• Positions must not require the payment of non-refundable fees for training or materials.
• Employers must disclose compensation details, including earning potential and training reimbursement in the job posting.

Door-to-Door Sales

KU Career Services does not allow job postings for employers that require door-to-door sales.

Cannabis 

To ensure compliance with federal and Kansas law, KU Career Services will not post or promote internship or employment opportunities at companies that operate in any aspect of the cannabis industry. KU Alcohol and Drug Policies 

Home Care/Child Care

For safety and liability concerns, KU Career Services will no longer post home care or child care listings where the employee will work out of someone else’s dwelling (house, apartment, condo). This includes childcare, tutoring, domestic care, pet care, skilled labor, or home-based organizations. Student and community members interested in engaging in these employment categories may consider Care, Sittercity, Taskrabbit and Rover. [Read all User Guides carefully.]  

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Third Party Recruiting

Third-party recruiters are defined as organizations or individuals recruiting candidates for opportunities other than for their own needs. Examples include employment agencies, search firms, contract recruiters, temporary agencies or staffing services, outsourcing contractors or leasing agencies, and online job posting or resume referral services.

To participate in employer recruiting services, third party recruiters need to follow these policies:

• Identify as a third-party recruiter when creating an employer profile and posting job listings in Handshake. Select “Third-Party Staffing” in the industry field on your profile.
• Follow Handshake guidelines regarding:
  • Job postings created by third parties must be for a single company.
  • The description of the job posting must clearly state both the company name as well as the fact that you represent a third-party firm recruiting on behalf of the company.
  • You may not disclose any student information to another party without the written consent of the student.
  • You are prohibited from disclosing or sharing this information with other parties, and agree to keep student data confidential
• Abide by all Handshake Third Party Recruiter Guidelines and Privacy Policies
• Ensure that no fees are charged to students applying for or getting hired through your job postings.
• When participating in a career fair you must be recruiting for one specific, identified company.

KU Career Services reserves the right to terminate employer services for violating policies and procedures.  If you have questions about your company’s status as a third-party recruiter, please contact the relevant career services office for guidance specific to your situation.  

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Recruitment Policy Purpose

We are here to help you connect with our students and build your employment pipeline. KU Career Services asks all employers recruiting at KU to adhere to the Principles for Professional Practice produced by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. 

• EEO policy requires that all professional employment opportunities (internships, co-op and full-time) must be made available to students/alumni within Handshake. This practice ensures compliance with NACE guidelines as well as federal law. 
• KU career services staff and university faculty will not pre-screen or recommend candidates for any company, as such action would subject us to laws governing employment agencies.
• Failure to adhere to these recruitment policies and/or any violation of rules and regulations, and local, state, and federal laws will result in termination of employer recruiting services at KU.

Shared Expectations for Industry Partners and Professionals

• University Career Center
• Business Career Services Center

The University of Kansas Policy on Nondiscrimination

https://services.ku.edu/TDClient/818/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=21297

If you are looking to hire students who have already graduated, the KU Alumni Center has a newly launched platform where you can share job leads. The platform is called the Jayhawk Career Network.  The Jayhawk Career Network includes the Alumni Job Board and KU Mentoring platform.  Provide your email address and join as a career partner (if you’re a KU graduate, join as alumni and you have the option of becoming a mentor to both students at KU and alumni).

Please note, this platform is only for hiring KU Alumni and not current students. Please use Handshake to post entry-level and internship positions.