1. STUDENT WORKER
EXPERIENCE:
Importance of Recruiting and
Retaining Talent at the High Point
Campus Library
Anders Selhorst, High Point Campus Library, GTCC

2. Goals and Objectives
•Overview of Guilford Technical
Community College & High Point
Campus Library
•Summary of Student Worker Program
•Discussion of Recruitment and
Retention Methods

3. Guilford Technical
Community College
(GTCC)
•Founded in 1958, current name
adopted in 1983
•Serves over 45,000 students
GTCC Quickfacts, 2013: http://www.gtcc.edu/media/339293/quickfacts%202012-2013.pdf

4. GTCC Campuses & Centers
•Jamestown Campus (Est. 1958)
•Greensboro Campus (Est. 2005)
•T.H. Davis Aviation Center (Est. 1991)
•Small Business Center (Est. 1940)
•Cameron Campus (Est. 2014)
•High Point Campus (Est. 2004)

5. Jamestown Campus, Est. 1958

6. Jamestown Campus, Est. 1958

7. Greensboro Campus, Est. 2005

8. Aviation Center, Est. 1991

9. Small Business Center, Est. 1940

10. Cameron Campus, Est. 2014

11. High Point Campus, Est. 2004

12. High Point Campus
•HP Campus serves approximately
6,000 students (approx. 2,000
curriculum students)

13. HP Campus Programs
and Courses
•Performing Arts and Entertainment
Technology
•Pre-Counseling and Human Services
Technology
•Simulation and Game Design Technology
•Pharmacy Technology
•English, and other core courses

14. High Point Campus Library

15. HP Campus Library Staff
•One Librarian, and one part-time
Library Technician
•Seven undergraduate student workers
are expected to perform duties often
performed by paraprofessionals

16. Duties of Student Workers
•General information and basic
reference support
•Customer service support
•Processing serials and collection
materials

17. Duties of Student Workers
•Overseeing the library when
professional staff is unavailable
•Perform special projects as needed,
such as book moves, collection
inventory, etc.

18. Recruit Talent
•Job description must be clear and
focused on necessary skill sets:
attention to detail, ability to work
without much supervision,
professionalism, and communication
skills

19. Recruit Talent
•Use tools for wide distribution of job
advertisement, especially online job
posting sites (preferably through the
institution)
•Talented staff can help recruit
prospects: talent can attract other talent

20. Best Fit for Position
•Recruit skill sets that overlap with
needs of the Library
•Value professionalism and
communication skills

21. Value Professionalism
•Experience working in a professional
setting
•Understand the expectations of a
professional job
•Discipline to work with minimal
supervision

22. Value Communication Skills
•Students with foreign language skills
•Students with diverse cultural
awareness
•Students with diverse learning styles,
e.g. multi-modal learners

23. Interview with Rigor & Fairness
•Establish fair but rigorous interviewing
practices focused on the job description
and recruiting needs
•Use scenario questions to recognize
experience/skill with challenging
situations, and determine ability to
creatively solve problems

24. Retention of Workers
•Provide effective training and guidance
•Create a culture that values learning
and communication
•Evaluate performance in a fair and
consistent manner

25. Training & Guidance
•Provide three weeks of training or
about 45-60 hours of training per
student worker
•Administer opportunities to shadow
other student workers
•Give one-on-one training sessions with
real-world scenarios

26. Training & Guidance
•Provide clear communication via a
detailed training manual,
comprehensive orientation checklist,
weekly memos, video tutorials, and
professional literature

27. Training & Guidance
•Reward quality work and dependability
•Provide opportunities for growth
through special projects and
professional literature

28. Evaluating Performance
•In situ observation: provide immediate
feedback based on performance during
a specific situation
•Teachable moments: use mistakes as
opportunities to instruct staff
•Document performance concerns and
offer opportunities for improvement

29. Conclusion
•The student worker experience is
maximized through effective recruiting,
hiring, training, and providing a
supportive culture for professional grow