Setting up the advert

This page has been set up based on the sections and order within a Unitemps booking form (for more information, you can see Working with Unitemps).

Top Tips

Always look to recruit at least 2 students, so that they can support each other and share responsibilities- this may change the number of hours you need students for
AVOID JARGON and remove all acronyms
- If using them is necessary, then provide a key terms document that explains each of the terms you're using
- The Dean of Students' Office has a student jargon buster which you could use for inspiration
Keep everything concise
- Avoid excessive information that isn’t really pertinent to the application
Accessibility and other accommodations need a named contact.
- Try to be clear how and where you can support, if you can give examples (see below) to show your willingness to engage
- It can be daunting to request accessibility or other accommodations, if you can give them a guided route to how they can/should approach this then that could encourage them to apply
- Try to use softer, more compassionate language (AVOID: "Make any access issues known at application process" or similar harsh language)

Example:

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know—we’ll do our best to support you.

We have already started to put some measures in place, such as all of our meetings being held on the ground floor, and fidget toys are provided in every team meeting. In the interview, we will provide space and time for breaks every 30 minutes.

Inclusive Recruitment Statement

The University have released guidance on inclusive recruitment for staff, and have included a statement for people to include in advertisements, which can also be used if you haven't started putting measures in place but would like to indicate that you would like to do so:

Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive working and learning environment. We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued. Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential.

Job Title

Keep this short and easy to understand, and in brackets include how many positions there are available:

Examples

Local Area Ambassador (x6)

Social Inclusion Officer (x3)

Transitions Co-Creator (x10)

Guidance on pay scales and the associated appropriate title can be found in our recompensing student section

Recompensing Students

If you're using a term you're familiar with (like 'co-creation') but that may not be apparent what you mean in your context- explain this in the role/job description or in your key terms document

Role introduction Example

For this work, co-creation looks and feels like: students being able to influence/dictate/guide the direction of the project. Working in tandem with staff to ensure that student needs are being met, and with equal responsibility for the outcomes.

Role Description

Job/Role Description:

Short-term positions do not require an in-depth description of the department, link out to departmental pages where possible
- Only describe the functions of the department/team that is pertinent to their work

Role Description Example:

Are you passionate about helping others? Do you want to share your learnings and encourage students to make informed choices around what they are doing next? As a (insert role title here) we are looking for students who can help us find routes for better supporting students in (insert project context here).

As a (insert role title) you will be expected to (insert most important aspect of the job and give some context).

Additionally, you will take a proactive role in encouraging reflection and suggestions for improvement for how the team can approach this and future similar projects and tasks.

For more information you can check out the Student Experience Division page, and get an idea of the kinds of projects we have run in the past.

Name who they will be working with (especially if there are departmental connections)
- Some students may feel intimidated or concerned about working with someone with whom they overlap in their studies (personal tutor, professor, someone responsible for awarding them marks)
- If they may be working with someone directly responsible for their grades, address what boundaries/safeguards will be put in place (this is also covered in our Collaborating with students FAQs page)
When simplifying what you are asking, consider if there may be any additional elements to the role that students may be able to pick up
- Try to reduce hidden expectations, be explicit and try to reduce ambiguity in what they may be asked to do

Personal Development and Support

You should allow some time for personal development within the role
- Include details, and make it relevant to the length of the hours of work (e.g. a post that is only 2 hours a week, 10 minutes)
You can see some suggested activities in our (INSERT SECTION HERE)
- Quick overview: a buddy, reflective log, co-creation handbook

Cover letter

We highly recommend asking students to answer targeted questions as part of their cover letter (rather than a more generic cover letter) or submitting answers through a form, which allows:
- A better opportunity to recruit based on potential, passion and interest
- An easier format to showcase some of the more intangible skills (e.g. communication or teamwork- see duties and skills tab,)
- A chance to remove candidates who have not paid attention to those instructions (attention to detail)
- A chance to get insight into how student workers view the project

Example

To apply, we’d like applicants to write a covering letter accompanying a CV answering the following questions:

Why are you interested in working in a (insert team/department) role?
What interests you about the subject of (insert main topic- e.g. engagement) ?
How would you approach working in a team for a project such as this, one where you would not be expected to take on a leadership role, but would be working in tandem to deliver (insert project name/area of project)?
Tell us about something you are passionate about and how you have shared this passion with others. How do you think this could help you in (insert role name)? This does not have to be work or university related, it can be anything!

Duties & Responsibilities | Skills & Experience

Skill Guidance

When you're listing duties, skills and responsibilities note where things such as training exists for some of the more difficult to navigate duties (such as stakeholder management)
- If there isn't training avaiable, consider the scope and size of what you're asking students- have you given them enough time, are you expecting too much of a student role?
If you're including something more abstract such as 'good teamworking' include how you would evalutate that at the recruitment stage, or where you would expect a candidate to showcase this
When building out your essential skills, really consider how you are expecting them to showcase this
- If you have something specific in mind, include that in a guidance document or something similar, and share that with any students
- If it is something more abstract, consider including a question about this in the Roles and description-cover letter section, and removing it from the 'essential' skills list

Example

Ability to work independently and as part of a team- we would expect to see examples of teamwork within your CV, but where possible, include examples of how and where you have showcased teamwork skills within your answering cover letter.

Example

Teamwork is an important part of this role, but we recognise this can be hard to showcase in a CV or cover letter, and so this will predominantly be evaluated during the interview.

Language

Consider how you describe the skills needed
- E.g. 'strong IT' skills-> what does strong mean, perhaps say that instead of 'strong'
- Do they need 'excellent digital skills' when all they will be using is Excel- really consider why you are listing this as a skill needed for the role
- Strongly evaluate whether students really need these skills already, or if this is something you could teach them

Try to include a friendly encouragement at the end of the essential/desired criteria

Example

We value diverse experiences and recognise that skills can be gained in many ways—through work, volunteering, education, or personal experiences. We understand that few candidates will meet every listed criterion, or have experience in a similar role. If you're excited about this opportunity, and believe your skills and experiences align, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective may be just what we need!

Location | Start & End Date

Location: If you are requiring them to work on campus, include when, how, and why (see examples of this below around giving dates)

International students and commuter students may be put off by work requiring them to remain on campus indefinitely, especially outside of term time
Where possible, offer flexibility. If this isn't an option, consider how you might support them to still feel welcome as part of the role (e.g. could you help them to find somewhere to stay locally)

Start and End Date: Always include this, but if the end date is ambiguous or may move depending on funding/outcomes of the project, state this and indicate how you will communicate/decide this with them.

This is good for situations where your project may get the opportunity for extended funding- the more information you can give students the better

Start and End Date Example:

Start and end date: 05.01.2025 - 30.07.2025, with potential for extension depending on funding. This will be discussed with the student at length prior to the end date.

Start and End Date Example:

Start and end date: 05.01.2025-30.07.2025

There is room for hours to potentially increase from w/c 4th of August, and for the project post to be extended until the end of October- there is no requirement for students to be available for the extended period.

Working outside the uk

It is very important to consider where your students may be working, if you are recruiting international students and they choose to work from their home country then this counts as working outside the UK.

This requires:

Understanding which countries students may want to work from
Filling in forms that go into details, such as risks in that country (e.g. mosquitos)
A lengthy approval process through IDG (current estimated time takes approx. 12 weeks)
Approval/decline- if declined, you will not be able to hire students other than those that can work in the UK

If this is the case, the best thing to do is to reach out to Unitemps, who manage this process and will be able to give you more detail.

Predicted Interview Date

Predicted Interview Date:

Include interview dates- ideally, have multiple days a student can interview to allow for flexibility
- Include time commitment for the interview
Allow for both online and in-person interviews, to allow for flexibility (signpost students to where they can get laptops if needed)
Describe any tasks they will be expected to do as part of the application and interview
- You should know what you want them to do in the interview, and give them a task they can prepare beforehand
Share who will be in the interview- including job titles and relation to the project/interview
- If you're unsure who this will be, try to give any information (such as the sorts of roles they hold)
- Additionally, you should include this information in any invites to interviews

Hours and Days of Work

Split this into General, Required (i.e. non-negotiable dates) and Flexible (i.e. negotiable)

General: These are the general requirements of the post
- This is a good place to indicate if there is potential for the post or project to be extended
- Use this space to show where and how you can be flexible
- Remember to account for the academic year and timetable- students may be busier in certain periods or have higher constraints on their time (really think about when is best for you to run this project to get the involvement you need)

Example:

10 hours a week, with at least 2 hours accommodated for team meetings and project updates. The remaining 8 hours can be flexible around academic commitments, care responsibilities and other time requirements.

Work will pause over the exam period (April 1st- May 30th).

Required: these are dates that cannot be moved and students must be available
- Even if you only have a general idea, any information you can give students to allow them to make an informed decision is important

Example:

Induction training: 3 hours Wednesday, 25th May, and 2 hours Thursday, 26th May (in person)

Team meeting: 10-11 am every Wednesday from 9th June -> 25th August (online)

Project Stakeholder check-in: Thursday 28th August (in person)- very important

If these dates are liable to change, due to calendars, make students aware that flexibility from them is required (if you can accommodate/prioritise their attendance then include it in the flexible dates)

Flexible: these are dates that you are able to be flexible and can accommodate their schedules in

Example:

Workshop dates- to be run between May 28th and August 29th, these will be chosen based on your availability, but you must be available to run them (in person)

Project Handover- 2 hours to be organised week commencing 15th September, can accommodate (online)

Rate of Pay | Expenses

We have put together some guidance aligning pay rates with responsibilities.

We recommend that, should you choose to interview in person, consider whether you can provide expenses for things such as bus travel. In addition, consider any additional costs your role may incur (e.g. parking) and try to account for this either in the rate of pay or through expenses.

Recompensing Students

Resources

Students are often unaware of the resources available to them. See a list below of things you should signpost to (as part of your advert) to lower some of the barriers to engagement they often face:

Application guidance- CV, Cover Letters, Application forms and Interviews
In-person (free) appointments with Job Search Advisors from the Careers team at Warwick
Workwear wardrobe- to help students build a workwear wardrobe in an affordable way ahead of interviews, assessment centres and gaining work experience.
Student laptop loans- where students without a working computer can request a loan laptop temporarily for up to 31 days (at no charge).
Jargon Buster- this is mostly for 'university' terms, but is a good place for them to start if they are looking to better understand the common terms they may come across as part of the role
Similarly, there is the University Acronyms list that may help
Other services at the University that you can signpost to

Good Practice: Is to offer a named contact for them to ask questions to in the advert.

Best practice: is to offer a Q&A/pre-application meeting beforehand for those interested in the role to gain a better understanding, and share a recording for those who couldn't make it.

Back to the main page

Next: Getting the advert to students