Recruiting policies and guidelines

In our effort to maintain the integrity of recruiting at VCU, our three career centers—VCU Career Services, School of Business Career Services and College of Engineering Career Services—have developed standards for recruitment across the University. All activities must adhere to these policies in addition to VCU’s universitywide policies.

Download VCU's recruiting guidelines

Recruiting Standards

  • The National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Principles for Ethical Professional Practice are the guiding principles for VCU’s career centers’ recruiting practices. All employers/organizations are expected to be familiar with these principles, and to abide by these principles and all applicable federal, state, and local Virginia rules and regulations.
  • Organizations should be aware of the NACE Faculty Guide to Ethical and Legal Standards in Student Employment.
  • Employment professionals will maintain equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance and follow affirmative action principles in recruiting activities in a manner that includes the following practices:
    • Recruiting, interviewing, and hiring individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability, and providing reasonable accommodations upon request
    • Reviewing selection criteria for adverse impact based upon the student's race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability
    • Avoiding questions that are considered unacceptable by EEO guidelines for fair employment practices during the recruiting process
    • Developing a sensitivity to, and awareness of, cultural differences and the diversity of the workforce
    • Informing campus constituencies of special activities that have been developed to achieve the employer's affirmative action goals
    • Investigating complaints forwarded by VCU’s career centers regarding EEO noncompliance and seeking resolution of such complaints
  • Employers should maintain compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) throughout the entire recruitment process; we recommend the Job Accommodation Network (JAN)’s Employer Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation.

All recruiting activities must adhere to the following additional standards:

Handshake Posting Policies

  • Postings should be submitted to appear on Handshake for no longer than a one year time period. The VCU career centers reserve the right to make edits to expiration dates as required.
  • Organizations must not disclose any student information for any reason without obtaining prior written consent from the student. Failure to comply with this is a violation of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  
  • Under no circumstances can student information be disclosed for anything other than the original recruiting purposes, nor can it be sold or provided to other entities.
  • In the event that these guidelines are not met, we reserve the right to revoke access to our online recruiting platform.

Identity disclosure and illegal questions

Deciding when and how to disclose elements of one’s identity to others, especially in professional or academic settings, is a personal, nuanced, and potentially difficult choice. As a reminder, it is illegal in the United States for employers to ask candidates certain questions related to their identity. For additional guidance, along with potential questions students/alumni may ask during the interview process to evaluate your organization's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, please see our Identity + Career page.