Map Your Student Employment System
Identify how student jobs are structured, managed, and classified.
Why This Stage Matters
Most institutions have decentralized student employment systems where different departments post, hire and manage working learners independently, often using different titles, pay structures and onboarding processes. Without a full view, it’s difficult to identify inequalities, redundancies or opportunities for growth. Mapping your student employment system gives you a clear picture of how student employment positions at your institution are structured, managed and classified; this knowledge becomes the foundation for your design work ahead. Mapping helps you: Understand supervisor and working learner relationships Identify system-level barriers, such as classification or HR data limitations Clarify how student work aligns or doesn’t align with career readiness goals
Getting Started
Step 1: Start with What You Know
Gather as much student employment data as possible: policies, job descriptions, org charts, and more. Identify what systems your institution uses and who runs them.
Ask yourself:
- Where are working learner positions posted?
- How are they categorized or classified?
- Who approves hires and pay rates?
- How do supervisors get training or guidance?
Step 2: Visually Map the Process
Create a visual representation of how your student employment system works:
- Recruitment and Posting: Where student jobs originate and how students find them.
- Hiring and Classification: How student jobs are approved and coded in HR.
- Onboarding and Training: How students and supervisors learn about their roles.
- Supervision and Development: How students are supported and evaluated.
- Offboarding and Transition: What happens after a student leaves their position.
Capture any connections you see between systems, people, and policies, as well as any confusion or unclear steps.
Step 3: Pattern Recognition
With your team, review the map and discuss what stands out:
- Where do processes vary across departments?
- How are student jobs tracked and identified?