Students these days need to balance work and school because of the costs of tuition and fees that full-time universities and colleges can seem unattainable. Some consider finding the work-school-life balance the worst part of being a student. However, you can make this easier, which will help build better employees who can balance work and life for your company. This article will provide some options for student employees and employers that work with students to help balance that experience.
Work for casual, flexible companies.
You want to find and be a workplace that has the interests of its employees and the company mission on the same playing field. As a student, consider companies like Verkada Inc., a sales team for security cameras as an option. Verkada Culture maintains a work hard, play hard mentality; working hard and having fun while doing it for a startup company that has rapid growth like Verkada protects your energy and provides a flexible workplace. They have a strong belief in their company’s work culture, and it’s important to them that their employees believe in Verkada and its mission. The security company offers a lot of fun and unique perks for Verkada employees, such as catered lunches, a break room with arcade games and a pool table, and company-sponsored happy hours. They also have a very relaxed dress code, which allows their employees to feel more comfortable and be themselves.
Encourage online courses at an accredited online program.
Earning an online degree can ease up the workload on student employees because they can earn it from the comfort of their homes. Accounting and business are two majors that open up many career paths. Therefore, finding an accredited online program certified by a professional organization like the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools for Business (AACSB) that offers online degrees for accounting or business is a great move. AACSB certifies online degree programs in public accounting, management accounting, government accounting, and more. A degree program close to home with a decent cost is perfect for student employees whether they’re earning their master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree.
Talk to your student employees about their goals.
Goal conversations can help your student employees feel supported at your company. Allow them to share their aspirations with you, whether that’s building experience as a sales director at a tech company, working for an HR department, or building reports to find leadership positions in the future. Get to know them better and understand what is important to them. If they have any inquiries about advancement at your company, absolutely keep an eye out for them to help your student employees grow.
Be flexible with their schedules.
Student employees may have to miss work because of school-related commitments. Coursework, especially during a bachelor’s degree, can cause a lot of stress for first-time students. They will likely need your insight and resources on how to manage their stress. Encourage your student employees to provide plenty of notice if they have to miss work or will be unable to make up the missed work and pick up their slack. Make sure they’re also aware of your internal policies, which will help them plan their schedules. Work with your student employees to take the stress off of them as they go through their degree program. Be understanding and patient, and know that your student employees are doing their best to balance college coursework and their job.
Encourage them also to look for student employee resource groups on their campus and check for other resources such as tutoring to balance their workload. Allowing your employees to take time to attend tutoring on campus will balance their workload for school and work.
Offer schedule solutions.
One of the best things you can do as an employer of student employees is to encourage them to create a schedule that balances their work and school responsibilities. Most programs, especially online programs, allow for flexibility so students can plan their work hours around their coursework hours. Online students need just as much patience and assistance as in-person students; however, by encouraging them to create a schedule that balances their work and school responsibilities, you can help them to stay on top of their schoolwork while also working and being a great asset to your company.
Stress the importance of communication and organization for students that are on the verge of stressing too much about their work-school-life balance. Be in touch with them and offer that sense of camaraderie so they can be effective members of the team.
