HONOR CODE #1 – CONDUCT RECRUITING EFFORTS IN A RESPECTFUL & PROFESSIONAL MANNER.
Auburn University expects employers to conduct recruiting efforts in a respectful and professional manner.
HONOR CODE #2 – SET A REASONABLE DECISION DEADLINE FOR YOUR OFFERS.
Auburn University does not condone unreasonable offer deadlines with high pressure on students to make a quick or immediate decision. We request that employers allow enough time for students to properly consider offers and solicit advice about their decision, granting extensions when merited.
General Recruiting Best Practices
These are guidelines to help employers be effective and successful recruiters on campus.
BEST PRACTICE #1 – HOST SOCIAL EVENTS IN AUBURN.
In addition to attending the fall and spring Meet the Firms and other Beta Alpha Psi-sponsored activities, employers are best served to engage students through hosting employer-specific social events throughout the year. These social events can range from a meal to a sporting event; anything that will connect students with your professionals in a targeted setting.
Click here for a list of event venues and local activities.
BEST PRACTICE #2 – RESERVE YOUR SOCIAL TIMEFRAME TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE. ***
To maximize the opportunities for students to interact with all employers, employers should coordinate all social events involving a total of ten (10) or more students through Colby Lakas, Director of Recruiting & Professional Development, at least two weeks in advance of the event date. Of course, the earlier the better, given that dates fill up quickly in prime recruiting season! When it comes to evening events, the available timeframes are 5-7 pm CST or 7-9 pm CST. The Big Four firms are not to host events on the same evening. If an employer has the only event scheduled on a given evening, the employer can choose the timeframe that suits them best. If the night coincides with a Beta Alpha Psi meeting, we give preference to the presenting sponsor (only the 7-9 pm timeslot will be available).
Click here to view available dates and times.
***This best practice applies to events hosted during the Fall and Spring semesters only.
BEST PRACTICE #3 – IDENTIFY PROSPECTIVE INTERNS EARLY.
Auburn University strongly encourages employers to utilize the Beta Alpha Psi and Rising Accountant & Analyst Program member lists to inform students about their firm/company and opportunities. Employers should exhibit at Meet the Firms and the Local/Regional Firm Meet & Greet (as applicable) to be visible to students.
Summer Leadership Program (SLP)’ Recruiting Best Practices
‘SLPs are broadly defined as any summer recruiting activity hosted in employer offices/cities.
Semester-by-Semester Guidance for SLP Recruiting
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juniors are generally enrolled in: | -Intermediate Acct I -Cost Accounting -Acct Info Systems -Professional Development in Acct | -Intermediate Acct II -Tax I (Individual Tax) -Acct Analytics | Students often enroll in five-week mini-term courses to get ahead for upcoming spring internships. |
| AU-hosted networking events include: | Meet the Firms (MTF) (late August/early September) | -MTF (late January) -Local & Regional Firm Meet & Greet (late April) | None |
| Recommended ways to target prospects: | -Utilize BAP/RAAP rosters & MTF resumes to send email blasts and host events on campus. -Informal meetings with students while on campus for fall interviews. | -Utilize BAP/RAAP rosters & MTF resumes to send email blasts, host events, or invite students to the office. -Post SLP opportunities on Handshake & interview | Summer Leadership Programs or Office Visits |
SLP identification should generally occur during the spring semester of a student’s junior year, from February 15 to April 15. Students should be granted ample time to respond to invitations within this timeframe.
As it is impossible to avoid conflicts across all SLPs, it is important for students to be able to manage invitations in an organized fashion. The defined timeframe for recruiting SLP candidates is necessary so students know when to expect invitations and plan their summer commitments accordingly. We recommend SLP identification in the spring, because first semester juniors have not completed the first round of upper-level accounting classes, including Intermediate Accounting I and Professional Development in Accountancy, which introduces them to the recruiting process. These students need more time to establish themselves as accounting majors and prepare for spring recruiting.
Post all SLP applications on Handshake, regardless of whether a campus interview is involved.
Students tend to consult Handshake for any professional opportunities, and posting your events will ensure maximum visibility (even if the posting re-directs to an application on your website). While interviews (on campus or otherwise) are not mandated for SLPs, it is a helpful relationship-building touch point that could enhance the prospect of an offer acceptance.
Where possible, recruiters within a given market should coordinate SLP dates with one another to avoid conflicts.
Recruiters for peer firms who host SLPs should make an effort to coordinate dates in their market. This coordination will ensure the candidate pool has an opportunity to attend as many SLPs as possible. We advise students to follow through with their SLP commitments throughout the summer even though they may have offers in-hand. Therefore, we hope there will be minimal instances of students canceling their attendance at an SLP that takes place after receiving other offers.
Provide SLP dates to the Auburn School of Accountancy so we can keep a master calendar of all programs.
To assist students in planning their summer commitments, Auburn publicizes a listing of all SLPs, along with relevant application deadlines. If Auburn is not aware of a program, the students will generally be uninformed as well.
Employers who make offers following an SLP should avoid pressuring students to renege on other SLP invitations.
A tenet of the Honor Code is to allow students reasonable time to make a decision. We ask all employers to reinforce this messaging and encourage students to experience all summer opportunities to gain confidence in their decision.
Encourage students to apply to SLPs even if they have a conflict.
Spring semester offers a unique opportunity for employers to see the entire candidate pool before summer begins. Thus, we encourage all employers to recruit/interview students who have a known summer conflict. The spring semester events may be the last time employers see a student before they accept an offer during the summer.
Understand that students enrolled in summer school at AU may not be able to attend all conferences.
Due to the nature of summer courses at Auburn, some students enrolled in summer classes will only be available for a limited number of SLPs. Summer classes are offered on a five-week format and meet daily for 90 minutes; thus, a student missing five days of summer classes is missing equivalent to 20% of the summer course. Poor summer grades may have downstream consequences for internship and graduate school applications. We ask that all employers be supportive of the balance a student must find between academic and professional obligations.