More than 80% of Harvard students work a part-time job while enrolled at school. This page is to assist Harvard administrators with recruiting students, determining a wage rate, interviewing students, navigating the hiring process, executing performance evaluations, and learning about general guidelines on student employment.
For information on how to hire a work study eligible student, please visit our onboarding page.
Recruiting Students
The easiest way is through the Student Employment Office's Jobs Database. Around 50% of Harvard students will find one or more jobs this way. The database is robust and offers departments a number of features including: a simple way to browse through resumes; search by school, concentration, or FWSP eligibility; and a simple application process. Need help using the database? Check out the Using the Jobs Database page or contact us.
Determining an Hourly Rate
Departments may set student wage rates at their discretion as the University, in most cases, does not mandate specific wages for particular student jobs.
However, it must start at the Massachusetts minimum wage or higher. More info on student wage ranges across Harvard can be found here.
The Hiring Process
All student hiring must be completed through Peoplesoft using the quick-hire process. Some administrators have submitter rights while others may have just preparer rights.
** Please note that a referral card is only required for students using Federal Work Study. If the student is not participating in FWS, the referral card is not required.
Interviewing Suggestions
Refer to the section on Interviewing Students.
Performance Evaluations
We encourage administrators to evaluate student employees on an annual basis. Administrators may also choose to tie raises to the performance evaluation process. While not required, constructively evaluating a student's work and contributions to the department can help prepare them for post-graduate employment. The Student Employment Office does not mandate how performance evaluations are done, but employers can find a helpful evaluation document at the end of this page to assist with the process.
Helpful Documents
For Administrators: Peoplesoft Student Quick-Hire Process
Student Employee Performance Evaluation