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Recruiting Expectations For Employers

Offer Guidelines 
Keeping the parameters of our academic calendar in mind, and so that students may thoughtfully and carefully evaluate their decisions, NCA kindly requests that you adhere to the following guidelines: 
Occasionally, an employer’s hiring timeline may fall outside of this preferred window, and/or a student may ask for an exception. In such instances… 

We expect employers will: 

We expect students will: 


NCA discourages reneging on accepted job offers in the strongest possible terms. Students are informed of NCA’s policies and the potential consequences to re-recruiting after accepting an offer. 
 
Your partnership and cooperation helps ensure that students can accept an offer in full confidence and commitment to your organization, and prevents reneging of offers.

Second Round Interviews

NCA kindly asks organizations to be as flexible as their process allows when offering second/final round interview dates to candidates. Every effort should be made to provide an alternative option for students if the first presented date cannot be met, particularly when scheduling around major religious holidays and the academic calendar. Employers hosting in-person second/final rounds outside the Chicagoland area are especially encouraged to give candidates multiple options, given travel time. Employers may leverage both virtual and in-person interview formats at their discretion to allow for the greatest schedule flexibility.   

NCA's Anti-Discrimination Statement

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are necessary for a healthy, prosperous, and fair educational experience. As career services and professionals, we affirm the expansion of Northwestern's statement on harassment and discrimination to include recruitment activities and students’ experiences within the workplace prior to graduation.  Northwestern’s Policy on Institutional Equity provides a definition for discrimination along with a framework for students, staff, and other community members to report employer-based discrimination, which the university will investigate and adjudicate

Covid-19 and Academic Progress Impact 
NCA acknowledges both the current and long-term impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our community and its disproportionate impact on certain members of our community. Students’ academic and career progress were interrupted during the Spring 2020 quarter as classes were conducted virtually, internships were canceled or truncated, and all courses were moved to a Pass/No Pass grading system. Students received no letter grades during their Spring 2020 quarter and it is common to see courses listed as Credit/No Credit on transcripts for the 2021-22 academic year. As a hiring organization, we ask that you consider all of these factors in context when evaluating students resumes and transcripts. 
 
Alcohol Policy 
When hosting in-person recruiting events, NCA prefers that alcohol not be present or provided, even if most/all students are of legal drinking age. Offering alcoholic beverages can inappropriately shift the focus of the event and may put students in an uncomfortable position. Further, students who abstain from alcohol will likely feel less welcome. This policy is in keeping with the Principles for Professional Practice of the National Association of Colleges and Employers. 
 
Third Party Recruiter Policy 
All postings in Northwestern’s job posting platform, must disclose the name of the company. Postings from third-party recruiters are permissible so long as the applicant pool is explicitly and singularly for the stated employer and position. Third parties may not use our platform to solicit candidates for additional, unspecified opportunities
 
Additional Expectations 
Organizations will uphold the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Principles for Professional Practice.