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new job classification system, new pay rates, and a new evaluation and promotion system
For 120 years, student work has been a cornerstone of Berry College’s educational philosophy – providing all students with a holistic education of the “head, heart and hands” to prepare them for lifelong success. In 2019, Berry established the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) to lead the LifeWorks program and reach our goal of providing all students with 8 semesters of meaningful work and paid personal and professional development experience. Since then, the CPPD has partnered with a wide range of campus leaders/partners to optimize the LifeWorks program, introducing a suite of initiatives focused on improving student work operations, expanding supervisors’ training/support resources, and promoting students’ engagement in and development through LifeWorks.
This past year, a cross-functional team of campus leaders and student work supervisors partnered with the CPPD to assess and recalibrate the current LifeWorks level system. Their goal was to
- Promote work opportunities that are meaningful to both students and the college
- Provide more consistency between different types of jobs across campus
- Weave professional development into students’ hiring and promotion processes
- Explore pay rate increases that are fair (off-campus jobs) and reflect work responsibilities
To learn more, please refer to this campus update from the President’s Office
This new LifeWorks job classification system is designed to ensure that student work positions are administered more consistently, while still allowing flexibility, both across and within campus departments. When compared to our current system, this new classification system also more clearly differentiates between different job types and ensures that students are given the appropriate level of responsibility and pay for advanced positions.
Heading forward, we will move away from the 5-level system to 4 different job classifications. The new job classifications will be:
- Entry
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Pre-Professional
See the LifeWorks Recalibration Cheat Sheet to learn more about each of these new job classifications, including appropriate job descriptions, work expectations, and core career-readiness competencies for each position type.
Please also note that our new job classification framework is focused on what is required for a specific LifeWorks job, not the particular experience, skill or performance level of a student employee. This means that students will not be promoted into higher-level LifeWorks jobs unless they are taking on additional higher-level responsibilities.
Through the LifeWorks recalibration, every reclassified campus job will receive a pay raise. These raises are designed to be more competitive, tied to students’ performance outcomes, and linked to professional growth through increased responsibility. Please note that current hours limits will remain the same for on-campus jobs – up to 10 hours a week for 1st-year students and 12 hours a week for upperclassmen.
- New pay rates for each job classification:
- Entry/Basic – $9.25
- Intermediate – $9.50
- Advanced – $10.25
- Pre-Professional – $11.50
- Stipend positions will also be increased in accordance with the respective job classification and hourly expectations.
- Off-campus and Community & Industry jobs will continue to reflect market rates.
The heart of the LifeWorks Recalibration is a desire to ensure that all students are consistently experiencing professional development as they apply to new campus jobs and advance up through the LifeWorks system. These new developmentally-oriented requirements are designed to reflect the real-world job market and prepare students to effectively apply/interview for jobs, receive performance feedback and enhance their professional skill sets.
Student requirements: To be hired or promoted to a higher-level job, students will be required to present an approved resume and apply to each new position (above entry-level jobs). Advanced and Pre-Professional jobs will also require additional approved training requirements that are still being determined and will be communicated by LifeWorks.
Supervisor requirements: To hire a new student for a higher-level job, supervisors will be required to conduct a formal job interview. If promoting a student internally, a formal job interview and a performance evaluation will be required. Interview guidelines and evaluation tools will be provided to supervisors by LifeWorks later this summer.
At Berry College, meaningful work creates a sense of purpose and accomplishment, contributing to both personal fulfillment and the greater Berry community. Meaningful work is about feeling connected to something larger, feeling motivated and inspired to do our best. It's about understanding the value we bring and finding opportunities where our efforts truly matter.
Meaningful LifeWorks jobs must provide student employees with positions that offer:
- Clear Responsibilities and Goals: Do student employees have defined tasks and responsibilities that contribute value to their department or the college, with specific goals and measurable outcomes?
- Intentional Development: Are there structured opportunities and support systems for students to enhance their professional skills, with clear expectations for their performance and growth?
- Consistent Engagement: Are student employees primarily involved in their job tasks (or professional development activities) during work hours, avoiding distractions like personal phone use, scrolling online, doing homework or other unrelated activities?
The new JobX form will be available to enter approved reclassified LifeWorks jobs starting on July 1st, 2024. All LifeWorks jobs must be reclassified, approved and re-entered into the JobX system by July 19th, 2024. Get your LifeWorks jobs approved.
Higher pay rates will be implemented during the first payroll of the fall semester.
New hiring and promotion requirements will be gradually implemented in phases across the 2024-25 school year. General guidelines for students and supervisors include:
- Fall 2024 – To hire a student into an Advanced or Pre-professional job this fall, they must have a career-development-approved resume on file with LifeWorks (this is the same requirement that has existed for the former level 4-5 jobs).
- Spring 2025 – Resume approvals for intermediate jobs and all other training requirements will not go into effect until January 1st, 2025. More information and additional resources will be shared by LifeWorks in the fall semester.
Click here for the LifeWorks job approval process.
Vice Presidents, or their designees, will oversee the first-round review and approvals of reclassified LifeWorks jobs within their respective divisions.
Supervisors should:
- Review the LifeWorks Recalibration Cheat Sheet
- Review the Job Reclassification/Meaningful Work Rubric
- Enter their reclassified jobs into the Excel template
- Submit it to their Vice Presidents for approval by June 14th*
Vice Presidents, or their designees, will provide feedback to supervisors by July 1st and, once approved, supervisors will be able to enter their jobs in the JobX system. All reclassified LifeWorks jobs should be entered into JobX by July 19th for a final review from LifeWorks.
Unless indicated otherwise by LifeWorks, supervisors can begin to hire students into their reclassified jobs on August 5th, 2024.
*For more information on the submission process, please refer to your email newsletter or contact us directly.
In addition to the LifeWorks Recalibration Cheat Sheet, the CPPD has also provided supervisors with a Job Reclassification/Meaningful Work Rubric and an Excel Template to capture and approve their reclassified jobs.
The CPPD will also be hosting a series of LifeWorks Supervisor Support sessions throughout the remainder of the summer. Specific times and locations will be shared with supervisors through newsletters.
A series of additional LifeWorks workshops and consultation opportunities will be offered to supervisors over the summer.
Additional information, resources and guidance about each of these changes will be coming out from CPPD over the next few months.
The next LifeWorks Supervisor Summit will be held on August 13, 2024. This all-day event for supervisors will offer inspiration and practical tools for the upcoming year. Save the Date!
Resources For Supervisors
We understand that you may have continued questions or need further clarification as we move forward. Please do not hesitate to reach out. Feel free to email us at LifeWorks@berry.edu, and we will be happy to assist you.