Recruiting Policies & Best Practices

Your Guide for Successful Recruiting at Rice.

From job postings to job offers, the CCD is here to ensure a smooth recruiting process for students and employers alike! Before you start recruiting Rice talent, please review these recruiting policies and best practices

Recruiting Policies

Please read the following Rice University Recruiting Policies carefully. Contact us at ccd@rice.edu if you have questions or need more information about any of the following policies.

As a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), we adhere to the Professional Standards for Colleges and University Career Services and recognize that employers are vital partners in the educational process. In addition to the NACE standards, we have crafted these policies with our mission in mind, allowing our students the time needed to educate themselves about career opportunities, connect with employers directly and through virtual means, and be empowered to make informed decisions. These policies are designed to best support both Rice University students and our employer partners in creating the best recruiting experience possible. By recruiting at Rice University, you are agreeing to abide by these policies and expectations.

Career Management Platform

The CCD and Rice University use 12twenty for all job postings, resume books, and on-campus recruiting events. All employers requesting access to the Rice talent network will be vetted thoroughly to maintain a secure and high-quality network prior to being approved for on-campus engagement.

The CCD reserves the right to decline or disable an employer account, or reject any individual user requesting attachment to an employer profile at its sole discretion. Vetting criteria include, but are not limited to:

• Domain Verification: Employer email addresses must match the official company domain. Accounts created using a generic, personal email address (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook) will be rejected.
• Digital Presence: Employers must possess a valid, functioning corporate website that accurately reflects the organization's business operations.
• Organizational Reputation: The CCD reserves the right to decline or disable any employer account that has recurring negative employee reviews posted online, a history of fraudulent behavior, or unresolved complaints filed with public consumer protection agencies.
• Right of Refusal: The CCD reserves the right to decline, suspend, or revoke employer access to the 12twenty platform at any time, for any reason, without prior notice or explanation to the employer.

Job Posting Approval Criteria

All job and internship opportunities must be posted through 12twenty and are subject to individual review before being approved. The CCD reserves the right to modify, remove, or decline any job posting without notice or explanation.

Positions may be declined or removed if they meet any of the following conditions:

• Compensation Structure: The position is unpaid or commission-only/commission-based.
• Financial Requirements: The position requires students to pay upfront costs, purchasing fees, or investment capital for training, equipment, or application processing.
• Work Location: The job description requires students to work out of a private residence or apartment (e.g., private babysitting, home tutoring, personal caregiving, or administrative/technical support).
• Incomplete Information: The job description lacks sufficient detail regarding core responsibilities, qualifications, or accurate location parameters that would enable a student to make an informed decision about the opportunity.
• Third-Party Disclosure: Staffing agencies or third-party recruiters must explicitly disclose the end-client company they represent within the 12twenty posting. Failure to disclose the client organization will result in immediate rejection.
• Non-Professional Positions: Postings that do not require a bachelor’s degree at minimum (e.g. retail associates, food service, hospitality staff, general labor, or administrative roles requiring only a high school diploma or associate’s degree) will be declined.
• Academic Relevance: Opportunities should reasonably align with Rice University’s current undergraduate and graduate degree programs and student professional interests. The CCD reserves the right to determine if an opportunity provides sufficient professional merit for the Rice student body.

Candidate Search and Custom Resume Books

The Candidate Search feature on 12twenty is designed to streamline proactive recruiting by enabling verified, active employer partners to build customized resume books based on specific academic and professional criteria.

Because this feature provides direct access to student data, the CCD enforces strict eligibility requirements. The CCD reserves absolute discretion to approve or deny Candidate Search access to any employer request in the queue.

Requirements for Approval:

• Professional Email Verification: The requesting user must be registered under an official, corporate email address matching the organization’s domain. Requests submitted by users with a generic, personal email address (including, but not limited to, Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook) will be declined to protect student data security.
• Established Relationship: Access is reserved for recognized employers with an active, approved historical presence on the 12twenty platform. Requests from unrecognized organizations, completely new accounts with no prior engagement, or employers whose core business models cannot be verified by the CCD will be declined.
• Active Job Postings: Employers requesting Candidate Search access must have a currently active, approved job or internship posting on 12twenty, or a confirmed on-campus recruiting event scheduled for the current semester. Access is intended for immediate, specific hiring needs, not passive data harvesting.
• Student Opt-In Protection: Only profiles of students who have explicitly opted into the 12twenty resume book/candidate search feature will be visible.
• Targeted Outreach Only: To protect our talent pipeline, the platform automatically filters out and removes students who have already accepted an offer or logged a definitive graduation outcome. Employers must only utilize student contact information to discuss active, relevant, and professional job openings matching the student's background.
• Data Restrictions: Downloaded resumes and candidate lists are for the internal hiring use of the approved organization only. Re-selling, sharing, or distributing student data to third parties will result in the immediate, permanent loss of all Rice University recruiting privileges.

Offer Policies

The CCD strives to serve both students and employers, and we work to find the best solution possible for employer recruiting needs.

• Exploding Offers: We recognize that employers have certain constraints in the flexibility they have to accommodate student needs, but we ask employers to refrain from presenting exploding offers. We define an exploding offer as one that expires, is rescinded, or results in a reduced base salary within a short period, which exerts undue pressure on students. Requiring a verbal acceptance in order to receive a written offer is also considered to be an exploding offer.
• Offer Timelines: In accordance with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and its advisory opinion on setting reasonable deadlines for job offers, the CCD recommends that employers give students two weeks minimum to accept an offer. We also urge employers to be open to feasible student requests for additional time.
• Employer Reneges: We ask that all employers share with us if they are forced to revoke a student’s internship or post-grad offer or delay start dates for whatever reason.

Employers that utilize CCD services are expected to report hiring statistics for Rice students. Information provided by employers will be reported in aggregate form only.

Discrimination

The CCD makes its interviewing facilities and position-listing services available to employers who do not unlawfully discriminate in the selection of candidates on the basis of national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Because Rice has the privilege of educating outstanding individuals of varying backgrounds, employers may encounter an international student on their interview schedule. U.S. laws and regulations require certain treatment of international students. Screening candidates based on citizenship or national origin is prohibited. Any employer who makes use of University facilities or services must agree to abide by this policy. If interviewing students, employers must speak to student interviewees in good faith and refrain from questioning students regarding the above-protected classifications

Drugs and Alcohol

The Center for Career Development (CCD) adheres to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) policy on recruiting, which requires that all recruiting activity (including presentations, interview sessions, and employer-sponsored events on- or off-campus) be alcohol-free.

Consequences of Policy Violations

The CCD reserves the right to enact administrative consequences for violations of any section of these guidelines. Violations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Consequences include, but are not limited to:

• Immediate rejection of all pending job postings.
• Revocation of Candidate Search and resume book access.
• Loss of participation in all on-campus recruiting activities, including but not limited to Career Expos, information sessions, and on-campus interviews.
• Permanent deactivation and flagging of the corporate 12twenty account.

We appreciate your continued support and cooperation in these matters.

If you would like to connect before getting started, our Employer Engagement team is always available to consult with employers and develop a campus recruiting strategy tailored to their needs. Or, if you're ready to get started, join us on the Rice 12twenty platform today.

The CCD serves as the recruiting hub for all Rice undergraduates, non-MBA graduate students, and alumni. Rice's 12twenty site serves all Rice students, including MBAs. If you are interested in discussing your MBA recruiting strategy, please contact the Career Development Office in the Jones Graduate School of Business.