The Talent Pipeline Already Living in Your Community.

When our Leasing Office returned to in-person work in late Summer 2020, we mitigated risk by splitting our staff into two separate shifts. But we struggled with a disconnect between our two teams. It was a weird time. So to keep us connected, we introduced Casual Fridays: Hat Day, Dress Like a Parent Day, and Hometown Day gave us reasons to share laughs and memories through a challenging time.

Six years later I have a completely different staff altogether, but the Casual Friday tradition remains.

Last week, three staff members were looking through some of the group photos we’ve taken at Casual Fridays throughout the years. One strange realization came up: they each struggled to recognize anyone from pictures taken before 2024. These students had worked for us for years at this point. How was this possible? That's when the right question hit me: ok, how many students have come through this office since 2020 for these tenured employees to be that disconnected?

We've trained 40 student employees in six years. Let that sink in.

The reality is that turnover is a staple of student housing. I always remind myself: student employees aren’t on our site just to work, they’re primarily here to earn a degree. In fact, 29 of those 40 CA’s actually stayed with us through graduation, then left to pursue careers in various different fields. So working with us is important to their professional development, but it eventually gives way to internships, careers, graduate school, and other opportunities. In the end, we have to accept that their stays with us were supposed to only be temporary.

That said- backfilling staffing vacancies deftly is a necessity. And maintaining operational excellence through constant turnover matters even more. The operators who create consistency despite that turnover are the ones who stand out to residents.

Over the past few years I’ve been fine-tuning my approach to selecting and onboarding our student talent. Hopefully some of my notes and pro tips can help you out:

The Interview Process

When we have vacancies to fill, I prefer sending the whole property an online form over simply collecting resumes. Forms allow us to gather information that doesn't always appear on a resume: GPA, shift availability, summer availability, work eligibility, and expected graduation date.

That said, I still ask applicants to email me a resume. It’s helpful to still see applicants speak for themselves, plus how they craft an email sending that resume to me- If you've ever reviewed dozens of student resumes at once, you've probably experienced the wide range in quality. One tactic I've used is offering 10-minute resume consultations before applications are submitted. Detail-oriented students often take advantage of the opportunity. It helps them improve their application and gives them a chance to build rapport with us before the process begins.

Qualities of an Appealing Student Resume

GPA

GPA can be helpful but context matters. A 2024 dataset from researchers at Fordham University aggregated average GPA by discipline across 33 public universities:

● STEM: 3.16

● Arts & Humanities: 3.28

● Business: 3.29

● Social Sciences: 3.35

I believe it's appropriate to ask applicants for their GPA. If a student's GPA falls below average for their major, I want to discuss whether adding a CA position to their schedule is appropriate. Student housing can be demanding. I don't want a student struggling academically because they took on too much.

Past Experience

Relevant experience helps, but it isn't a dealbreaker. Camp counselors, orientation leaders, sports captains, grocery employees, food service workers, and applicants with sales experience often stand out. Still, it's important not to dismiss strong candidates simply because they haven't had comparable opportunities yet.

Definitely connect this thought to my notes on the interview process: if an applicant exhibits excellence in-person but does not have relevant experience, are you believing the person you see in front of you or worrying more about what they haven’t exhibited professionally? Do you trust they can develop the skills you’re looking for with the right care and attention?

Class Standing

It really just comes down to how you want to stagger the graduating semesters of your team, so they’re not all leaving at once. But generally I generally prefer Sophomores primarily because they've both adjusted to college life but still are tapped into the college experience. But, I wouldn't ever dismiss a Freshman, Sophomore, or Senior outright. I would just

The Solo Interview

One solo interview rarely provides a complete picture of an applicant. But if you do only get one chance to chat with an applicant, my best advice is to get applicants out of interview mode so you can understand who they really are. I do that by discussing their interests. I've often told my team: if someone struggles to explain something they love, how are we going to get them excited about explaining floor plan options?

So for example- if a student ran cross country, I might ask what shoes they preferred or how they trained. Once applicants begin discussing something they genuinely enjoy, they relax. You learn how they communicate, explain ideas, and engage in conversation.

The Group Interview

The group interview is our secret weapon. If we can get four to fifteen applicants together, we schedule a session involving as much of our office staff as possible. The goal is to observe how applicants problem-solve, improvise, and function within a team.

We'll ask an introductory question, complete an activity, ask a more thoughtful question, and then complete another activity.

We're looking for:

Good Candidate Qualities

● Authentic, thoughtful communicators

● Organized problem-solvers

● Builds on others' ideas

● Remains engaged when confused or challenged

Concerning Candidate Qualities

● Dominates conversation without listening

● Relies on surface-level charisma

● Random guessing without process

● Stops trying when unsure, becomes disengaged

Group interviews reveal qualities that rarely appear on a resume or in a one-on-one interview.

Hiring Our Future Teammates

Ultimately, management makes the final decision, but I believe the entire office should have input.

After group interviews, I like to debrief with our staff. They often provide perspectives I missed. Student employees may also have firsthand experience with applicants that reveals strengths or concerns.

Strong hires can still struggle if they aren't aligned with the values of the organization or don't fit the current composition of the team.

I tell applicants that if they're sitting in an interview, we already believe they're capable. At that point, we're trying to identify the right puzzle piece for the culture we have today.

One additional recommendation: keep declined applicants engaged when possible.

These students invested time demonstrating commitment to your community. If opportunities exist for event photography, content creation, or project-based work, consider offering them.

Onboarding New Employees

Congratulations!! This is a really exciting moment and you should be so happy that the student you chose gets this opportunity. We first involve current staff heavily in onboarding. It reinforces their understanding of the role while providing a level of authenticity that management alone can't always deliver.

Sometimes a peer can explain a concept better than a manager ever could. After introductory topics like schedules, logins, and risk-management training, we focus on three core areas.

Why Are You Here?

Believe in your culture- when a new hire starts, I spend significant time explaining why our company exists, why our work matters, and why their role matters before focusing on how to perform the job itself. It’s important to me that they learn the ‘why’ before the ‘what’. We discuss the industry, the history of the company, our management philosophy, and memorable resident interactions. Before being hired, most students only know us as customers. These conversations help them understand why decisions are made and begin shifting their mindset from resident to team member.

This step is more important than many managers realize. Explaining why we host events, why renewal season starts when it does, and why policies exist creates buy-in that technical training alone never will. I've also noticed current employees benefit from these conversations. Revisiting the bigger picture can rekindle enthusiasm after months of focusing on daily challenges.

How to Sell Our Product

We encourage new hires to shop the market and understand competing options. From there, we conduct a SWOT analysis to put their research into context. I view our CA's as guides rather than salespeople. I want them to genuinely believe in the product, pricing, and value proposition we're presenting.

Frequently Asked Questions

We cover FAQs through shadowing. New hires spend their first few weeks observing experienced staff members work through real resident situations. Afterward, we discuss the mechanics behind those interactions and answer questions.

I'm cautious about rushing this process. Over time, new hires begin to understand both the procedures and the reasoning behind them. I often describe our approach as a "see it, do it, teach it" model. The goal is to create an environment where employees are constantly learning, practicing, and reinforcing knowledge.

Final Thoughts

I do wonder in the future, as we look to grow in scale. how we can replicate what we’ve done with two sites. A deeper understanding of the "why" behind our work has created stronger buy-in and better decision-making, but what does the process develop into in the future? As a Regional Manager in a smaller organization, I can spend hours walking new hires through the bigger picture. But that’s a luxury- as organizations grow, preserving that same authenticity becomes much more difficult.

I keep returning to student housing because I believe in the impact that great operations can have on a community. I believe that if our community of student housing professionals can continue sharing ideas and learning from one another, we'll be better equipped to develop the next generation of leaders and the communities that we all pour so much of ourselves into.