Using a trauma-informed framework, we will explore ways to help student workers develop empathy and self-awareness and build a workplace culture of collaboration and inclusion.
What can you do when a student employee is offended by something a co-worker said at the circulation desk? What policies can mitigate the problem of excessive profanity in public services? These questions may seem simple to solve - say “stop it,” and move on - but these issues portend a more complicated problem. Student employees may have had no prior work experience and when problems in workplace culture arise, it offers an opportunity for teaching emotional intelligence skills that will help them in future professional settings. The session will use Rebecca Tolley’s Six Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Approaches - safety, transparency, peer support, collaboration, empowerment and culture - to frame a discussion of intentional learning experiences for student employees that can lead to retention, academic success and self-discovery.
In this workshop, we will brainstorm ways to:
- Use a trauma-informed approach to build a safe, collaborative workplace environment
- Integrate emotional intelligence skills training into a student employment program
- Give feedback to students that results in better performance and concrete action steps
Reference and Instruction Librarian, CT State Three Rivers
I am a librarian at Connecticut State Community College Three Rivers. My responsibilities include teaching, research assistance, marketing and supervising seven Student Library Assistants.
The essential activity of recruiting and hiring can be fraught with high levels of stress, anxiety, impersonal formality, and the possibility that anyone involved may dread the unfeeling cold of distant scrutiny and fierce competition. While multiple factors can contribute to discomfort and disconnection, the presenters advocate for an approach that eschews even an accidental running of the gauntlet in favor of interview experiences that intentionally center the whole person. The whole-person approach to hiring both embraces the logistical and legal requirements overseen by Human Resources and incorporates person-centered strategies and when applied across each element in recruitment and hiring, help reduce unnecessary fear or intimidation. By personalizing experiences and applying thoughtful consideration to the holistic experience of each candidate, an organization can invest in their ability to bring their best self to each interaction. This has the potential to make way for a clearer understanding of the expertise, experience, and vision that an individual offers to an organization, and in return, convey what the workplace community offers to prospective colleagues. The presenters—who have served as hiring managers, search committee chairs, and search committee members for a variety of faculty librarian roles— will share why they’ve moved to this approach and what they have learned in three years of refining their whole-person practice. Attendees will receive a foundational understanding of the whole-person approach, including benefits, challenges, and specific, practical strategies for incorporating this philosophy into any hiring opportunity.
