2012/2013 CA Recruiting Code of Conduct (British Columbia)

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The following outlines the CA student recruiting process in BC, and describes the responsibilities of participating student candidates and member firms employing CA students. The Institute of Chartered Accountants helps ensure these guidelines are being respected by students and firms.

Hiring a CA Student

Most CA students are recruited in the fall; however, recruitment also takes place throughout the year—generally for immediate hiring needs. The guidelines for both the CA Fall Recruit and year-round hiring are outlined below.

September—October: CA Fall Recruit

In September and October firms hold networking events, accept resumes, interview, and make offers for full-time, summer, and co-op* positions starting the following year (as early as January and as late as September). The CA Fall Recruit calendar is available online at www.becomea.ca.

The deadlines for recruiting students are established with CA training offices and post-secondary institutions to ensure that all students and companies are treated fairly and equitably. The dates for accepting offers must be clearly laid out in the offer letter. The dates for 2012 are as follows:

• Applications due: September 13, 2012, 7:00AM PST
• Interview period: September 18 to October 4, 2012
• Offer period (verbal or written): **October 5, 2012, 9:00AM PST
• Deadline to accept offers: October 17, 2012, 12:00PM PST

*Please note that local Victoria firms recruiting UVic and Camosun co-op students fall outside of this catchment.
**Meetings with students during the offer period should take place at the firm’s office.

December—August: Year-Round Hiring

Firms may need to hire additional students to start immediately, and are free to accept resumes, conduct interviews, and make offers to students for jobs that will start before the next CA Fall Recruit begins.

Firms will also be in contact with prospective students through sponsored events and other networking sessions, and it is understood that firms will develop relationships with students they hope to recruit in upcoming CA Fall Recruit seasons. However, firms should not extend either written or verbal offers to students who have not been through CA Fall Recruit, which typically occurs when students are in their fourth year of undergraduate studies.

Exchange Students

Students from Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, and University of Victoria may travel outside the country on internships and exchanges during the fall semester. In these cases, applications will be taken and interviews conducted in the summer. These students will be eligible to receive offers during the CA Fall Recruit offer period. If a student plans to be on international exchange during the fall semester, they should consult their local business career center regarding these guidelines.

The exchange student dates are as follows:

• Job postings: May 22, 2012
• Deadline for applications: June 8, 2012, 5:00PM PST
• Interviews: June 12, 2012 to before the student leaves
• Offer period (verbal or written): *October 5, 2012, 9:00AM PST
• Deadline to accept offers: October 17, 2012, 12:00PM PST

*No offers, either verbal or written, are to be made to students before October 5th.

Continuing Employment

Firms can make offers for full-time, summer, or co-op positions to summer and co-op students who have already worked with them. These offers are generally given at the end of the summer or co-op term.

Firm Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Each firm must represent itself fairly and describe what it can offer to students during their articling experience.
•  Firms must not make verbal offers, or allude to an impending offer, before 9:00AM October 5th.
• During the offer period, meetings with students should take place at the firm’s office.
• Firms are not to take students out for coffee, dinner, drinks or to any other out-of-office events during the offer period, with the exception of planned offer parties or open houses.  
• Firms should not put undue pressure on students to accept an offer of employment.
• At no time should any member of a firm make or insinuate offensive remarks about another firm.
• Recruiters should not question students regarding their decision to accept or decline an offer.

Networking:

• On-campus events should be dry, and the amount of alcohol during off-campus events should be limited.

Interview:

• Contact the Career/Employment Centre well in advance to reserve the interview space, provide company literature, and discuss career center capabilities.
• Provide accurate information on job responsibilities, compensation, and benefits.
• Adhere to the CA Fall Recruit calendar timelines and notify all student candidates individually of their status.
• Give reasonable notice (min. 3 days) for any interview cancellations.
• Advise students which costs will be compensated for site or interview visits.

Job Offer:

• Honour an acceptance of a job offer as a contractual agreement with the student.
• Confirm job offers and terms of employment in writing to students, including job acceptance dates.
• Strictly adhere to the offer out deadline as outlined.

Student & Career Centre Responsibilities

Networking:

• The Campus Recruiting/HR Team is the main point of contact for students. It is not appropriate to cold call partners regarding CA Fall Recruit positions.
• Where alcohol is present, keep your consumption to a minimum to ensure a professional demeanour.
• Do not request one-on-one meetings with firms during CA Fall Recruit. If a meeting is absolutely necessary always call ahead to schedule an appointment.
• Following a recruiting event, only follow up with those individuals you met with in person. (It is not appropriate to send an e-mail to everyone at a firm.)
• It is a conflict of interest for anyone on the Campus Recruiting/HR Team at a firm to view your application prior to the submission deadline; proofreading requests should be made to career centre staff, trusted friends, and family.

Interview:

• Provide accurate and appropriate information about qualifications and interests in the application.
• Provide as much notice as possible to the Career/Employment Centre if an interview must be rescheduled or cancelled. (Interviews should not be rescheduled to accommodate requests for other firms.)
• Acknowledge second interview invitations for site visits promptly, whether they are accepted or rejected.
• Provide employers with as much notice as possible to postpone or cancel site visits or second interviews.
• Accept interview invitations (2nd and subsequent) only when seriously considering a position with the employer.
• Students who have had interviews will be notified by firms once a hiring decision has been made.

Job Offer:

• Notify firms whether accepting or rejecting an offer, as soon as a decision has been made.
• Meetings during the offer period will take place at the firm. Students are not to request to be taken for coffee, dinner, drinks, or to other events.
• Contact the HR/Campus Recruiting team to discuss offers and to verify terms.
• Respond to every offer whether accepted or rejected.
• Notify the ICABC or Career/Employment Centre if a firm fails to comply with the Recruiting Code of Conduct.
• Honour an acceptance of an offer as a contractual agreement with the firm.
• You should only attend meetings, offer parties, or events with firms you are seriously considering signing with.

Due to privacy laws, firms are not able to provide personal employment information to post-secondary Career Centres.
All hiring inquiries must be made through the students.

If you have any questions about the CA Recruiting process or the Recruiting Code of Conduct, call the Institute of Chartered Accountants at (604) 681-3264 and speak with Jennifer Weintraub or Kerri Brkich Wilcox.