Welcome to Handshake! Below, you will find carefully curated steps designed to ensure a seamless onboarding experience.
Set yourself up for success with Handshake by following the checklist below in the order displayed.
Create a user account
To access Handshake, a user account is required.
- If you have received an invitation from a school or colleague, you can create an account by clicking the link provided in the invitation email.
- If you haven't received an invitation, you can register at https://app.joinhandshake.com/employer_registrations/new.
Request to join your existing company profile on Handshake, or create a new one
After confirming your email, you’ll be prompted to search for your company on Handshake. You can either:
- Request to join your company’s existing profile, or
- Create a new company profile if your company is not already on Handshake.
If your company is already on Handshake, it will appear as an option to select. If it does not appear, you will have the opportunity to create a new profile. Learn How to Create a New Company Profile.
Tips:
- Use your corporate email address if you have one. This will not only ensure that your company profile displays as an option to connect with if the company is on Handshake, but it can expedite the approval process.
- Request to join your company rather than a school you want to recruit from. On-campus employers are the exception to this rule. Example: if you want to recruit from Stanford, don't select Stanford as your company. Instead, choose to post a job to Stanford once you have access to your account and can select schools to post your job to.
Validate your employer account, or connect with your existing company profile
Employers who create a new company profile must complete identity and company verification through Persona, followed by a manual review conducted by our Trust and Safety team. Learn more about our Employer Validation.
Users joining an existing company profile will either be connected automatically or placed in a pending state until approved by the profile owner. This approval process depends on the company's profile settings in Handshake.
Customize your profile
Once your new employer account is validated, or you connect with your existing company profile, you can customize your user profile.
A well-crafted user and company profile plays a vital role in shaping your brand and building rapport and trust with our students and school partners. Put your best foot forward with a complete user and company profile.
- Configure your Employer Account User Settings
- Learn How to Edit Your Company Profile Settings
- Discover how to Create a High Quality Employer Profile
Set notification preferences
While there are default notification settings enabled, you may customize how and when you receive communication from Handshake. Review your Default Notification Preferences (Employers).
Connect with schools
To connect with schools and begin recruiting activities, you can:
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Post a job to the schools you'd like to recruit from.
- Learn How to Post a Job.
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Request to join their network if you don't have a job to post yet.
- To request approval, refer to School Network Management: Requesting, Adding, and Removing Schools.
Build your recruiting skills
Handshake Employer Academy arms you with the latest strategies and tools to achieve your recruitment goals, while also offering the opportunity to earn professional development credits.
To access Handshake Employer Academy, click on your name in the upper-right corner of any page in Handshake, then click Training from the dropdown.
Premium partners (additional resources)
When onboarding to Handshake, Premium partners may follow our Premium Employer Implementation Guide.
Premium partners also have access to additional features through Handshake. Examples include:
For more information, please check out this resource.
Platform demos and additional resources:
Live demos are reserved for employers interested in exploring our Premium offering. For all other employers, we offer a variety of self-service resources to help you get started and make the most of Handshake:
- Getting Started With Handshake: Learn how to create and optimize your account, access key features, manage settings, and more.
- Handshake Blog: Explore insightful articles, expert tips, and best practices curated to optimize your recruiting experience.
- Resource Library: Access exclusive webinars featuring employers, students, and Handshake experts.
- Access (Annual Event): Discover our flagship event for early career education and recruiting.