Internships are a long-term investment, not a limited-term engagement. To that end, creating an internship program takes time and care. The following are some of the benefits of internships for organizations and individuals and key considerations for starting and running a program.
Benefits for the Organization
Internships provide the chance for organizations to connect with undiscovered talent. You can play an important role in training the next brilliant professional in a field such as technology, finance, or human resources. The internship period allows you a chance to determine if the individual has the knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as the potential, to be a good fit for your organization. If there is an open position after the internship ends, your familiarity with the intern and theirs with the organization could make for a smooth transition into the job.
Here are some additional benefits for organizations:
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Productivity boost: Interns can help get projects off the ground you have not had time for. Start simple and add responsibilities as they show ability.
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A fresh approach: Interns can often bring opportunities to light that have not been considered or had time to be developed.
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Mentorship opportunities: Current employees can be offered a chance to step up their responsibilities, apply their leadership and management skills, learn to delegate, assess performance, and provide feedback and guidance. It is a two-way opportunity; the mentors can also learn from the mentee.
As mentioned earlier, an internship can help an individual break into their career, potentially with a full-time job at your organization or another company. Further advantages for interns include the following:
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An internship can help bridge the gap between theory and practical experience.
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Interns can gain insight into an industry or discipline and build additional relevant skills.
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The intern gets a chance to start building a professional network.
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They can identify areas of interest or discover those that are not as appealing.
Of course, you will need to decide whether the internship will be paid or unpaid and, if paid, what the compensation package will look like. You also must keep legal considerations in mind, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), minimum wage laws, and workers’ compensation.
Before getting too deep into crafting the program, you should also review and consider your needs, resources, and budget. Ask yourself the following:
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How many and how often can you accommodate interns?
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What work is available?
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Where will the intern(s) work, and who will supervise them? Are they going to rotate through departments?
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Are you looking for new graduates or students still in school? Should they be in college or high school or either?
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How long will the internship last?
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What are the learning opportunities and goals?
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What are the ideal qualities of an intern?
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Who will coordinate the program and/or serve as the main contact?
Employees need to be in the loop and understand the benefits and goals of an internship program. Reach out and ask who is willing to be a mentor. Your employees’ knowledge-sharing is critical to the success of the program and the intern.
It’s important to define the intern’s responsibilities before you start the recruiting process. What are you going to have them do? You do not want to just give them “grunt” work; they are there to learn and develop marketable skills, so let them shine. It’s also vital to define the responsibilities of the staff involved, including supervisors, mentors, and coworkers.
The following are some additional steps to take as you craft the program:
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Define and develop a progress-tracking mechanism for the intern.
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Determine how often you want to provide feedback to the intern. Is there a schedule you intend to follow?
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Develop the questions you would like to ask each intern upon their exit from the program. Will the intern present anything about their experience?
Remember to document the program before you start recruiting interns.
As you would for any other position, write a full job description, detailing responsibilities, qualifications, and the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities. Make sure the job posting is accurate and interesting. You will need to decide if a cover letter is required and if prospective interns will need to supply other items, such as a portfolio, or make a presentation.
Get the news about the program and position(s) out as early as possible. Here are some potential ways to share news of the internship opportunity:
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Job boards
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Career centers at universities/colleges
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College/university departments/faculty (post on bulletin boards, send emails, etc.)
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High schools (work through the proper district personnel)
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Identify schools that have educational programs that support your line of business. Engage with the schools to identify students to take part in a paid/unpaid internship where the students can learn and grow.
When evaluating internship candidates, be as selective as you would be when hiring any employee. Assess their interpersonal skills, enthusiasm, interest in the field, and their level of motivation. Once you have made your selection, send the intern(s) a welcome email. Provide an announcement email to staff welcoming the new intern(s). Reiterate the expectation of participation to staff for the success of the program.
Be prepared for your intern and ensure they are prepared for their first day. What does the intern need to bring day one? What documents are they expected to complete and by when? What training are they going to need?
One of the most important things you can do is to be available for your intern. Regardless of how much preparation you do, they will likely have plenty of questions. To that end, all employees should be prepared to answer an intern’s questions.
Before the intern’s first day, it’s critical to ensure they will have the necessary tools to perform their duties. That may include, for example, an email address, a computer, and computer software.
The following are some actions to take during the intern’s first day:
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Make introductions. It is not necessary to meet every employee they will cross paths with on the first day; ease them in as appropriate.
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Collect the proper paperwork and direct the intern to where they can find policies and procedures.
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Explain where the intern can find things, such as the breakroom and office supplies.
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Show them around the facility/office, even if they are working remotely or on a hybrid schedule.
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Explain their duties/responsibilities.
You will also want to work with the manager/supervisor to set expectations about hours, proper dress, virtual meeting etiquette, and educating the intern about other policies and procedures.
During the initial days of the program, consider setting the intern up with small, independent projects to work on. Make sure to provide plenty of learning opportunities, which are essential. To help them learn more about the organization, you might have them shadow a senior executive for a day. Maybe plan for them to sit in on meetings and/or attend training sessions, workshops, and conferences with staff members. And, as mentioned earlier, ensure the intern’s manager is prepared to spend time with them to answer questions.
Asking about the intern’s experiences during the program gives you an idea if it is working. Be open to their feedback – it may not all be positive – to learn and improve the program. The following are examples of questions to ask:
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Did they have opportunities to learn?
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Which responsibilities/projects were most helpful?
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Did they feel challenged?
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Was staff willing and helpful?
If you decide to have the intern give a presentation about their experience, you’ll need to determine who should attend, what the intern should present, and how much time they have.
Here are a few additional considerations:
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Provide the intern with feedback about strengths and opportunities, development, and tackling the next stage of their career.
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Do you want to give them a parting gift? (e.g., logo items like T-shirts, sweatshirts, backpacks, flash-drives, water bottles, etc.)
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Gather feedback from staff. Ask employees about the positive or negative impact the internship program and/or the intern had on their workloads.
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Incorporate the appropriate changes from the feedback to ensure the program improves the next time.
Employers Council’s Unpaid Interns whitepaper has information on internships and the additional care/consideration needed for unpaid vs. paid internships.
These Employers Council articles supply more information to help you when creating your internship program:
If you have any questions about setting up an internship program, please email the Employers Council Member Experience Team.
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