Before You Hire Interns
Most individuals seek internships to get their foot in the door, learn and gain first-hand, real world experience in their respective fields and industries. And yes, getting paid is a major plus too. Businesses, in turn, supplement their full-time, experienced staff with an eager team of interns ready and willing to learn, grow and lend a helping hand. It can be a valuable, rewarding opportunity and experience for both interns and businesses alike when done right.
Of course, internships aren’t always done right! I recall examples of poorly managed internships. On one occasion, I remember an intern saying they didn’t learn anything during their entire internship. This was a media intern who wanted to learn about media buying/planning. Instead of mentoring, educating, teaching and providing an invaluable experience for the intern, the department had the intern mostly filing, setting up for meetings and occasionally sitting in on conference calls without really understanding what was going on. On another occasion, I recall a senior Creative say they didn’t have time to show an intern how to create a layout properly; that it would be easier or faster to do it themselves. The intern said they weren’t given any guidance or direction on how they were supposed to do it. These were clearly missed opportunities.
Before hiring interns, create a well-thought out, structured internship program that suits your business. Designate a responsible individual or group of individuals who will oversee and manage the internship program (the point person or point people). This could include an HR Manager or Office Manager. Identify the departments within your company that will participate in the internship program. Department heads need to be involved in the program. If a department head says they “can’t be bothered with interns,” then don’t hire interns for that department. A good internship program starts at the top and if those in leadership roles won’t step up to the plate, the program will fail.
Department heads need to work with their teams to determine the internship experience for their respective areas. Each department functions differently and while the overall goal of the internship program is the same (and there should be general guidelines), how each department goes about creating the experience may vary. Again, interns are there to learn and gain experience so department heads will need to figure out what projects or assignments the interns can and will be involved in (ex: some projects or assignments may be off limits due to their sensitive nature) and which team members will work with those interns daily serving as supervisors and mentors. Yes, supervision and mentoring are crucial! An internship is not “Here you go! Figure it out and let me know when you’re done!” A key responsibility of department heads and their staff will be to teach and educate interns not simply issue tasks and assignments then send interns on their way. Again, you need staff who are willing to step up to the plate, be mentors, be educators offering a steady hand, guidance and direction.
It’s also important to have department heads involved in the intern selection process. You can’t just hire everyone and anyone who wants an internship. You’ll want to bring on candidates who are truly interested in learning about the business, gaining and honing their skills as it pertains to their area(s) of interest. Your business and staff will be investing time in mentoring these interns, so you’ll want to hire the best candidates for your internship program.
It should go without saying that interns should be treated with dignity and respect. They are members of your team. Internships are not about title and seniority but those in senior positions must step up and set a good example (aka lead by example). Like I said earlier, a good internship program starts at the top and it is up to leadership and management to step up if the internship program is to be successful. Internships are about fostering an environment focused on learning, educating, mentoring, growth & development, building skills and strength of character. If these words have no meaning in your internship program, you shouldn’t have an internship program and you certainly shouldn’t be hiring interns.
At the end of the internship, interns should feel a sense of accomplishment that they have gained knowledge and experience in the field, industry and business. Exit interviews are a good way to gauge the internship experience among interns. Allow interns a forum to speak openly about their experiences (the good & the bad, the positives & the negatives) as that feedback will help you to further improve your internship program for future interns.