Internship Programming. It doesn’t have to be complicated
“We want to hire a few interns. Now. To start this week.” This conversation comes up at large and small companies, industry stalwarts and start-ups. Especially in the springtime. Marketing lines up a few interns, R&D hears about it and wants a few, too.
Until HR says, Hold up! It's not that simple!
And it isn't... and it is...
Read on to find out how to create an internship program your organization - and your interns - can be proud of.
An Intern Isn't an NPC
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, all internships share some characteristics.
An internship:
integrates classroom knowledge with real-life work experience
provides true work experience, clear responsibilities and well-defined objectives
has direct supervision by a leader who can provide productive feedback, resources and guidance
is compensated fairly
Internships Can be Competitive - for Companies
Providing a good experience for your interns can help you down the road, when you do want to hire.
Good has different looks. Your program can be elaborate and involved, or not so much. At a company in Denver, the CEO takes the interns out climbing on the weekends. At a firm in Chicago, they bring in 200+ interns every summer. Your org can pay for housing or not, plan weekly outings or not, develop networking channels just for interns or not.
If your company is new to internships, or new to putting thought into them, keep it simple. Focus your efforts on:
TIMING - Start early. Fall is not too soon to start planning for next summer's interns.
POSTING - Limit your exposure and your efforts to targeted job boards. Job boards like Handshake will get your job postings in front of the students you want to bring on board.
TARGET SCHOOLS - Identify 1-2 schools per intern opening. Choose schools local to your organization, schools where your employees typically come from, schools your leaders have relationships with... these are your best bets.
PROCESS - Your recruiting process for interns can be contracted. Send an internal communication to source referrals from current employees. Host an informational session at each target school. Schedule onsite interviews at each target school and/or at your organization over one or two weeks.
Don't tie up your recruiting team and leaders with ongoing, random interviews. Remember, this is a short-term hire, and many of the candidates share the same skillsets.
SELECT your hires ASAP after interviews.
HOUSING - Interns care a lot about where they're going to be over the summer. They care which city they'll be in, and what housing looks like, and who's paying for it. Don't overlook this detail.
Something to Think About
First, you interview the students.
Then, these smart, talented interns spend all summer interviewing you.
