Not all internships are unpaid. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, there are six criteria that must be met when making an UNPAID determination. Be sure to review all internships for compliance with the laws. For more click here.- Not every job lends itself to being a good internship. By definition, an internship should be a learning experience. Jobs that are clerical may not make good internships and should be temporary employment instead. Conversely, make sure the position is not too advanced for the intern. The goal should be for the intern to end the internship with a good view of the company.
- Set goals for the internship. Know what you want out of the internship and what you want the intern to learn. Are you looking for assistance on a particular project? Are you looking for new ideas? Are you hoping to build the pipeline of potential new hires? Do you hope to build goodwill within the community with your internship?
- Have a written internship plan. This would include a job description, pay guidelines, who will be managing the intern, and who will be mentoring them. The plan should support your goals.
- Have a good onboarding program. For many interns, this could be their first “real” job. Be sure the onboarding program covers the basics, but also your guidelines for conduct, dress code, polices & procedures, office hours and expectations. Now is also a great time to expose the intern to all areas of the business, in addition to where they’ll be working. Exposure can be a great learning tool.
- Actively manage the intern. Because interns are new to the workforce they may require more management than your regular employees. Interns may be shy to ask for more work, guidance on a project, and may also need more direction to complete tasks correctly. Build extra time into your day to work closely with them.
- Evaluate the intern. The intern needs formal and informal feedback on their performance in order to grow and learn. Don’t wait until the end of the internship to give them feedback. The internship is an opportunity for them to grow and learn. If they don’t know where they can improve, how can they?
- Set expectations about permanent employment. Be honest about your permanent hiring plans. Give the intern a timeframe for interviews and when you expect to make decisions.
- Be invested. A good internship takes work on the employer’s part. Be invested in making this a good experience for the intern.
- Make a good impression. Interns can be great PR for your company when they go back to school. Companies should always put their best foot forward.
