A Quick Guide to Adding an Intern to Your Team
Gone are the days of interns simply getting coffee, running copies, or picking up your dry cleaning. Now, interns are becoming increasingly integrated into company operations and projects.
However, it can be difficult to step into the shoes of an intern and figure out how to best implement a rookie in your company—or why to do it in the first place!
Thinking of adding an intern? Here’s why you should:
- Gen Z is entering the workforce and is said to be a generation characterized by their intense motivation to land dream jobs and willingness to do whatever it takes to get there, even if it means securing unpaid internships. More and more students are choosing to gain job experience as an intern during their summer breaks rather than simply obtaining restaurant or retail jobs to make money.
- Having a younger mind at your company allows you to hear feedback from a fresh, different perspective. They can offer insight from outside of your industry and challenge “the way it’s always has been.”
- When needed, you can have your top employees focus on pressing matters while having the intern handle the simple, but necessary, day-to-day tasks.
- Interns more often prioritize experience over compensation, so they won’t empty your wallet. Additionally, you won’t have to offer benefits or insurance, as you would for a full-time employee.
- Think of the internship as a “test run.” If it is successful and fruitful, you could retain the intern, thus reducing your company’s need to search for employees and begin a tedious onboarding process – the intern is already acquainted with the company and its co-workers and has proved to be a valuable asset.
- The intern gains valuable experience in a real-world job, allowing them to find their place in the workforce and confirm whether or not they made the right choice in their career aspirations.
- If they enjoy working at your company and have a positive experience, they will recommend you to their peers, increasing your brand’s popularity among young adults entering the workforce.
- Younger interns likely know social media and technology better than most and can be involved in social media management and other tech-savvy projects.
So, you decide you’ll add an intern. Here’s what to do before they arrive to ensure that the experience is successful for both parties involved:
- Inform staff members of the new employee (bonus if you provide them with the intern’s name and background!). Calling the intern by their name on the first day can make them feel welcomed and valued at the company.
- Set up a workspace for your intern. This includes a physical space, as well as a computer login, email, phone number, and any other items they will need. If these are missing, it creates more work later as the intern has to waste time searching for personnel to set up these functions. It also helps them feel more a part of the company.
- Determine what the intern’s expectations and duties will be during their time with your organization. Outline these clearly to provide to the intern and any other appropriate staff members with whom they may be collaborating.
- Establish learning goals so that the internship stays focused and on-track.
Ready for them? Here’s what to do when they arrive:
- Get the intern familiar with the company. Take them on a tour of the facility, introduce them to important staff members, and teach them the company’s mission, values, and main Many companies do a lot more than it seems at face value, so ensure that your intern is knowledgeable of all of the company functions. Let them sit in on meetings to see how the company engages internally or with clients/partners. Understanding the organization’s dynamic is crucial to ensuring their comfortability in fulfilling their tasks.
- Train the employee on the appropriate platforms or programs that they will be utilizing.
- Develop a system for checking the intern’s progress and work with the This could be in the form of a daily work summary or a weekly meeting, ensuring that the intern has an opportunity to ask questions and you can check on their progress and results.
Hiring an intern is a great way to get routine tasks done economically, provide a fresh perspective to your business, and help the next generation reach their career aspirations.
For more advice on how to deal with Gen Z, check out my article on what makes us tick.
Article written by:
Alex Schweitzer
Marketing Intern
