Key Takeaways

• An internship program provides valuable experience for students and businesses.
• Define clear goals, roles and learning opportunities for interns.
• Ensure compliance with labor laws regarding intern compensation.
• Provide mentors to guide interns and foster professional growth.
• Use feedback from interns to improve the program.

One of the challenges of building a successful business is finding the right people to support your vision. Creating internship programs can benefit your brand, your team and the interns who gain valuable real-world experience.

Keep reading to learn how to start an internship program and the benefits of welcoming an intern into your company.

Creating an internship program

Developing an internship program can attract candidates from various backgrounds, including students, career changers, returning professionals and individuals from different educational paths. Here’s how to get started.

1. Determine the scope of the program

Get a sense of how an internship program fits into your business structure by considering your needs, resources and budget. Consider the following questions:

• How many interns can you accommodate and how often?
• Where will they work and who will supervise them?
• What work is available?
• How much will they be compensated?
• How long will the internships last?

2. Designate an employee to oversee internships

An internship coordinator typically oversees all aspects of the program, including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, supervising and evaluating performance.

3. Get staff support

Explain to your employees the benefits of the internship program and what you hope to achieve. The intern may be more likely to experience a cohesive, welcoming atmosphere and get support from all levels.

4. Start shaping the program

You may formally document the internship program details before recruiting interns.

When creating an internship program, consider:

• Goals and opportunities for learning
• An ideal candidate’s qualities
• Responsibilities of the intern and their designated mentor/supervisor
• Probation periods
• How to track the intern’s progress
• Meeting frequency with the intern to provide feedback
• Questions for the exit interview

5. Assign duties to the intern

An internship aims to help an intern develop marketable skills they can add to their resume. Consider including meaningful and challenging tasks that will help them learn and grow while still providing value to the company.

6. Create an intern plan and job description

Write a plan that includes basic details such as dates of the internship, compensation and hours required.

Then, write a job description that specifies the scope of the role. Outline the intern’s responsibilities, such as assisting staff with their duties or helping on special projects and the expected skills. If you plan on placing interns in several departments, customize each job description to reflect different duties.

Provide an overview of the application process and clarify whether applicants should submit a cover letter, resume or additional information.

7. Prepare to implement the program

Before announcing the internship, consider how you’ll run the program.

• What is the recruitment and hiring process? Decide how to contact candidates and what’s involved at the interview stage.
• What information does the intern need during onboarding? Make a list of documents, handbooks and resources and consider which employees need to be involved on the intern’s first day.
• Are there specific training requirements? If the intern’s role involves using software or an established set of processes, set aside training time.

How to implement an internship program

Carefully plan which departments and roles can benefit most from an intern’s assistance. Once you’ve completed your intern plan, you can start hiring.

1. Distribute information about your program

Begin recruiting several months before the internship’s start date to give yourself time to choose a quality candidate.

• Post the internship on job boards.
• Announce the intern role on social media and ask relevant industry contacts to share the post.
• Send information to career centers at local colleges and universities.
• Ask departments or faculty to distribute information to students or post it on their bulletin boards.
• Add the job posting to your company website.

2. Conduct interviews and select candidates

Even though interns are typically with your company temporarily, it’s still important to hire the right person.

Once you’ve shortlisted candidates, schedule interviews. Ask questions that focus on culture add, skills, long-term plans and enthusiasm.

When the candidate accepts the offer, send a welcome email to confirm the internship and detail the next steps. Consider sending an email announcement to inform staff of the internship’s start date.

3. Arrange onboarding and orientation

The first few days of the internship should be dedicated to onboarding. You may schedule time for the following:

• Completing paperwork with human resources (HR)
• Going over company policies and procedures
• Introducing their mentor and other staff
• Setting up email, accounts and passwords
• Educating about the organization, products and services
• Reviewing duties and job responsibilities
• Touring the office and facilities
• Training on software and programs

Take time to cover important information that may not be included in the job description, such as kitchen use, where to eat lunch or find office supplies and who to inform when they take a break.

4. Provide opportunities to learn

Some learning opportunities to consider giving interns include:

• Rotating through departments to get the big picture
• Shadowing senior executives for a day
• Shadowing meetings
• Participating in training programs, workshops and conferences
• Spending time with managers to ask questions
• Taking on small projects independently

5. Meet with your intern regularly

The intern’s supervisor should provide a weekly report on their duties and accomplishments to ensure they’re meeting their goals. It’s also an excellent opportunity to assess workload and provide constructive feedback.

6. Conduct an exit interview

Before the internship ends, ask the intern to provide feedback about their experiences so you can assess how the program is working. Use constructive criticism to improve future internships.

• Which responsibilities and projects were most helpful?
• Did they feel challenged?
• What are they taking away from the program?
• How would they improve the program?

You can also offer feedback about their strengths, areas of improvement and ways to develop additional skills or enter the next stage of their career.

What’s an internship?

Internships let students, new graduates or candidates new to their field gain work experience in a professional setting. Placements occur for a set period with an understanding between the employer and intern that permanent employment isn’t guaranteed.

However, around 57% of interns receive a job offer from the company they’re placed with, according to a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Retention rates for employees who served as interns are higher than regular employees at the one- and five-year marks. Those who completed an internship with the same business are even more likely to stay.

Developing an intern program and working closely with them can help you hire employees who grow with your company.

How internships can benefit a business

Creating an effective internship program can benefit companies of all sizes, from start-ups to well-established businesses. Let’s look at the potential benefits of an internship program.

Connect with undiscovered talent

Interns are typically eager to hone their skills and motivated to learn. A well-designed internship program may tap into their enthusiasm, potentially leading to a long career with your business.

Pave the way for potential new employees

The internship period is an excellent opportunity to see if the intern’s skills and abilities add to your company’s needs. The intern learns how your business operates and you can evaluate their potential.

Boost productivity

Assign interns new projects or have them shadow an employee with a heavy workload. Start with simple tasks and add other responsibilities as the intern learns and grows into the role.

Benefit from fresh approaches

Interns may have up-to-date knowledge from school or previous roles and might provide ideas for improving internal processes. Consider asking what they think works well and whether you can make improvements. Even if they’re new to the role, someone with a fresh viewpoint may spot opportunities you haven’t considered.

Give current employees a chance to be mentors

Internship programs can benefit employees who are ready to demonstrate their leadership abilities. As mentors, they may apply management skills and learn to delegate, assess performance and offer guidance and feedback.