5 Reasons to hire an intern

Here are five reasons to hire an intern:

• Fresh perspectives: Interns can introduce fresh knowledge of tools, platforms, frameworks or workflows your team might not be familiar with. Their perspective can help you identify gaps in efficiency and support your team in experimenting with new ideas and processes.  
• Extra help: As they become familiar with your workflows and operations, interns may help your business complete tasks faster. 
• Hiring pipeline: If you plan to hire permanent employees soon, an intern could be a potential candidate. The internship gives you a trial period with the intern, which can help you decide whether to make a permanent job offer.
• Develop and benefit from a mentorship program: Having interns gives existing staff a chance to supervise, delegate, provide feedback and oversee project timelines. These experiences help you spot leadership potential and develop interpersonal skills needed for future management roles. 
• Strengthen your employer brand: A positive internship program can generate goodwill and help position your company as a desirable place to work. 

What to prepare for

Hiring an intern can benefit your company. These steps will help you prepare for and support the role:

• Consider compensation: Depending on your company, you might choose to offer college credit, monthly stipends or an hourly wage for your internship position. 
• Foster commitment: To encourage interns to invest in their work, connect their short-term projects to your company’s long-term goals.
• Plan for training: A successful internship includes dedicated training time. Schedule time for your employees to mentor new interns, which builds a strong foundation for everyone’s productivity. 

Where to begin with hiring an intern

Before hiring an intern, create a plan that aligns with your business goals while also supporting the individual’s career plans. A good program provides a structured introduction to your operation, starting with simple tasks and adding complexity as the intern learns. The following steps can help you design an internship process.

1. Why are you offering an internship program?

Start by making a list of benefits or goals you’d like to achieve from an internship program. For example, you might want to use internships as a recruitment tool, a method for training future leaders or a way to connect with schools and businesses. Consider the benefits an intern’s productivity will bring to your organization, such as increasing market reach or building brand awareness.

You may also want to make a list of the benefits the program should bring to the intern, such as skill development. 

Use the list of ideal outcomes for you and them to design your program. 

2. Plan out your internship program

Details to include in your internship plan include:

• Length of the internship, such as six months
• Departments where you might hire an intern, such as a marketing intern
• Number of interns you’ll have at one time
• Projects and tasks the intern will handle
• The screening process for hiring interns
• Salary and perks for interns if you’re offering a paid internship

3. Know what you want from an intern candidate

Knowing what you want in an intern helps you recruit and interview candidates. Most interns won’t have industry-specific job experience, so you may consider skills and qualifications such as:

• Soft skills, such as communication and teamwork
• Relevant hard skills, such as basic accounting and math skills for an accounting intern
• Research experience
• References from professors or past employers

4. Set up a way to give and receive feedback

Consider ways you’ll evaluate interns’ work performance and productivity. You might schedule regular one-on-ones, give simple written reviews and provide weekly opportunities for them to give feedback. 

You might use exit interviews to hear their opinion of the overall experience and talk about future opportunities.

5. Set up the interview process for hiring

Think about how you want to manage the hiring process for interns. For example, you might want to conduct phone screenings to ask interview questions or hold behavioral interviews, similar to the ones you use for hiring regular employees. During interviews, ask candidates about their goals.

You can also implement an onboarding method so they know who to report to, how to perform tasks, how to ask for help and what to do when they need more work. 

6. Develop a training program

Be sure to create a training program that gives interns relevant, valuable skills they can use in future jobs. Mentorship and practical training are the best ways to help interns learn new skills, so make sure the intern‘s supervisor is prepared and briefed. 

If your intern is a student, inviting their instructors to visit or give feedback can build a stronger relationship with their school.

7. Adhere to labor laws regarding internships

Finally, make sure you follow all laws surrounding internships and offering work to interns. Do research into local guidelines so you can comply with the relevant internship regulations. 

Internship Program Budgeting

Start by identifying all the costs associated with your internship, including recruiting, onboarding, perks and training. If you’re eligible to provide unpaid internships, make sure your program remains compliant with the law.

Tips for recruiting an intern

Interns come from a range of backgrounds, including graduates, career changers, vocational learners and people coming back to the workplace after an absence. A few targeted outreach strategies can help you connect with candidates:

Reach out to local:

• Schools and colleges
• Workforce development programs 
• Technical or vocational training providers
• Nonprofits that support job seekers

Use social media

Talk about your internship program on all your social media pages. You might give current interns a chance to share their experience in a video. Alternatively, a day-in-the-life post about your interns can encourage new candidates to apply.

Since your followers are already connected with your business, they might recommend your internship to people they know.

Post online advertisements

When you’re ready to hire an intern, post an ad on Indeed as you would with full-time positions. This can help you reach potential interns across the country who are willing to relocate. Include keywords that let job seekers know the position is an internship.

Start a referral program

Once your internship program has started, ask your current employees for referrals. Include a prize, reward or bonus in your referral program to encourage more recommendations. 

Best practices and things to avoid

The following best practices can help you create a program that supports both your business and the intern’s career:

• Assign tasks that are relevant to the intern’s career goals
• Set objectives that help interns learn essential skills and techniques that can lead them to successful careers
• Offer regular development training for interns to explain your brand and their role within your organization
• Provide consistent, effective feedback to help interns progress meaningfully
• Mentor interns by creating professional development plans with clear goals and KPIs to help them build industry knowledge and learn skills

Tips for creating a positive internship experience include:

• Assign a manageable number of tasks so they don’t feel overwhelmed
• Provide clear responsibilities and timelines 
• Offer guidance rather than assume they can manage themselves
• Ensure the experience is meaningful by assigning tasks that are directly relevant to their goals
• Set reasonable expectations to keep them appropriately challenged and motivated