For this relationship to succeed – for both your firm and your intern - there are some basic rules you should follow. Here’s our guide to getting the most from your summer intern:
Be clear from the start
Recently, there have been several legal cases brought against employers by former interns who are unhappy with their treatment. To avoid this type of problem, you must ensure each side is 100% clear on what is expected from the intern and how they will be recompensed.
If you’re paying your intern, it must be clear how much. If it’s a voluntary placement then you should be in agreement on what expenses – food, travel etc. – will be paid. A detailed and thorough contract – read, signed and understood by both sides – that explains all this can save a lot of hassle later on.
Educate your intern
You must recognise this is a two-way relationship. Your intern isn’t there just to help your business, you also need to help them and educate them about your sector. That means providing them with relevant, hands-on training – rather than just leaving them to make the tea and answer the phone. You’ll reap rewards through this approach because your intern will be motivated and happy to help, aware they’re getting an invaluable insight into their chosen field.
Utilise your intern’s talents
The vast majority of interns are talented and eager, so try and make the best use of them by recognising their key skills and capitalising on these. If they’re a digital expert, for example, they could take on tricky computer tasks or other technical tasks.
Support your intern
Your intern – no matter how capable and keen – needs support, as he or she is relatively new to the world of work. Effective management and supervision will make your intern more productive and help them develop quicker, so it’s good practice to assign an experienced employee to act as a mentor throughout their time with you.
Keep in touch
It’s wise to keep your future recruitment needs in mind when hiring student interns. When they graduate, many interns return to the firm that gave them the internship. They bring back with them all the education and training they received during the internship. This means you have an experienced and knowledgeable member of staff who can hit the ground running and needs minimal training and support. A major saving for you.
So, don’t just say goodbye and forget about your intern at the end of the placement - it’s wise to keep in touch and let them know about suitable vacancies in your company.