the Ultimate Internship Guide for Employers Table of Contents Introduction 1 Internship Basics 1 The 8 Steps 4 1. Determine Your Needs 4 2. Explore Your Options 6 3. Know the Law 6 4. Develop a Compensation Plan 11 5. Create a Position Description and Work Plan 14 6. Fill the Position 15 7. Manage the Intern 18 8. Create a Clean Ending 21 Closing Remarks 21 Introduction This guide will help employers understand the advantages that internships offer employers, the challenges to look for, and an 8­step process that will help you create a successful internship program. Follow these guidelines and make the internship a positive experience for you and your interns that will keep drawing more top talent back to your business each year. Creating a Win-Win How do employers A great internship experience should be mutually beneficial for win when it comes to the employer and the intern. Internships are designed to allow students, recent graduates, or employees trying to change the internship careers to gain practical work experience and learn new skills. game? It actually This will vary a great deal depending on the intern’s area of looks like a WIN­ study, the type of work available for the intern at your business, WIN for both the and what kind of compensation the intern will receive. Internships employer and the can and should be designed to benefit both the student and the intern. employer. It all starts with purpose: why are you seeking an intern and why is the intern seeking an internship? Your answers to these questions will dictate which guidelines you will have to follow and whether you can you legally implement an unpaid intern program. This guide will help you decide if an intern program is right for your business, if your internship should be paid or unpaid, and best practices to make your intern program successful. You can create a WIN­WIN internship program. Internship Basics Let's start with some basics... Common Reasons Employers Begin Internship Programs ● Create a pipeline for new talent ● Access fresh and creative minds to contribute new ideas and challenge old ones ● Cost­effective employment ● Employers enjoy the opportunity to teach and educate ● They use interns to test new positions and processes for their business ● They do work that full­time staff haven’t been able to complete ● Groom potential future employees ● Bring in new ideas and technology 1 Types of Internships Internships exist in almost every industry and business environment, from government to non­ profit to startup to enterprise. We even see “virtual internships” gaining popularity where an intern is allowed to work from home and correspond with the employer through a variety of digital communication tools. Internships are truly diverse and highly adaptable to fit a variety of situations. Later we’ll outline what you can do to make sure you don’t get too creative with how you set up your intern program – and stay out of the “hot water” of internship compliance. In general, internships fall into these 4 main categories: 1. Paid ­ Most internships found in the private and other business sectors fall into this category. These internships create an opportunity Paid for interns to learn while they “work” and get paid for it. 2. Unpaid ­ These offer no form of compensation. These are most commonly found in the not­for­profit organization sector. 3. For Credit ­ These internships allow students to earn credits that Unpaid count as academic coursework. This type must be strongly related to the student’s area of study and be approved by the university/academic department. This usually involves forms of documentation throughout For credit the internship term. Requirements of educational journals, essays, presentations, and midterm/final evaluations are all common requirements for this kind of internship. 4. Not for Credit ­ Students do not earn university credit for the Not For internship. Typically, to be included and listed in most universities as an internship opportunity for their students you will need to complete Credit proper forms and get pre­approval to post in their databases. The Length of Internships Internships are most often adjusted according to academic schedules. Spring, summer, fall and winter are typically attached to the term of internship to indicate the academic season of the internship. They usually last for 3­4 months, just long enough for the intern to handle a few projects. Some extend beyond these typical time frames into year­long learning processes. Employers can also choose to keep interns on for multiple terms if it is going well, in hopes of continuing to groom them for full­time employment and recruiting. There are both part­time and full­time work schedules, but most are 15­20 hours a week. Summer internships are more often closer to full time. 2 Why Employers Love Internships Interns are a great option for employers for many reasons. Talented and hardworking interns have a great impact on a business – high quality work for a much lower wage than full­time employees. Internships can be used as a great recruiting tool to create brand awareness among colleges and universities in your area to keep attracting top talent. Internships can be seen as the ultimate extended interview, a key hiring tactic, a chance to preview work ethic, personality fit, skills, etc. Why Interns Love Internships Interns love internships because they gain valuable work experience, build their resume, learn new skills, and have the opportunity to get paid or earn college credit. Interns know that internships make you a more valuable candidate for future hiring opportunities. Internships also allow a foot in the door of a business where the student is interested in working. There is no better way to gain valuable work experience that is needed to break into entry­level positions in many industries. They provide networking opportunities that students wouldn't have otherwise. They get to benefit from mentors, attend events, and have the opportunity to learn through experience which is the best kind of learning. What Interns are Really Looking For: ● Pay ­ The number one most attractive thing for interns – getting paid ● Opportunities that align with their chosen major ● Close supervision with guidance and feedback ● Real responsibilities ­ Having meaningful projects that affect the business not just “gofer” tasks, but an opportunity to actually learn ● Enjoyment ­ They want to be involved with a business that they actually click with and enjoy the work. They want to be thinking about creative ideas concerning the work they're doing even while at home and while talking with family and friends about the work they’re doing. If working at your company gives them bragging rights, this is a huge benefit. ● Learning new skills ­ Will it be challenging for them? Internships provide a great opportunity for interns to stretch themselves and try something they have never tried before. They want to learn how to use a new tool, learn something about business they didn’t know, develop themselves professionally, and gain new knowledge about the industry. ● Mentors – They like to absorb wisdom, gain expertise, have co­workers who genuinely care about them and their learning experience, etc. ● Respect – Yes, they may be a little “green” and they know that, but that doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer. They only ask for the opportunity to contribute ideas; they don’t demand that you use the ideas but they do like to be heard. ● Perks ­ For most broke students, “the little things” can make a big difference in whether an intern loves their internship. Small perks can go a long way. These perks could be attending events and workshops, meals, trips, etc. 3 8 Steps For Creating a Successful Internship Program Here's an 8­step guide to creating or re­evaluating your internship program... 8 If you’ve considered whether creating an intern position is right for your organization and have decided that it is a worthwhile endeavor, follow these steps to create the position and intern description. 1. Determine Your Needs And Fit The very first step you should take is considering why/if you need an intern. An internship program without a clear purpose from the beginning will be headed for trouble. If your company has clear goals and a defined purpose it will allow you to more successfully define the work, and define qualified interns. It will also define what a job well done looks like and expected outcomes for your business and the intern. If your internship program’s purpose is to create a recruiting funnel and groom potential new hires, it will look much different than a program designed as an educational environment that provides credit for coursework at a university. Consider these common needs and goals for employers and identify which applies to you: ● Creating a recruitment funnel by testing and grooming potential employees on a regular basis. ● Fill in a gap ­ You have projects that need to be done and you think an intern could handle them at a great price. ● Brand Insight ­ Your business will benefit from feedback and ideas from a more youthful employee that could provide you a fresh and valuable insight into your brand. ● You want to add more culture and community to your business by inviting interns into the company culture mix who bring new energy, perspective and community. ● A mixture of any of the above reasons. Take a moment and note one thing: “free labor” did not make the list. Your intern position should be strictly focused on creating an educational environment where the student will not perform work that will only benefit your for­profit company; otherwise, you need to re­examine your purpose for hiring an intern.