Internships are a common step in students preparing for their future careers. They are particularly popular among college students looking to get their foot in the door of a certain industry. Managers must look to create a high-quality internship program that develops potential employees and supports company productivity.
Assign meaningful tasks. It can be easy for managers to overlook the value of an intern. When people hear the term internship, they often think of someone running errands or making coffee. However, if managers can assign them legitimate tasks, it will benefit both parties. “There is no need to spend your valuable [and billable] time making up assignments for interns who will be able to tell they are made up. Give them a project, or ask them to handle smaller tasks that will make your life easier,” marketing firm Deveney writes in a post on its website.
Grow future potential. Managers need to dedicate a portion of their time to interns as they hold the potential to be future employees. Maintaining a strong internship program can decrease the amount of searching managers have to do when hiring, along with getting a head start on training them. “By offering these students exposure to the company’s culture, values, and work environment, businesses can better assess their potential for long-term success within the organization. This talent acquisition approach helps companies build a pool of skilled candidates for future employment needs,” Emily Price writes in an article for American Society of Employers.
Ask for feedback. Interns can offer new ideas and a fresh perspective when starting work for a company. Not only can they identify possible areas of growth, they can also detect issues current employees and managers may overlook. It is important for managers to take advantage of feedback from interns as it can give insight as to what they can improve on. “In a true mentorship arrangement, interns work closely with their managers and can point out what the latter does well. At the same time, they can call attention to areas of their management or communication style that aren’t working out,” Ahva Sadeghi writes in an article for Forbes.
