How To Get the Best out of Your Interns:
The first step to success in anything is to define the problem and decide what the solution would be if it were perfect. Interns tend to live in a gray area where they aren’t quite employees but they’re also more than someone who is just shadowing for a day or two. Before you bring on an intern it should be clear what they are going to be doing within the organization and deciding what success looks like. Does a successful internship always end in a job offer, or is it strictly a learning experience? Do you want an intern to go get coffee and copies, or be a more involved member of the team? If you aren’t getting the best out of your intern is it worth saying something or because they are only going to be with you for a limited amount of time is it better to just not say anything at all?
If you supervise interns or you own a company that utilizes interns you need to have a structure in place, define success, and decide what to do when expectations are not met. This is good advice for anyone who has employees but tends to fall by the wayside when it comes to interns due to the limited time they are typically with a company. A successful internship gives the company something it needs, and that can change from company to company but for the most part an intern gets to add value to the team, they get to support their direct supervisor and they get to learn about the industry and company they may see a future in. For the company they get someone who is typically eager to help in any way possible, they get fresh eyes and ideas, they get someone who will be with the company for a set period of time who may be more willing to express crazier ideas, and the leaders of that company get a chance to directly supervise someone when they may not typically have a direct report.
Once success is defined, what happens when those expectations are communicated but not met? How do we go about telling an intern they aren’t doing a good job or that this industry may not be for them? Is it worth even saying? Something I see leaders struggle with is holding their interns or employees accountable and sometimes it’s because they aren’t giving their interns or employees the tools they need to be successful and sometimes it’s because they simply don’t know how to have the conversation. If you are not giving your interns the tools they need to succeed then there needs to be some process re-evaluation. If you are giving them the tools and expectations they need to succeed, I’ll tell you a secret: good interns want to be held accountable. Good interns want feedback, are they doing a good job, a bad job, where are they really excelling and where could they use some work? I was terrified of writing up an employee once, but I did and the employee thanked me!
Although your interns' success or lack thereof might not directly affect your company it may affect the industry if they decide to stay in it and it will definitely affect their next employer. Being an employer is a little like being a parent, it can be hard to discipline employees or interns but it will make them better and it is your responsibility to help them grow. These conversations are best had openly and honestly, and typically if you ask your intern how they think they’re doing they will probably validate exactly what you were going to say. These don’t have to be strictly disciplinary conversations, they can sound like “It seems like you might be struggling with this, here’s how I think we can help each other get where we need to go.” Then you can redefine success for their position, or you can recommend an industry or company where they might excel. Does this intern struggle wearing many different hats? Then a large corporation might be for them. Does this intern struggle with adhering to a schedule? Then they may want to look at doing freelance work. It is your responsibility as an employer to open up these conversations, and it is your responsibility as an intern to be receptive to feedback.
How do we get the best out of our interns? We have a structure in place for our interns, we define success for them, and we hold them accountable. This will allow companies to get value from their interns and it will allow for interns to get value out of the internship that goes beyond job experience. If you aren’t sure if your intern program is efficient and resulting in the best work product, The Gap Year MSP offers consultation calls to walk through your program to determine how to maximize your company’s efforts. Shoot us an email, maxine@thegapyearmsp.com or use the contact form on our website to get a hold of us!
