Employers that think that once the hire has been made they can now sit back and relax may be setting themselves up for disappointment. This can be especially true when you hire interns and then leave them to their own devices.
If you want your interns to do well, you need to plan for them to do so with a top-notch internship program that provides them with the necessary resources, goals, and feedback to help them succeed.
You get out what you put in.
Create a plan, like a new hire employee handbook, specifically to outline your internship program. This will include these three components of a quality internship program:
- Orientation Materials - This can take the form of a video, reading materials, or a program where a new hire shadows an experienced worker for a short period of time. It should include a discussion of the resources necessary to do the job and the limitations on those resources (i.e. no Facebook on company time).
- Job Description/Task Outlines - A thorough description of the responsibilities of an intern down to the task level can help a new hire to figure out what’s expected of them. The intern may not have all the skills when they come in to do all the tasks, but you can then use this as a guideline for how far they’ve improved over the course of the internship.
- Feedback System - The intern should sit down with their supervisor or mentor on a regular basis to determine where they need improvements. However, don’t fail to give kudos where they are due, too. Provide a road map of potential promotions in responsibilities so they can be motivated to take the next step.
Related Read: 20 Tips To Enhance Your Company Orientation And Solidify Millennial Loyalty
Question: What other components make up a successful internship program?
Consider Ryan to be your next keynote speaker by clicking here...
This article originally appeared on FirstJob.com by Sean Little and has been republished with permission. Need help setting up a program that includes interns in your workforce? Contact FirstJob.com to get you started in this area.
