
Thinking About That Internship Program?
Jim joined Susan and Stacy at the Project Management Café just as Susan was saying, “… so they are thinking of starting an intern program.”
Stacy responded, “That can be a great way to develop staff, and it gives some students quality real world experience, and …”
Jim interrupted, “… and they work for free!”
Stacy admonished him, “Whoa there, before you think you’ve found a free labor pool, you’d better talk to HR. You need to know the laws before you find yourself in trouble. Besides, think about it, what kind of work do you expect to get from a highly skilled intern that isn’t paid?”
Jim replied, “If it were me, that would get very old, very fast. Before long, I’d be just putting in time.”
Just as Bob joined the group, Susan asked, “Well, nobody at my office is talking about unpaid interns, but we are asking ourselves how to build the program.”
Stacy said, “We hired one intern to start with, not free, but not highly paid to be sure. She worked during the breaks. We’ve hired some that were able to work during the semester as well. Actually, we’ve come to rely on the extra staff during the summer break.”
“Don’t expect much at first,” Stacy added, “They are not seasoned employees after all. If they start during a one or two week break, give them a light task that they can complete in that time. Let them get to know you, then give them something more challenging during the longer breaks.”
Bob jumped in, “When somebody works out really well, ask them to recommend others.”
Susan, thinking out loud, “So, you’ve got this inexperienced talent coming and going, working part time, sounds like a pain for management.”
Stacy answered, “True, you must respect their schedules. Remember, you are the second job, their day job is working toward their degree. You’ve got to respect that. If they are working part-time during the semester, expect to give them time off during mid-terms and finals. And, when they are working over their vacation, they might want some time for family as well. On the other hand, if you treat them with respect, they can become a valuable employee.”
Susan answered, “That’s what we found so attractive about the idea. We like that we can really get to know the individual before deciding whether or not to make a long term offer.”
Stacy added, “Reach out to any contacts you have at the local colleges and universities. Find contact information on their web sites. Once you have it in place, a good intern program is a great way to supplement your team.”
As they were getting ready to leave Susan said, “Well, it sounds like, with a bit of work and some understanding, we could build a good intern program. One that helps with staffing without the normal interview, hire, and hope, process.”
On the way out, Stacy replied, “You can not entirely replace the traditional interview process, especially for positions that require experience. But, for the entry level positions, an internship program can provide a very good return for the time invested.”