With spring approaching in a few weeks, and summer not far behind, it’s time to think about recruiting summer interns. Internships are an excellent tool to introduce younger generations into the workforce and help them learn new things and launch their careers. They are also a great way for older workers interested in changing careers to get a taste of what working in a new industry would be like.
Of course, businesses also reap many benefits from recruiting interns. Internships give businesses the chance to find new entry level talent, bring fresh ideas to the company from an outside perspective, build a positive employer brand, and increase productivity at a low cost. If you are curious about how to recruit interns for your business, here are three helpful strategies:
1) Clearly define intern roles and give them meaning
Before you begin recruiting summer interns, it’s important to have clearly defined roles for them. Sometimes internships involve one project that the intern starts and finishes in the time they are at the company. Sometimes the intern works on multiple projects in one department. Other internships allow the intern to move around to different departments and expand their skillset. Defining these roles will then help you determine which candidates will be a good fit.
Also, an important step in how to recruit interns for your business is to make sure the work the intern will be doing is meaningful and challenging. While some of their duties may be routine, such as copying or filing, most of their job should involve more complex tasks geared towards their college major and career aspirations. It’s important that the intern feel they are making an impact on the organization.
2) Turn to the best sources for recruiting interns
Just as you look for top talent when recruiting full-time employees, the same logic should be applied to recruiting interns. So, investigate the best places to advertise and find internship candidates. Some of the best recruiting avenues for finding young talent include online job boards like EmploymentAlert.com and Jobdiagnosis.com and social media networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Connect with students by attending college and high school job fairs and developing relationships with local universities and alumni groups. Also, spread the word at your company about your internship program so your employees can keep their eyes and ears open and give you referrals.
3) Have a thorough onboarding strategy
For both the intern and employer to benefit from the internship, proper onboarding must take place. Make sure your managers have been briefed on what the interns’ roles will be. An adequate amount of time should be taken to ensure the intern knows the ins and outs of the company. This can be done one-on-one, or if you are bringing on multiple interns then conduct an intern orientation session. Keep them up to date on company successes and challenges, new products in the works, partnerships taking place, etc.
Another important step in how to recruit interns for your business is to make them feel part of the company culture. Assign interns a mentor to help them get adjusted and learn who is who and where everything is at the company. Invite interns to company events and have them sit in at meetings and participate if possible.
Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
