Do you work with interns? Does your organization has an internship program? A few of the organizations and many of the managers are not inclined towards this program and having intern candidates in their team as they feel that interns do not provide value. They feel that the time spent to train them is not worth their time and effort. They do not see this as a WIN-WIN opportunity.

I have worked with a lot of interns through out my career and I always saw this as a great opportunity for them as well as for the rest of the team.

If we plan ahead and guide them well, they can be a great asset to any team.

What do Interns offer?

–          Great enthusiasm

–          Willingness to work hard and learn more

–          Eager to step up and contribute

–          Learning mindset

What do Interns need?

–          Specific direction

–          Simple and meaningful tasks

–          Clarity on what they are doing and why – They like to see the bigger picture and how their words fits in to the overall product/project.

How can Interns help you?

–          They can help ease some of your workload – you can delegate some of the simple tasks for them so that you can more time to focus on critical and strategic things.

–          They can help you analyze a problem

–          They can research on the internet and come up with various options for your problems.

What do you need to know when you hire interns?

We know that interns do not have a lot of experience as they come in. So, how can you decide if the candidate is a right fit for your team? As with any other job hiring process, the intern hiring process should also be well thought of. Follow these tips for intern selection process.

–   Look for their enthusiasm – are they trying to get any job or are they truly interested in your company and the role in your team?

–   Look for their analytical skills – If the person is a good analytical and critical thinker, they can help you get some real world problems solved. Ask them to describe some of the problems they solved in their class room projects or at any other work experience they have. This should give you a good idea about their thought process and their abilities.

–    Look for related skills – Remember, interns are not expected to know very much when they come work with us. You need to have an idea on what tasks or project you will likely need help from an intern. You can base your interview off of those tasks and see if they posses related skills required for that task if not the specific skills.

It is your job to get the most of what they can offer and tap in to their potential. 

How is your experience working with interns? What insights can you share with the rest of us to make the best of this program? Let us know in the comments below.