Honoring The Invaluable Workforce: Interns
In honor of National Intern Day (July 30th) I wanted to give kudos to WayUp for creating awareness around this remarkable day, as well as take this time to speak to the immeasurable value interns can bring to your organization. If you play your cards right, they can become some of the most loyal advocates and invaluable members of your organization. Younger ones in the latter years of collegiate studies can provide fresh ideas, new insight and an exponential amount of energy to impact change. They are hungry and soak up knowledge like a sponge. Older interns (ie. the movie The Intern and The Internship ) bring a wealth of knowledge amassed by life experience.
I have had the privilege of managing and preparing over 500 interns over a decade in various different fields to include internet t.v., radio and the performing arts. I have seen interns transform departments, make game-changing contributions and invigorate work environments. Don’t get me wrong, I have also seen a fair share of bad apples, however, they were more the exception, not the rule.
When people tell me they are not fond of interns, I ask them to elaborate. When they do, it is often the same story. What they say, and what I hear are two different narratives. At the end of their story, often I have heard that the intern didn’t feel valued and therefore their lack of appreciation manifested as behaviors that eventually labeled them unreliable.
I have learned that interns, exactly like paid employees, thrive in an environment that provides structure, constructive criticism and positive reinforcement.
With that being said, here are a few steps to help get the best out of your interns:
1. Set Realistic Expectations: Most interns that I have worked with, once a schedule was established and expectations of their scope of work were made clear, they thrived and were extremely reliable and successful.
2. Hands-On-Experience is Vital: Interns are often looking for that magical ingredient to help them land the first professional job that will jump start their career path. This means they are looking for meaningful assignments that will not only make a difference in the organization, but will boost their resume. All internships should be a win / win. In actuality, the student should benefit more than the organization, but that’s another topic altogether.
3. Positive Reinforcement Goes A Long Way: When an intern makes an important contribution, tell them. Thank them (read 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace to thank them in away that is meaningful to them). Show them how the contribution impacts the company. Let your team and even your boss know. Let them know that the time and effort that they are putting in is worthwhile and meaningful. The more you do, the more they will want to work harder for you to help find new solutions for the organization.
I will now insert a shameless plug for Words of Wisdom for Young Professionals: An Inspirational Note-Taking Journal created for college and soon-to-be college graduates. The perfect gift for interns! My intern loved hers so much she bought one for her friend!
Ok, now back to the program.
4. Feedback: Feedback is absolutely necessary. How will an intern know how they are doing, or what areas of improvement need to be worked on if you don’t tell them? Most will be grateful for the feedback and it is a beautiful thing to watch them take constructive feedback and implement it.
So, on this day where we are celebrating the contributions of interns, remember that interns can be a HUGE asset to your organization. Last year alone interns that I managed contributed 11,000 hours to the organization; essentially the equivalent to $279,730; the same as 5 ½ full time employees!
Never underestimate the far-reaching impact of your Invaluable Workforce. If you would like more information on how to build a thriving internship program, or want to learn how achieve better results with the current program that you have, contact me for a free 30 minute consultation.
Happy National Intern Day. You Deserve It.
Nicole is a Panamanian-American, single mother, workforce development specialist, dancer, motivational speaker and published author of many inspirational note-taking journals including 101 Affirmations for Young Professionals, Professional Women and Entrepreneurs, She attended Oral Roberts University on a Division I full-ride track scholarship. After graduating, she founded Step It Up! Inc., a non-profit dance organization. Her experience in sports and entertainment, radio, TV and the performing arts has spanned nearly 20 years covering the Chicago, Houston and Miami markets. She has prepared more than 500 interns to enter the workforce and has inspired crowds upwards of 2000. In 2019 she was listed as one of WLRN’s “Local Women Who Inspire You”, she was selected as one of Legacy Miami’s Most Prominent and Influential Black Women In Business and Industry of 2019 and became a contributing writer for The Life of a Single Mom. Her mission is based on Proverbs 13:19: A dream fulfilled is sweet to the soul. Her desire is to maximize and empower the potential of the invaluable workforce. Connect with her at www.nicolersmith.net and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
