Steps for Success (onboarding for Interns)
Like any other onboarding process, the experience for Interns should be positive and productive. If your onboarding program is successful, your Inters will feel valued and satisfied, become some of your best full-time employees in the future, and benefit your company in a very big way.
Steps for Success:
1 – FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Interns accept positions months before graduation. They see your program as an opportunity to grow as a professional. Begin the onboarding process weeks in advance, giving them time to meet employees, ask questions, and to see your company as a great place to work.
2 – COMPANY CULTURE: Organize a time with the Intern to come to the company for a visit. Introduce them to the rest of your staff. Give them a chance to see the company culture, the business in action, the employees hard at work, and your relationship with the team as a whole.
3 – ALWAYS CLARIFY: Make sure the Intern knows what he/she is expecting to get out of the internship. Make sure the manager who works with the Intern knows what he/she is expecting to get from the Intern. Create a work plan with weekly goals, so there is more than just oral clarification.
4 – BE READY TO LEARN: There are Interns who may have skills that you do not. Be prepared to learn. This will benefit your development and make them feel valued and included.
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk: