Is Your Workplace Intern-Ready?

With spring approaching, the time to welcome a new intern to your team can sneak up on you before you know it. That's why you should spend a few minutes and take our informative quiz that will quickly show you how ready you are to welcome an intern to your workplace.  

 

Question 1: Are you prepared to offer your intern a meaningful work experience?

A; No, an intern would mostly run errands.

B: Somewhat, an intern would be able to shadow other workers.

C: Yes, an intern would have clearly defined responsibilities that would relate to his or her learning objectives.

 

Question 2: Is your team aligned around the idea of having an intern?

A: A few team members are on board with the idea.

B: Most team members welcome the idea.

C: The entire team is happy to welcome an intern to the workplace.

 

Question 3: Is someone on the team willing to be the intern’s mentor?

A: I haven’t asked.

B: Some people are considering it.

C: One or more capable employees have volunteered.

 

Question 4: Will you offer the intern networking opportunities?

A: No, that’s not our responsibility.

B: Maybe, if an opportunity presents itself.

C: Yes, since networking is an important aspect of career building.

 

Scoring your answers

Give yourself one point for each “A” answer, two points for each “B” answer, and three points for each “C” answer.

 

Interpreting the results

If you scored 4 to 6 points: Offering an internship is not something to take lightly. For an intern, it’s a valuable learning experience that can help shape his or her career. At the same time, it can contribute to your company’s employer brand. So before opening your workplace to an intern, you’re best advised to invest more time preparing. Think about what kind of work experience you can offer and how you would structure an internship. Then get your team on board with the idea so you can offer a welcoming, productive learning environment.

If you scored 7 to 9 points: You’re on the right track, but you could do with some more preparation. For example, you should provide your intern with sufficient independent work that he or she can learn from the experience. Moreover, you’ll need someone who’s willing and able to mentor the intern for the duration of his or her mentorship. In short, to be properly prepared for an intern, it’s a good idea to be more proactive in regard to the guidance and opportunities you’ll offer. 

If you scored 10 to 12 points: Congratulations! You have a good structure in place for an intern, and your team supports the idea — in other words, your workplace is intern-ready. Just make sure that you have a solid employment contract that clearly outlines the intern’s responsibilities, as well as compensation and benefits (if any). In addition, it’s advisable to provide an orientation and onboarding so the intern understands things like workplace safety issues, discrimination laws, and important company policies.

 

Remember: If the hires of tomorrow start with the interns of today, offering internships is an opportunity you don't want to miss. Now, with the results of our quiz, you have some practical takeaway tips on how to make your workplace truly inspiring for interns — and maybe even for your future employees!

 

Source:

https://www.sba.gov/blogs/6-essential-elements-any-internship-program