Every company, no matter the size, can benefit from working with interns
And -just to address a stereotype right off the bat- we’re not talking about an unpaid teen who gets you coffee. We’re talking about talented college students (juniors, seniors, masters and even PhDs) who are capable of managing projects and making meaningful contributions to your team.
With the SciTech Internship Program actively recruiting talent on your behalf and distributing small business grants to cover 50% of your interns’ pay (all provided as a free, state-funded resource), there’s really no excuse not to bring interns into your company.
That being said, if you’re new to the idea of hosting an internship, you’re probably wondering where to start.
To help simplify the experience, SciTech has created free hiring resources as part of our Recruiter’s Roadmap Series, to make the planning, recruiting, interviewing and onboarding process easier.
First up is a Need Assessment Tool that will help determine where an intern fits in your company and what their role will entail. You can use this tool in tandem with the following article to assess the gaps in your workflow and build a project around them.
Download the free Need Assessment Tool
Prior to hiring an intern, it’s important to have a project in place, something specific for them to work on with desired outcomes and/or deliverables. Internship projects can cover a wide range of tasks, so let’s begin by identifying areas of need in your workforce.
Start by asking yourself,
“Where do I need help?”
“What tasks or side projects do I keep putting off?”
“Does my team need help with anything? Are there departments that need more support?”
The answers to these questions will form the basis of your internship project.
As an example, one thing practically every business needs is more visibility and promotion, whether that’s to reach a greater number of customers or to create a stronger brand identity online. And if you’re a small team that doesn’t have a designated marketing person, you just identified a job for an intern:
I need help with: reaching a wider audience.
I can hire a: marketing intern to: update and manage my social media.
Or…
I need help with: converting visitors to customers on my website.
I can hire a: UX Design intern to: make my website more user friendly and engaging.
With your needs established and the project defined, you’ve just created a solid foundation for the internship you’re going to host. Now, as you move forward through the planning process, you can use that project as a guide on how to effectively structure your internship and set measurable goals for success.
Which is a topic we’ll cover more in depth in part two!
Follow SciTech on LinkedIn and Instagram to catch more free resources through our Recruiter’s Roadmap Series. Real-world examples of companies currently finding success with their interns can be found on the SciTech blog, and if you’re interested in signing up for SciTech and accessing Minnesota’s number one recruiting and funding tool, you can enroll here for free!