Creating a summer internship program for your company can help you discover new talent, mentor young people, and increase overall efficiency for your company. Most of your employees probably started out as interns — if not at your own company, then somewhere else.

10 Tips for Creating an Efficient Summer
10 Tips for Creating an Efficient Summer Internship Program for Your Company Pixabay

Internships provide a valuable opportunity for entry-level employees to learn about different industries, pick up new skills, and shape their own futures. Given that many interns are young people who are still in college or newly graduated, they will be able to bring a fresh perspective to team meetings. They can generate ideas inspired by topics they learned about in school and bring insights into the needs of young people as a market.

Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX, says, "SpaceX is a flat organization. Anyone gets to talk to anyone, and the best idea wins — even if it comes from an intern." That's not a bad model for your own internship program.

While your company might not be a flat organization, some of your best ideas will still come from your interns. Interns won't have as much work experience as some of your other employees, but you can help them make the most of their time at your company by structuring an internship that involves specific goals and a mentor. In order to create a stellar program and put it into action as soon as possible, there are a few points you will need to consider.

1. Determine a Goal for the Internship

When hiring an intern, it's important to think about potential benefits for the intern as well as for your company.

"When young people apply for an internship, they're looking for real-world work experience. An internship is a great opportunity for them to try out different jobs and see which shoe fits. That's why it's so important to develop a program that gives the opportunity to learn new skills and gain insight into your industry. Share what you've learned with them, and they'll be grateful," says Max Schwartzapfel, CMO of Fighting For You.

If a particular team at your company could use a fresh perspective on a project — for example, your marketing team — you could seek out an intern with a marketing degree or marketing-specific experience. While it's important to find competitive, qualified candidates for your internship, these candidates may have higher expectations for compensation.

2. Consider Legalities

You may have seen some companies offering unpaid internships, but it's important to note that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires most interns to be paid. Typically, an intern should only be unpaid if the experience and mentorship they receive are similar to an educational program and provides hands-on training. The intern's work should also "complement, rather than displace, the work of paid employees," according to the Department of Labor.

"Choosing whether to offer a paid or unpaid internship depends on your budget and the time that your employees have to mentor someone," says Christian Kjaer, CEO of ElleVet Sciences. "If your team is overwhelmed and just looking for an extra pair of hands, a paid internship might be best. If you want to offer specific career development benefits to your intern, an unpaid internship is okay."

While 61% of internships are paid, many internships in the social or non-profit sector are not. Interns do still gain experience from unpaid internships, with almost 85% of respondents in one study reporting that the internship was beneficial to their career development.

3. Collect Feedback From Your Employees

You may want to save time when implementing your internship program, especially if you imminently need extra hands, but it is important to collect feedback from your other team members. Who is most in need of interns? How do they think an internship should be structured, and what learning opportunities would they have liked to have as an intern? Acknowledging feedback from your team can make the hiring process quicker and easier.

"Most people have been interns or worked an entry-level job early on in their career," says Ryan Rottman, Co-Founder and CEO of OSDB. "Everyone remembers what that was like. You remember someone who gave you an opportunity, connected you with a key person, or helped you develop a skill that led to your career growth. Compiling the skills that your current employees find most valuable will help you create a well-rounded program."

4. Shape Your Job Description

An internship job description will be shaped much like any job description. You'll create a list of necessary qualifications and expectations for the job description. You will want to be transparent about compensation, the length of the internship, and any necessary schooling or majors.

If you're hiring a team of interns, you can assign multiple tasks on an as-needed basis. As your team members, specifically your intern's mentor, work with each intern, you'll learn more about their strengths and weaknesses. An intern may take a particular interest in a project or area, and if you have the capacity to teach them more about that area, you should take the time to do so.

"Because they're new to the workplace, some interns will choose an internship at their dream company over one that pays. They're still learning, and if you emphasize that idea of getting your foot in the door, especially if you don't have as much budget for an internship, that can make you more competitive," says Asker A. Ahmed, Director of iProcess Global Research.

Beyond the role's qualifications and responsibilities, you should list the benefits to the intern. This can include monetary benefits but also learning and mentorship opportunities. If your intern will work with a team or one-on-one with a mentor tailored to their area of interest, you can list these as benefits, too.

5. Choose a Mentor

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If you're creating an internship program with the intention of hiring multiple teams of interns, you will likely have more than one manager or mentor to guide them. In choosing a mentor, you will want to look for employees with strong leadership qualities.

"An internship program can be an exciting opportunity for your employees to show off everything that they know about the company and industry," says Maegan Griffin, Founder, CEO and nurse practitioner at Skin Pharm. "You'd be surprised by how many employees will step up to the plate and be a leader when someone new comes along. An intern can bring fresh energy to the team that gets everyone excited."

You should also ensure you're hiring someone with experience in what the intern will be doing. If you're hiring a graphic design intern, you could choose a mentor with strong graphic design experience so your intern feels like they're learning from an expert.

6. Provide Professional Networking Opportunities

Your interns will likely be working closely with other interns and a mentor while completing their work. It can be exciting to work with other peers, but interns will likely already be doing this in school.

"Every new employee wants to be welcomed into their work environment, and that includes interns," says Andrew Chen, Chief Product Officer of Videeo. "Allowing your interns to join team meetings and creating a space to celebrate their accomplishments can be so beneficial to the success of the program."

It is beneficial to allow interns to meet and share their ideas with upper management or even partners in the industry. Of course, your interns will have to earn this opportunity by providing good work.

7. Advertise the Internship

After you have created a successful internship program, you will want to get the word out. While you can use job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor, you should also consult your marketing team. Market your internship opportunity with the same vigor and creativity as you would a new product or service. You want to get your interns excited about the opportunity to be a part of your team.

"Company culture is so important to talk about when hiring interns," Nicholas Mathews, CEO of Stillwater Behavioral Health says. "Your intern might be qualified, but you want to make sure they're a good fit for your team. Talking about your company culture and growth opportunities in the application will make you stand out."

Social media can be a great tool for this. Some companies create videos portraying a "day in the life" of an employee. If you're looking to hire college students or recent graduates, you can also attend university job fairs.

8. Do Your Research When Using AI

Using an applicant tracking system (ATS) or another type of artificial intelligence can save you time when reviewing your internship applications. ATS can be helpful when you have a large volume of resumes to review. It also can flag certain keywords on applications. If you need a candidate with a specific major or experience with a particular platform, an application-reviewing AI can help.

However, it's important to do your research and cross-reference when using an ATS program. Even if an applicant has all the necessary keywords, they might not be personable or a good fit for your company.

"Applicant tracking systems can be efficient but might not always provide the quality candidates you're looking for," says Anthony Tivnan, CCO of Magellan Jets, a company that offers private jet charter flights. "You could meet some of your best interns at in-person networking events or a job fair, so don't rely solely on AI to choose your employees for you."

9. Ask Your Intern About Their Goals

Congratulations! You've created a stand-out internship program and sent your offer letter to a team of interns. Now what? After you let your interns get settled in and after introducing them to their mentor and team, take some time to ask about their personal career goals.

"As your interns start working with your team, their career aspirations may grow and change," says Colby Schmidt, Founder of Coursology. "They might get inspired by a project they're working on and become passionate about learning a new skill, and as their employer, that's exactly what you want to see."

10. Think About Program Longevity

When hiring interns, think about your company's needs in the future. You may have a project that needs extra hands right now, but will you have enough work for your intern once that project is complete? Do you need to hire more full-time employees, and could your intern be a good fit with some more training? These are important questions to ask.

"Interns are more than just extra help at the office," says Jason Zhang, CTO of Tapin.GG, a company that helps gamers team up to get an elo boost. "You teach them, and then you send them off into the world — or, potentially, ask them to stay with your company. Given that your interns will already know your company culture and structure, giving them a little extra training could make them into great full-time employees."

Efficiency Starts With Quality Candidates

As an employer, you know that your team's productivity can make or break a project. When hiring interns who will improve the future of your company and contribute robustly to company culture, you'll want to communicate with your team members, develop a competitive program, and provide your interns with a personalized mentorship experience. If you follow these tips, your interns will certainly make an impact on your company and industry.