Any tips on how to manage interns?

15 Comments

1. AnonymousNovember 24,2021 at 9:09PM UTC

   At the beginning of my career I had a great manager that was quick to figure out my personal style of learning and what I responded to in the way of correction, reward, and motivation. I took it for granted at the time but she was very skilled at figuring my style out.

   I have yet to come across anyone that can do what she did. I have tried hard to provide that environment for my reports over my career. It made such a difference for me.

2. AnonymousNovember 25,2021 at 12:55AM UTC

   When I first get into the company I'm currently working with, it's chaotic. I mean, yeah, there are all kinds of documents for me to learn how to do specific things or learn about a particular topic, but they didn't have clear information on what's the overall structure/progress steps in our services look like, which makes it hard to connect all the separate information together. Also, one thing that I'm still dealing with is, our company doesn't have lots of resources. Most of our documents came from online, and basically, whenever I'm trying to help a client to prepare an interview, for example, I find my time is better spent with Google instead of the company's database.
   So here's my one cent, if your company has particular steps the teams tend to follow when doing something, walk these interns through each step briefly so that they can get a full picture and have a better chance to connect everything they learned in the training together. If there are lots of helpful preparation documents, ask them to check these out, but also remind them that they can ask for help, or turn to Google.

3. AnonymousNovember 25,2021 at 1:36AM UTC

   There’s interns might still be students or fresh out of college so keeping in mind this could be their first job and they might still learn about what’s appropriate at work. I give my interns so much more leeway compared to other staff since they are still learning how to navigate the workplace.

4. TroyNovember 25,2021 at 2:21AM UTC

   Hello Anonymous, first off you are already ahead of the curve. By you wanting to be hands-on and train them from the ground up, to me that is the first step. I would say keep the train of thought that you currently have and stay positive. There will be stressful times, but I truly believe when you manage with empathy, you will see the results that you are wishing for. Good luck!!!!

5. Alexis GladstoneNovember 25,2021 at 1:29PM UTC

   This is a great question and I commend you for wanting to give some thought and attention to it. Here are some things I would consider:

   - Let them know that no question is off limits. You want them to feel comfortable coming to you with anything.
   - Is there someone on your team that can be assigned to each of them as their go-to person or mentor? This will help relieve you of some of the day-to-day.
   - For every assignment you give them, be very clear on the steps they need to follow and what the outcome should be. We tend to assume people know how to do something, yet they don't.
   - Be prepared to double check their work, especially if it's going to be passed on to others.
   - Have at least one scheduled check-in with them each week. More if needed. Consider a 5-10 minute morning huddle with all of the interns.

   Good luck.

6. Clydene HorriganNovember 27,2021 at 2:08PM UTC

   I really like the first two points Alexis made. When picking the team members to partner, find ones who are patient, personable, and good teachers. This may not always be the ones who are the rockstar performers but are still good at their job. Make sure they are willing to do the work snd adjust their workload to make time for this new assignment.

   When it comes to 1x1s, set up two kinds. One that is project related and one that is about them and how they are doing.

   Finally, make sure they take notes and when they ask questions you’ve already answered, ask them to review their notes. One way to do this is to have them find the notes and review them together and help them fill in the missing pieces. This shows the importance of good note taking.

   If after several times going through this process you find that their note taking is fairly complete, you can ask them to review the notes on their own and see if they can figure it out. This process will teach them to become detailed note takers and self-sufficient which will stand them well in their career.

   Finally, get to know their career goals and do what you can to help them reach them.

7. Alexis GladstoneNovember 27,2021 at 2:44PM UTC

   I love the suggestions you added Clydene.

8. AnonymousNovember 25,2021 at 4:45PM UTC

   Always model for them the behavior you want to see in them. And be compassionate b/c studies show that showing compassion motivates ppl much more than anything else.

9. AnonymousNovember 27,2021 at 1:51PM UTC

   I always tell my interns that I don’t give them any work that I don’t have to do myself. So, basically, if they were not there, I would be doing the assignment. This helps them understand that all aspects of the job are important.

10. Cecile PittsNovember 27,2021 at 3:32PM UTC

    I too liked alexis’ suggestions. I’d add on that people interning will want to see the big picture as well as the focused picture.
    *Pairing an intern with a team member may give them one perspective.
    *Meeting with them your self gives another….
    *Consider a “shadowing day” each week, where they follow a different team member to see what they’re doing, how they work etc.
    It will feed into their experience. And their resume.

11. Liz MilneNovember 29,2021 at 1:09AM UTC

    My advice (I've worked with university students in their first jobs while working on their studies) is to be very kind and very specific: don't assume that they will automatically know how to make change from a till, for example. [For example: One of the areas I supervised was a shop, and a colleague (older lady, had never been to uni herself, and quite judgy of the 'lucky' students who 'thought they were clever') came to me ranting about one of our new hires not knowing how to give change. I had to point out to her that the poor girl had never stood on that side of a shop counter before! I took over her training and she was very grateful - and soon became a supervisor herself!]

    Be very detailed in your initial instructions and then watch to see who picks it up quickly and who needs their hand held a little more (Neither of these are bad, some people learn fast but scrappy, while others are slower but very thorough - and the opposite is also true, fast and excellent, and slow and not so good!)

    Avoid sarcasm for the first three months, if they raise trivial issues, explain why that won't be sorted to their satisfaction in a calm and serious manner.

    After you are certain you have repeated all the requirements to them, and shown them what to do a minimum of three times (education is repetition with clarity!) then you can start being a little more of a hard-case with them - and that will sort those who think you're a soft touch! And to give those ones a heads-up tell them outright that they get gentle handling for a short while, then once they're trained, they will be expected to hold up their end.

    Sorry, a bit of a waffle here, hope it helps regardless!

12. Angie Lawson BlumeNovember 29,2021 at 1:10PM UTC

    Be sure to give a big picture at the beginning. Try to include a bit of strategic with a lot of the technical they will be facing. Giving them an idea of how they fit in the grand scheme of things can instill a more positive outlook with the organization overall and actually provide meaning to their internship.
    Also actively encourage the "whyers" in the group. Folks who know the why in the background of their task are generally better at it and can definitely make good trainers (for interns, it benefits them when they go back to school to explain their experiences). Some interns may be a bit more reticent at the beginning so if you have some good question askers, the quieter ones can also benefit.

13. Deb AllenNovember 29,2021 at 4:08PM UTC

    I agree with many of the ideas here, I would add that it would be helpful to prep the rest of your staff to the oncoming interns, and set up expectations. They are coming to learn, so they must be treated with respect and hopefully you will get some volunteers to help you with the shadowing. I work for a large corporation and hire 50-70 sales interns each summer. I believe strongly in setting them up for a great broad learning experience vs expectations of teaching them a specific task to manage over the term of their internship.

14. Barbara WhiteNovember 29,2021 at 9:26PM UTC

    I saw that someone mentioned "be specific" earlier. I would agree with that, since they do not have a lot of experience in a work environment. You may also need to teach what is or is not appropriate in your work environment---don't assume they know. For example, in a lab environment, I have seen students (especially the ladies) show up in clothing that they just can't wear for safety reasons. They are trying to make a good first impression and may show up in dresses or shoes that don't cover their feet because that could be seen as "professional attire". I try to send that kind of information to them in advance just so they know the expectations, but sometimes they still don't always understand. Patience with younger people is key---we have to direct them without killing their excitement and enthusiasm. Speaking of enthusiasm, that's one of the main benefits of having interns---everything is new so they are excited to learn and do. They can energize your whole team if you get them plugged in and make them feel like a vital part of the team. Our student workers have been wonderful over the years---they come in to the workplace with fresh eyes, and almost immediately make some great suggestions. I also advocate for rotating them through various tasks just so they get the broad perspective of what it takes to do whatever it is your workplace does. That also allows you to assess their skill sets and how well they adapt to various parts of the operation. After all, sometimes you find interns you would want to hire as actual employees at some point, so it's helpful for them to know how things are done where you are.

15. Karen GongawareNovember 29,2021 at 10:20PM UTC

    Do not assume they know everything. Yes, start from the beginning and be patient. Interns are there to learn the job, so make sure you cover all the bases.