Your Next Great Employee Could Be An Intern

BY LYNETTE BERTRAND, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS, CACM

Did you know that some of the world’s most successful people started out as interns?

It’s hard to believe that goliaths such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Dennis Muilenburg (Boeing CEO), Mary Barra (General Motors CEO), Roger Goodell (NFL Commissioner), and Journalists including Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper all got a humble start as interns. But they did.

So maybe your next superstar employee could be an intern, too.

An internship is a student’s introduction to the working world before arriving. It allows them to get a taste for a potential future career or job. It also allows them to start putting some of those newfound college skills to use. Interns shouldn’t be delegated the tasks no one else wants to do or has the time to do. That doesn’t help them or you in the long term. They need to offer meaningful contributions – not just fetch coffee or make copies.

For management companies, a tried and true internship program can be the funnel to a new talent and candidate pool. They also can offer a fresh perspective and new ideas for your business.

But to benefit from interns and see a real return on investment, you must see them not as free or low-paid workers, but rather as potential new hires and, who knows, even your next executive leader. You need to approach interns as a long-term investment and create a job description, growth plan, and assign a person or team to manage the program.

· Determine positions within your company that blend a learning opportunity and work that you need done.

· Train and support your team who will work beside and mentor the interns.

· Manage their performance (including feedback), pay and time keeping for the interns.

Interns should be treated as employees – provided with a taste not only of the jobs or careers but of the company culture. Remember, these could be your future employees. Giving them a good impression is important.

Time must be allotted to recruitment as well, working with schools that offer academic programs that serve as potential funnels for our industry. Programs like the new certificate in Community Association Management being offered through California State University, Fullerton, are a great way to recruit interns. But you can also work with colleges and universities to target students in real estate, hospitality, business management, facility management, insurance, risk management, organizational management, or organizational behavior. Work with schools to publicize and post your internship and a call for applications.

To attract quality candidates, your company must provide real-world experience, be fun and deliver a paycheck. Why not provide networking opportunities for them? Allow them to participate in vendor events, tag along to site visits and sit in on board meetings. Invite them to industry social events or team-building activities. Invite them to sit in on brainstorming sessions and encourage them to provide input in meetings.

If your goal is to hire from your intern pool, make that clear from the beginning and let interns know that a job offer will be made should they determine that the candidate is fit for the job. Interns can be a great advertising tool, so even if they decide not to stay on with your company, make sure to get their feedback.

According to the 2021 Internship and Co-Op Survey Report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, conversion rates for class of 2020 interns was 66.4 percent, and was significantly higher than in the past. The report also noted that 60 percent of interns spent the bulk of their time on analytical/problem-solving work and performing project management duties. Planned social activities and paid holidays are the most commonly offered benefits.

You need to approach interns as a long-term investment and create a job description, growth plan and assign a person or team to manage the program.

In today’s tough job market, companies looking to hire need a multi-faceted approach to finding their next employees. It’s no longer enough to post an opening on various job sites or social media platforms and expect the right person to drop into your lap.

A more proactive recruitment approach is necessary. Networking events, career or job fairs, and internships – all offer more opportunities to land your next super star. If nothing else, the experience can also help put the community management industry on their radar.