Creating an Internship Program Best Practices

1. Creating an Internship ProgramBest Practices Barry Shiflett, Director, CBA Career Management Services, FIU

2. What is an Internship? • An internship is any carefully monitored work or service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what she or he is learning throughout the experience.

3. Internship Program - Why? • Pipeline of candidates to fill needs at a minimal cost (reduced cost per hire) • Intern recruiting aligned with college recruiting efforts • Dollars saved by off-setting some campus recruiting • Outstanding source to meet diversity objectives

4. Internship Program – Why? • Interns act as advocates in recruiting other students • Opportunity to evaluate and screen students prior to making a full-time offer • Rapid assimilation into full-time employment (less learning curve)

5. Value Proposition – Interns • Job experience • Competitive compensation and benefits package • Professional development, social and volunteer activities • Intern Program Web Site

6. Robust processes needed in • Intern commitment and assignment management • Manager and mentor training • Recruiting, assessment and selection • Orientation and assimilation • Career development and performance management • Training and development • Senior Conversation

7. Internship Success Factors • Structure program with conversion in mind • Eliminate “ just an intern” mentality • Partner with personnel executives, line managers and staffing leads • Ensure positions are included in line’s staffing forecast

8. Internship Success Factors • Link program to campus recruiting strategy • Promote corporate brand • Centralize internship program management • Initiate process early

9. Internship Success Factors • Conduct Training • Continuously raise the bar • Establish program parameters

10. Internship Program Design • Funding • Size • Paid versus unpaid • Time of year • Geographic location • Type of position(s) • Rotations if any

11. Internship Program Design • Sources and partnerships • Team alignment • Intern qualifications/requirements • Graduate/undergraduate • Current Associates • Classifications • Intern benefits

12. Internship Financial Benefits to Consider • Competitive salary • Signing bonus • Paid time off • Holiday pay • Scholarships • 401K • Transportation supplement

13. Internship Work/Life Balanceto Consider • Mentor program • Social and professional development activities • Executive networking • Community service activities • Recreational activities • Intern web site

14. Program Marketing • Kick-off communications • Business and staffing partner meetings

15. Commitment Process and Requisition Form • Timing • Program goal • Manager role • Financial commitment • Time commitment • Link to full-time opportunity • Job description • Approvals

16. Sourcing, Recruiting and Selection Sourcing and Partnerships • Campus • Web Site • Referrals

17. Recruiting Process-How? • Career site postings • Targeted campus postings • Campus visits

18. Selection Process • Resume screen • Campus and/or telephone screen • Hiring manager interview

19. On-boarding (Example: For Summer) Checklist for Managers • Prior to intern’s arrival • First and/or second day • Week one • Weeks three to five • Weeks four to six • Weeks six to eight • Weeks eight to twelve

20. On-boarding (Example: For Summer) • May 1 Mailing • Welcome letter • Local intern Champion information • List of acceptable documents needed • City links • Directions for First Day Welcome • Dress Code information • Manager, recruiter and mentor contact information

21. Orientation • Intern First Day Welcome • Timing • Format • Materials • Giveaways • Icebreakers • Agenda • Other Cities • Student pick-up

22. Department Orientation • Departmental structure • Systems and processes • Calendar of events • Performance expectations

23. Events • Kick-off • Social • Professional development • Brown bag lunches with executives • Networking • Community service • Career Fair • End of Summer

24. End of Summer Presentation • Format/Guidelines • Content • Attendees

25. Career Development • Career Development Plan • Goals and objectives (The “What”) • Competencies (The “How”) • Mid-Summer Discussion • Assimilation • Pulse check • End of Summer Evaluation • Quantitative review • Developmental feedback • Future employment discussion • Performance Improvement Plans

26. Conversion ProcessTracking and Reporting • Identification of senior interns and/or graduates • Performance information consideration • Campus recruiters • Benchmark conversation rate • Feedback to/from Career Services

27. Keeping in Touch • Ongoing communication (holiday cards, e-mails) • Part time work (solicitation, process, benefits)

28. Measuring Success Metrics • Time to fill • Hire ratios • Offer/acceptance rate • First-round applicants hired • Cost per hire • Returning intern retention • Job posting response and success rates • Cancelled positions • Diversity • Performance • Conversion rate • Long-term retention

29. Surveys at end of Internship • Intern • Manager • Mentor and business partner

30. Continuous ImprovementBenchmarking • Network • Other companies • Asking the right questions

31. Annual Review • On/Off-site • Survey results • Metrics • Partner feedback • Benchmark data • Workforce trends • Line of business forecast • Project plan

32. Table of Content for Company Internship Manual • Intern Program Management Team • Contact Information • Intern Program Goal and Benefits • Benefits • Intern definition and other classifications • Intern program statistics • Intern Program Partners and Sources • Organizations, Golden Key, etc

33. Table of Content for Company Internship Manual • Roles and Responsibilities • Business partners • Intern Manager • Mentor • Local Intern Champion • General Expectations of Managers • Manager Commitment • Financial Commitment • Conversion • Intern Program Calendar and Key Dates • Payroll and Benefits • Summer Objectives and Performance Evaluations

34. Appendix • Managing Generation X and Y • Developing Others • Intern Manager’s Checklist • Intern Sample Summer Plan • Intern Performance Plan & Evaluation Form • Organizational Chart

35. Local Intern Mentor/Champion Manual Table of Content • Intern Program Management Team • Contact Information • Intern Program Goal and Benefits • Intern definition and other classifications • Intern program statistics • Intern Program Partners and Sources • Golden Key, Clubs, Schools, etc.

36. Local Intern Mentor/Champion Manual Table of Content • Intern Program Roles and Responsibilities • Business Partner • Intern Manager • Mentor • Local Intern Champion • First Day Welcome • Logistics • Delivering First Day Welcome • First Day welcome agenda

37. Local Intern Mentor/Champion Manual Table of Content • Intern Events/Activities • Sample Activity Agendas • General Policies and Procedures • End of Summer Banquet • Budget • Submitting expenses • Miscellaneous

38. Local Intern Mentor/Champion Manual Table of Content • Appendix • Energizers/Icebreakers • Meeting and Activity Suggestions • Managing Generation X & Y • Developing Others • Sample Calendar of Events • Organizational Chart

39. Summary - Tips Ask yourself some realistic questions • Can you provide meaningful work assignments? • Are you prepared to invest time in interns? • Is there a professional staff person to supervise interns? • Do your top managers and employees want to have interns on-site? • Can you provide financial support? • Do you have sufficient office space?

40. Summary - Tips Create Effective Position Descriptions • The quality of students attracted to your listed positions sometimes depends upon the quality of your announcement. • In addition to the position title, hours, salary, and location describe the duties, qualifications and application instructions in terms that will attract students. • Provide enough detail to identify specific academic disciplines and learning objectives. One-line descriptions are not sufficient. • Reference descriptive material such as your website which may include descriptions of the type of equipment they will use. • Identify the contact person. This should be the professional designated to coordinate the company or department internship coordinator.

41. Summary - Tips Select carefully the Intern and Site supervisor • Is this a professional member of your staff who is committed to and capable of developing people? • Does this person have the time to supervise interns? • Work with the Internship Coordinator in the College • Review resumes and/or applications and interview students • Do not automatically accept interns without conducting interviews • Respond to all candidates • Keep the Career Management Office updated and report all hires

42. Summary - Tips Prepare for the Interns to start • Discuss start and end dates with the selected students • Agree on days and times they will be expected to be on site • Provide interns with information regarding work attire • Notify your permanent employees when the interns will be starting and provide them with background information about the assignments interns will be doing

43. Summary - Tips Supervise Interns Carefully • Orient students and get them started on assignments • Provide any necessary training • Meet with the interns on a regular basis to provide feedback and insure projects are on track • Evaluate the intern’s performance at the end of the internship using the Student Evaluation Form

44. Summary - Tips Seek and provide Feedback • Ask interns to complete the Employer Feedback Form regarding their experience with your organization • Ask interns to discuss their performance with your organization • Identify improvements to your internship program and make revisions

45. Contact Information • Barry Shiflett..305-348-7395; bshiflett@fiu.edu MBA/MS internships • Dawn Lazar…305-348-0025; dawn.lazar@fiu.edu Undergraduate Accounting & Finance Internships • Sammi Rosin..305-348-1232; sammi.rosin@fiu.edu Undergraduate Business Internships other than Accounting & Finance