5 tips for hiring interns

Every company or organization that regularly hires numerous interns, with or without a college recruiting program, wants to know the best practices for hiring interns. Steven Rothberg, President and Founder of College Recruiter, offers his top 5 tips for hiring interns in this 5-minute video.

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1. Write compelling job posting ads.

Remember that job postings ads are not job descriptions. Understandably, job descriptions are often lengthy, detailing minutiae involved in daily tasks of the position, including “other duties as assigned.” However, job posting ads for internships should be succinct and convey your corporate identity and define your industry.

“Job posting ads are sales documents,” says Rothberg.

2. Approach internship training with enthusiasm.

“Internships are entry-level positions; by definition, that means [candidates] don’t have experience,” Rothberg reminds employers.

Employers, then, must provide interns with training. Rothberg explains the benefits of hiring interns, in spite of the need to train them.

3. Offer interns meaningful, realistic experiences.

Meaningful work doesn’t necessarily mean “interesting.” Many employers mistakenly believe they must entertain interns for a few months. Instead, employers should provide interns with a realistic view of their companies. This increases the likelihood that employers will retain interns hired full-time upon graduation.

4. Provide feedback.

The more feedback internship managers can provide to interns, the better.

“One of our clients encourages its managers to provide interns with at least one piece of tangible feedback every single day,” notes Rothberg.

Providing quality feedback doesn’t require writing formal reports, and the more interaction you have with your interns, the more feedback you will naturally provide.

5. Consider the internship relationship “temp to perm.”

Rothberg discourages recruiters from viewing interns as cheap hires or temporary labor; if employers and interns view the relationship as temp to perm, both will invest more in the experience.

At College Recruiter, we believe every student and recent graduate deserves a great career, and we are committed to creating a quality candidate and recruiter experience. Our interactive media solutions connect students and graduates to great careers. Let College Recruiter assist you in the recruiting process. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook for more information about the best practices in college recruiting.